Navigating Legal Clarity on Ayahuasca in Portugal
A new report by ICEERS thoroughly examines the legal framework surrounding ayahuasca in Portugal and discusses its implications.
12/03/2024
Latest posts
ICEERS in the Press
2024 ICEERS El kambó, veneno de rana o medicina humanaLuces en la Oscuridad, 21 April 2024 Journal Club: 15 años de Investigación con Plantas Psicoactivas
14/12/2023
Ayahuasca, Global Consumption & Reported Deaths in the Media
A new ICEERS report estimates the number of people drinking ayahuasca worldwide and analyzes fatalities reported by the media.
07/06/2023
All posts
Italy’s Recent Decision to Schedule Ayahuasca
In March 2022, Italy’s government made the two principal ingredients of ayahuasca Schedule I controlled substances. Read our comments here.
25/04/2022
First-Ever Clinical Trial with Ibogaine for Opioid Dependency
ICEERS started the first ever Phase II clinical trial exploring the potential of ibogaine to treat opioid dependency. Click here to learn more.
14/04/2022
ICEERS Participates in the Congress Subcommittee on Cannabis
Dr. José Carlos Bouso, ICEERS’ Scientific Director, will participate in the subcommittee of the Congress to study the regulation of therapeutic cannabis in Spain, contributing his vision as an expert in the field of medical cannabis.
08/03/2022
New edition of the Ayahuasca Technical Report and Fact Sheets
The 2021 Ayahuasca Technical Report includes 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.
21/12/2021
Spain’s (Second to) Last Ayahuasca Trial
Constanza Sánchez, José Carlos Bouso, Natalia Rebollo | April 2021 In March 2020, the results of a significant trial related ayahuasca importation in Spain concluded with an acquittal that paves the way for the future
28/04/2021
Iboga Charting a Path Forward: Conclusions and Recommendations
Ricard Faura, Andrea Langlois | April 2021 When ICEERS decided to begin the Iboga and Ibogaine Community Engagement Initiative, we were responding to a community request. Many people in the international community dedicated to iboga
20/04/2021
Iboga Community Engagement Initiative Phase 2 Report
It is hard to walk a path you cannot see. A collective vision can serve as a guiding light, supporting community leaders, visionaries, practitioners, and policy-makers as we navigate through unknown terrain. It helps us remain focused on a future even though the exact path there is not yet fully illuminated. The purpose of the Iboga/ine Community Engagement Initiative was to engage with the global community to crowdsource opinions and ideas about what an ideal future looks like for iboga and ibogaine in global society.
15/02/2021
Plant Medicine Sourcing in Changing Times
The sudden interruption of almost all maritime, air, and land travel worldwide due to the pandemic has opened the door for many communities to reflect on interdependences within a globalized world, particularly when it comes to “supply chains” for clothing, food, and plant medicines. One of the key impacts for communities that work with teacher plants (such as ayahuasca) outside of the Amazon has been the need to reconsider how they are procuring medicine for their ceremonies.
26/08/2020
Perspectives on Safety and Ceremony during a Pandemic
This post is Part 2 in a series exploring the impact of the pandemic on ayahuasca communities (read Part 1). ICEERS seeks to support the community by providing a bird’s eye perspective on trends, movements, and the bridge between traditional practices and emerging ones. After the pandemic hit, we took the time to speak with a handful of individuals involved or are well acquainted with communities in Europe, North America, Central America and South America.
19/08/2020
How Ayahuasca Communities Are Adapting during the Pandemic
It’s no doubt that 2020 will be remembered for the rapid and abrupt arrival of a pandemic that, in a matter of months, impacted the whole world. What remains to be seen is how communities will be forever changed and what adaptations or changes to how we live will remain with us.
14/08/2020
Mapping Cannabis Social Clubs in Europe
What is the situation of Cannabis Social Clubs in Europe? The European Journal of Criminology has recently published a study, conducted by Dr. Mafalda Cardal and Tom Decorte, in collaboration with ICEERS’ Deputy Director, Òscar Parés, to provide an accurate picture and in-depth understanding of this growing phenomenon across the old continent.
29/07/2020
The Role of Traditional Medicines in Global Mental Health
In most parts of the Global South, traditional healers outnumber mental health workers, making up the health care system that local people have access to and trust. In a recent article, published in the Health and Human Rights Journal, José Carlos Bouso (ICEERS Scientific Director) and Constanza Sánchez (Law, Policy & Human Rights Director) address the need to include traditional healing practices in the global mental health agenda.
22/06/2020
No, “Bufantoína” Does Not Exist: Clarifications in Light of the Media Coverage of the Nacho Vidal Case
Last week, mass media outlets spread the news that the known ex-pornography actor Nacho Vidal was arrested by the Civil Guard for alleged involuntary manslaughter. The events took place on July 28, 2019 in the
17/06/2020
World Ayahuasca Conference Free Online Micro-Event
World Ayahuasca Conference Free Online Micro-Event A year ago, from May 31-June 2, 2019, the world’s ayahuasca community gathered in the city of Girona for the third edition of the World Ayahuasca Conference (AYA2019), the
27/05/2020
Teacher Plants and Freedom of Research
Science and economic, social and cultural rights: what place do master plants have in the framework of freedom of research and the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress?
19/05/2020
The Influence of Natural Psychoactive Drugs on People’s Lives
The term “natural psychoactive drugs” (NPDs) comprises a great variety of animals, plants, cacti, and fungi, traditionally used in ritualistic contexts all over the world, whose consumption has increased dramatically in the last few decades. In order to study the patterns of use, the desired effects and the mental health status of individuals who make use of them, ICEERS conducted a detailed research through an online questionnaire that was answered by 564 NPD users from 52 different countries. The results have recently been published in the journal Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy.
19/05/2020
Grief During Uncertain Times and the Future of Therapeutic Uses of Ayahuasca
According to ICEERS associate researcher Débora González, grief is a form of love – it is the price paid for love. As we let go, of a person or of something held near and dear to our hearts, we grieve. It’s a natural and necessary process, not only for adapting to stressful times but also for personal growth and enrichment. And, while death may be the end of life from a biological perspective, what we’ve lost continues to exist after death, through our memories, thoughts, and even in our genes.
13/05/2020
Ways to Support Amazonian Communities During the Pandemic
The question of how to offer help to indigenous and other Amazonian communities who don’t have access to medical and economic supports that may be available to those in North America and Europe is answered by two words: solidarity and generosity.
15/04/2020
The Subjective Effects of Ibogaine and Healthy Living
What are the subjective effects of ibogaine that can lead to healthier habits? A new study conducted by ICEERS’s research team contributes to a better understanding of the role ibogaine plays in psychotherapeutic and other processes.
14/04/2020
Study Examines Effects of the COVID-19 Crisis on Individuals
Starting this week, the Science and Innovation area of the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS) will conduct a scientific study on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the effects that confinement measures have on the population.
09/04/2020
Is the Ayahuasca Community Ready for the Stress of COVID-19?
Is the ayahuasca community prepared to face the stressful situation resulting from the COVID-19 crisis? José Carlos Bouso, scientific director of ICEERS, reflects on the issue based on a study they conducted on ayahuasca and public health.
23/03/2020