For inquiries regarding the utilization of ethnobotanicals, or in case you are experiencing an adverse situation or difficulty integrating and experience, please read this page. For inquiries regarding legal support , please read this page.
LEGAL DEFENSE
We believe that the prosecution of ethical and responsible practices is an injustice. The Ayahuasca Defense Fund works with defendants worldwide to assure the best legal defense.
EDUCATION & PROTECTION
In a time of confusion and misinformation about ayahuasca legality, the ADF aims to become a useful expert resource for legal clarity and protection.
POLICY REFORM
The Ayahuasca Defense Fund engages with policy makers, law enforcement authorities and all relevant actors to work towards sensible, human-rights based public policy.
Technical Reports
26 pages with all the latest research-based facts about ayahuasca, its uses, pharmacology, legal status and therapeutic effects, signed by 11 world-class experts and researchers.
Annual Reports
The ADF has been assisting defendants involved in legal cases around the world since 2010. These are our annual reports.
Studies and Papers
Our studies generate useful evidence in order to work towards sensible, human-rights based public policy.
An acquittal was given in Mexico City in the trial of Don Jose Campos, a 64-year-old indigenous healer from the Peruvian Amazon who was arrested and imprisoned in March of 2022 for traveling with ayahuasca.
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) in Mexico is analyzing an injunction that challenges the absolute ban on practices involving psilocybin mushrooms. The case, debated in the First Chamber in 2024, seeks to determine whether this restriction violates fundamental rights such as the free development of personality and the right to health. The decision, which will be made by a new composition of the court, could set a historic precedent in drug policy and the protection of traditional Indigenous knowledge.
Over the past few days, a news headline has circulated widely on social media and in specialized media outlets: “The High Court of Justice of Madrid confirms that ayahuasca is not illegal in Spain.” While the ruling referenced does represent a significant step forward in how the judiciary interprets the legal status of this brew, it has also led to confusion. Many people have concluded that this means it is now legal to work with ayahuasca in Spain—a conclusion that does not accurately reflect the current legal reality.
Since the mid-20th century, traditional practices involving coca leaves have been restricted by the international drug control regime, following their inclusion in Schedule I of the 1961 Single Convention, promoted by a WHO report influenced by cultural and racial prejudices.
ADF