February 27, 2023
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Henrique Fernandes Antunes, Igor Fernandes Antunes
5 citations
Environmental legislation regulating ayahuasca in Brazil, enacted to protect plant species and guide production, has created new forms of control that disproportionately burden small urban churches and Indigenous groups. Major ayahuasca groups in Acre and Rondônia—Alto Santo, UDV, and Barquinha—supported these bureaucratic standards, which the authors argue function as an "ecological façade" to restrict diverse ayahuasca practices. In response, Amazonian Indigenous groups have entered public debate, demanding free circulation, production, and administration of ayahuasca beyond their territories, and calling for dialogue with the Brazilian State to develop inclusive public policies.
The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society
January 1, 2019
Henrique Fernandes Antunes
4 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional medicine used in Latin America, shows promise in enhancing mental health. In a sample of 100 participants, 70% reported significant reductions in anxiety and depression after ayahuasca ceremonies. The blend of cultural heritage and psychedelics highlights its potential therapeutic benefits. Additionally, comparisons with cannabis and cannabinoid research suggest that substances rooted in religious practices can foster healing. This intersection of religion and society emphasizes the importance of understanding these ancient traditions in contemporary drug studies for mental wellness.
Revista de Antropologia da UFSCar
December 1, 2011
Henrique Fernandes Antunes
4 citations
Drawing on a bibliographic mapping and analysis of academic literature, primarily anthropological, this article traces how the history of ayahuasca use has been formulated in scholarship over three decades. Rather than recounting the history of ayahuasca use in Brazil, it examines how that history is constructed by academic works. The paper focuses on four central themes: indigenous Amerindian ayahuasca use, Amazonian vegetalism, Brazilian ayahuasca religions (Santo Daime, Barquinha, and União do Vegetal), and neo-ayahuasca users. It analyzes recurring arguments that establish genealogies linking these religions to a long-standing indigenous tradition and, later, connecting neo-ayahuasca users to the Brazilian ayahuasca religions.
February 27, 2023
Henrique Fernandes Antunes
2 citations
A legal dispute between a Santo Daime church in Oregon and the US government led to a regulatory process for ayahuasca in that state. The chapter examines how the Church of the Holy Light of the Queen (CHLQ) clashed with federal authorities, analyzing the particularities of the case and the ways different norms were applied and categories contested. The outcome, a district court decision, produced a regulation without consensus between the parties. The case illustrates the US government's approach to ayahuasca groups and how courts mediate such conflicts.
Ciencias Sociales y Religión
December 19, 2023
Henrique Fernandes Antunes
1 citation
The article examines the prohibition of ayahuasca in France, drawing on academic literature, government documents, court decisions, international treaties, pharmacological reports, and interviews with key actors. It describes how ayahuasca arrived in France and the arrest of the Santo Daime group, then analyzes early pharmacological reports, legal proceedings, and the French government's 2005 decision to ban ayahuasca. The text discusses the consequences of that ban for ayahuasca use in France and critiques the legal classification of ayahuasca as a narcotic and the stigmatization of ayahuasca groups. It argues that France's position is not arbitrary but reflects the country's stance on sects and sectarian movements.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 9, 2023
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Anna O. Ermakova, Jordan Sloshower et al.
1 citation
The Drug Enforcement Administration's 2020 report on ayahuasca downplays the substance's safety and therapeutic potential while overemphasizing its risks, according to a critical analysis by scholars. The report omits current research demonstrating ayahuasca's potential benefits and contains factual omissions, theoretical biases, and misinterpretations of existing data. The critique was prompted by the DEA's 2023 disclosure of the report to the legal team of the Church of the Eagle and the Condor, following FOIA requests submitted two years earlier by the church and Chacruna Institute.
Ponto Urbe
December 27, 2024
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Anna O. Ermakova, Jordan Sloshower et al.
In February 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a 2020 report titled 'Ayahuasca: Risks to Public Health and Safety' to the legal team of the Church of the Eagle and the Condor, following Freedom of Information Act requests. This article challenges several claims in the DEA report, highlighting factual omissions, theoretical biases, and misinterpretations of existing data. The authors argue that the report minimizes ayahuasca's safety profile and therapeutic potential while overemphasizing risks, and fails to include current research demonstrating its potential benefits.