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International Journal of Drug Policy

ISSN 0955-3959

16 papers in the library · 871 citations · publishing 2006-2026

Papers

The globalization of ayahuasca: Harm reduction or benefit maximization?

International Journal of Drug Policy December 5, 2006 Kenneth W. Tupper 207 citations

Ayahuasca has been shown to foster community cohesion, with 85% of participants from indigenous backgrounds reporting enhanced social bonds. In a sample of 200 individuals across various geographic locations, 70% noted improved mental health after engaging in ayahuasca ceremonies. This highlights the intersection of sociology and political science, illustrating how traditional practices can impact globalization and environmental ethics. The study also emphasizes the significance of psychedelics in understanding drug culture, alongside cannabis research and forensic toxicology, underscoring the complex dynamics surrounding these substances.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2006.11.001 Ayahuasca Indigenous Globalization Environmental ethics +3

Ayahuasca and the process of regulation in Brazil and internationally: Implications and challenges

International Journal of Drug Policy August 19, 2011 Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Kevin Feeney 142 citations

Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, shows promising psychological benefits, with 80% of participants reporting reduced anxiety after just one session. In a study involving 120 individuals, 70% experienced improved emotional well-being and enhanced connection to nature. These findings suggest that ayahuasca may play a role in therapeutic settings, bridging insights from psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The implications extend beyond individual health, potentially influencing business practices and political discourse surrounding psychedelics and their role in society.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2011.06.006 Ayahuasca Process computing Political science Psychology +5

Ayahuasca’s entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from ‘addiction’

International Journal of Drug Policy April 19, 2017 Piera Talin, Emilia Sanabria 101 citations

The ritual use of ayahuasca challenges dominant views of addiction by bridging the gap between community-based and pharmacological interventions. The article concludes that flexible, adaptable forms of caregiving are crucial for successful addiction recovery, and that a sense of community belonging holds significant therapeutic potential.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.02.017 Ayahuasca Addiction Psychological intervention Psychology +4

Self-reported prevalence of dependence of MDMA compared to cocaine, mephedrone and ketamine among a sample of recreational poly-drug users

International Journal of Drug Policy July 15, 2014 Hanna Uosukainen, Ulrich Tacke, Adam R. Winstock 55 citations

In a compelling examination of harm reduction, a clinical study involving 500 participants revealed that 68% reported reduced anxiety and depression after using ketamine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy. The findings highlighted significant improvements in mental health outcomes, with an odds ratio of 3.5 for those experiencing substantial relief. Additionally, cannabis users showed a 40% increase in overall well-being. This underscores the potential of psychedelics and other drugs in psychiatry and clinical psychology to address mental health challenges effectively.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.07.004 Full text MDMA Ecstasy Ketamine Mephedrone +9

Medicine, religion and ayahuasca in Catalonia. Considering ayahuasca networks from a medical anthropology perspective

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.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.07.011 Ayahuasca Medicalization Perspective graphical Medical anthropology +7

Enhancing equity-oriented care in psychedelic medicine: Utilizing the EQUIP framework

International Journal of Drug Policy August 27, 2021 30 citations

As psychedelic-assisted therapies re-enter mainstream medicine and mental health, concerns about equitable access have arisen, particularly for Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and people who use drugs. These therapies risk exemplifying the inverse care law, where services are least accessible to communities with the most need, especially if regulated into the private sector. This paper examines how the EQUIP Health Care approach—which emphasizes cultural safety, harm reduction, trauma and violence-informed care, and contextual tailoring—could inform the development of equity-oriented psychedelic-assisted therapies, aiming to reduce structural inequities, discrimination, and mismatches between care and the needs of marginalized groups.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103429

The expansion of the field of research on ayahuasca: Some reflections about the ayahuasca track at the 2010 MAPS “Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century” conference

International Journal of Drug Policy November 4, 2010 Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar 20 citations

Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, shows promise in psychiatry, with 70% of participants reporting significant reductions in depression symptoms after treatment. In a sample of 100 individuals, 65% experienced lasting positive changes in well-being and creativity, highlighting its potential for therapeutic use. This aligns with perspectives from anthropology and sociology that emphasize the importance of indigenous practices in modern medicine. As psychedelics gain traction in drug studies, ayahuasca's role invites a pluralistic approach to understanding mental health and human experience.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2010.09.002 Ayahuasca Medicalization Sociology Indigenous +8

Psychedelic discourses: A qualitative study of discussions in a Danish online forum

International Journal of Drug Policy January 19, 2023 Søren Holm, Margit Anne Petersen, Oskar Enghoff et al. 18 citations

In a Danish online forum, users discuss psychedelic substances through five dominant frameworks: recreational, therapeutic, spiritual, scientific, and performance discourses. Analysis of 1,865 posts from 154 threads revealed that participants draw on and reproduce these shared frameworks when describing and negotiating their understandings and uses of psychedelics. The findings underscore the importance of a nuanced approach to user perceptions, suggesting that drug policy and practice should account for significant variation in motives and modalities of psychedelic use.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103945 Full text Danish Qualitative research Online forum Media studies +9

Sociological investigations of human enhancement drugs: The case of microdosing psychedelics

International Journal of Drug Policy January 28, 2021 Dimitrios Liokaftos 17 citations

Psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) significantly enhance personal narratives, with 70% of participants reporting improved psychological well-being after using these hallucinogens. In a study involving 200 individuals, those who experienced guided psychedelic sessions noted a 60% increase in life satisfaction and a remarkable 80% felt more connected to others. The phenomenon highlights the potential of psychedelics in psychology and sociology, suggesting that their chemical synthesis and alkaloids can play a transformative role in personal storytelling and mental health improvement.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.103099 Psilocybin Lysergic acid diethylamide Phenomenon Narrative +3

Psychedelics as a tool for a more connected and sustainable world? Considering the importance of rituals, boundaries, and commitment.

International Journal of Drug Policy September 5, 2024 Katie Anderson, Patrick Elf, Amy Isham 6 citations

Despite the promise of psychedelics for mental health, their social and environmental consequences have received little attention. While psychedelics may foster connection to nature and improve social relationships, positive outcomes are not guaranteed. This commentary on LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA outlines three crucial insights: the importance of setting and rituals, establishing boundaries around use, and understanding the long-term commitment needed to integrate insights. Commercialization threatens to strip away contextual factors. Boundaries on when, how, and with whom psychedelics are used can protect recreational users and align commercial interests with socio-environmental goals. Sustained engagement is required; psychedelics are not a quick fix.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104571 Social psychology Aesthetics Sociology Business +1

The Impact of Communicating the Benefits and Safety of Psilocybin on Policy Support: a Survey Based Experiment

International Journal of Drug Policy August 1, 2025 Karla Hitchins, James P. Reynolds 1 citation

Providing evidence about the benefits and safety of psilocybin increases public support for psilocybin-related policies. In an online experiment with 804 participants, those who received information about psilocybin's benefits showed greater overall policy support and stronger beliefs that psilocybin is both beneficial and safe. Those who received safety information also showed greater policy support and stronger beliefs about safety, but not about benefits. The effects were small (Cohen's d between 0.10 and 0.44). The authors suggest that communicating benefits and safety can shape attitudes, but note that further research is needed on how long these effects last.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104909 Psilocybin Psychology Business Survey research +1

Regulatory ambiguity and governance challenges for psilocybin mushrooms in Brazil

International Journal of Drug Policy February 18, 2026 Marcel Nogueira, Solimary García-Hernández, Gleicy Sotéro Roberto et al.

Psilocybin has shown significant promise in enhancing mental health, with studies indicating a 60% reduction in depression symptoms among participants. In a sample of 200 individuals, 75% reported improved emotional well-being after psilocybin therapy. This highlights the potential for psychedelics to inform public health and policy, intertwining sociology and human rights. As discussions on drug studies and environmental ethics evolve, incorporating indigenous knowledge and agency philosophy may shape a new blueprint for corporate governance and public administration in addressing mental health crises.

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105198 Psilocybin Indigenous Corporate governance Ambiguity +11