International Journal of Drug Policy
October 18, 2016
Ismael Apud, Oriol Romaní
40 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, shows promise in psychiatry, with a study involving 100 participants revealing that 80% reported significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms after treatment. This highlights the potential of indigenous practices in modern medicine. The findings challenge conventional medicalization, suggesting a pluralistic approach to mental health. By integrating insights from sociology and anthropology, ayahuasca's effects can be better understood through biochemical analysis and sensing techniques, paving the way for broader acceptance of psychedelics within drug studies and cannabinoid research.
The International journal on drug policy
December 1, 2021
Maja Kohek, Constanza Sánchez Avilés, Oriol Romaní et al.
14 citations
Cannabis has a long history of medical, recreational, industrial, and spiritual uses. This paper reports on ethnographic fieldwork in rural Catalonia, where a phenomenological community regularly uses ancient psychoactive plants, including cannabis and ayahuasca, in ritual contexts. The rituals serve as effective harm reduction techniques, strengthening community bonds and generating beneficial effects for individuals and communities. Participants view these practices as spiritual or religious, and as forms of self-care and community-care, rather than involving dependence or addiction. The authors argue that international drug policies, which claim to be evidence-based, overlook the benefits of non-problematic drug use and could be improved by incorporating ethnographic findings on the spiritual and community dimensions of drug use.
Salud colectiva
August 19, 2020
David Pere Martínez Oró, Ismael Apud, Juan Scuro et al.
12 citations
Prohibitionist drug policies present their political-moral agenda as ideologically neutral science. This article examines cannabis and psychedelics to show that prohibitionism selectively uses only scientific findings that support its predetermined conclusions while ignoring contradictory evidence. The authors argue that drug policies should instead be grounded in scientific evidence and core values—public health, social cohesion, and human rights. They advocate analyzing the power relations that shape the contradictory relationship between science and drug policy.