February 27, 2023Amar Dhall, Torsten Wiedemann, Manav Satija1 citation
The legal framework that regulates ayahuasca in Australia has federal, state, and territory dimensions. This chapter will tease out the complex relationships that exist between various agencies and legislation across these jurisdictions to make plain the state of ayahuasca regulation in 2018. A brief review of unsanctioned ayahuasca use is provided, outlining the implications of imported,...
February 27, 2023Emma Garrod, Katrina Blommaert2 citations
Ayahuasca has experienced a meandering legal and ethical journey in Canada. The health and spiritual benefits of this medicine are profound, yet it is paramount to consider the implications of its use in places far removed from its endemic regions. In Canada, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmaline, two ingredients in ayahuasca, are both...
CardiometryFebruary 14, 2023S. Chaudhary, R. Bharti, S. Yadav et al.3 citations
The structure and functions of neuroendocrine pineal gland remains an enigma to both philosophers and scientists since time immemorial. Some of the structural and functional mysteries of pineal gland are unfolded to some extent in this article by reviewing the work of various researchers. Recently a neuronal circuit consisting of seven neurons between retina and pineal gland have been...
Classic psychedelics are compounds that target the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor type 2A (5-HT2AR), inducing profound changes in consciousness. Although these compounds most closely resemble the natural neurotransmitter serotonin, their therapeutic and psychoactive action is still not well understood. Therefore, a quantitative atomistic description of their interaction in the 5-HT2AR receptor is...
The shrub Tabernanthe iboga (Apocynaceae) has great ethnomedical and spiritual importance in Central Africa due to its stimulant and oneirogenic properties, which can be attributed to the presence of ibogan type alkaloids, particularly ibogaine. Several Mexican Tabernaemontana (Apocynaceae) species also produce ibogaine type alkaloids and are used in traditional medicine against dermatological...
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive Amazonian plant brew. It is usually made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (Spruce ex Griseb. Morton, Malpighiaceae), which contains three primary harmala alkaloids, along with the leaves of Psychotria viridis (Ruiz et Pavon, Rubiaceae) in which the potent psychedelic dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is found. DMT-harmaloid concoctions have gained popularity in recent...
The need to identify effective therapies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders is a particularly important issue in modern societies. In addition, difficulties in finding new drugs have led pharmacologists to review and re-evaluate some past molecules, including psychedelics. For several years there has been growing interest among psychotherapists in psilocybin or lysergic acid...
Naturally occurring psychedelics have been used for a long time as remedies or in religious ceremonies and recreational activities. Recent studies have proven the therapeutic potential of some psychedelic compounds to safely treat a wide range of diseases such as anxiety, depression, migraine, and addiction. It is hypothesized that psychedelic compounds like tryptamines can exert their effects...
Indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (INMT) is a transmethylation enzyme that utilizes the methyl donor S-adenosyl-L-methionine to transfer methyl groups to amino groups of small molecule acceptor compounds. INMT is best known for its role in the biosynthesis of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a psychedelic compound found in mammalian brain and other tissues. In mammals, biosynthesis of DMT is...