Intersecting Cultures
OpenAlex – February 27, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca's journey in Canada highlights a complex legal landscape, where its key ingredients, DMT and harmaline, are classified as Schedule III drugs under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Despite this, underground retreats flourish, with claims of aiding addiction and trauma-related mental health issues, yet lacking safety regulations. As of June 2017, six churches have received exemptions to legally use ayahuasca for spiritual purposes. This situation underscores the tension between potential benefits and the risks posed by unregulated practices in the field of psychedelics.
Abstract
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 classified as Schedule III drugs. Their status as controlled substances renders the sale, possession, and use of ayahuasca criminalized in Canada. Despite this clear legislation, legal ambiguity has lingered, and several centers and individuals facilitate ayahuasca retreats and ceremonies in an underground fashion. These groups claim to have effectively utilized ayahuasca to treat various addictions and mental health symptoms stemming from trauma; however, these spaces lack safety regulations and there is no standardization of training across practitioners. In June 2017, Health Canada granted the Santo Daime and the UDV churches a Section 56 Exemption under the CDSA, which allows them to legally import and use ayahuasca in their spiritual rituals; there are now six churches operating under this exemption in Canada. This chapter will explore the legal journey ayahuasca has taken, including the specific regulations proposed by the Canadian government to the Santo Daime and the UDV. It will also discuss the implications of criminalization, and resulting lack of regulation, on ayahuasca in Canada.