AYAHUASCA: COMMERCE ÉQUITABLE FOR THE EMPOWERMENT AND PROTECTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Revista Brasileira de Direito Animal November 14, 2019 M. Pereira, S. A. Mello
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage traditionally used by Amazonian indigenous peoples in religious and medicinal rituals, is now also consumed by non-indigenous populations. Scientific research supports indigenous beliefs about its healing potential for psychoneurological disorders, with a single dose of its active ingredient shown to reduce depression severity in treatment-resistant patients. Given the current epidemic of depression, there is significant potential for developing new treatments through pharmaceutical patents. However, this article argues that traditional knowledge must not be overlooked; it defends the intellectual property rights of indigenous communities related to ayahuasca, their right to equitable commerce, and their involvement in benefits from future patents derived from this biological material.