Is ayahuasca legal in Poland? three deaths

To begin with, it should be recalled that ayahuasca is a psychedelic used in religious ceremonies in some parts of South America as a decoction administered by a shaman. In Poland, the sale and consumption of ayahuasca is prohibited. - the ingredients of the decoction are included in the list of narcotic and psychoactive substances. It is legally allowed in religious ceremonies in Brazil and the United States.

Scientists are also studying Ayahuasca. However, this task is difficult for two main reasons: legal and the fact that ritual is an integral part of ayahuasca consumption, and laboratory or clinical tests cannot provide this element.

After all, it is known that not only a chemical substance, but also strong religious experiences or meditation change the functioning of the brain - just remember the mystical Sufi dance (popularly known as the dervish dance) or deep meditation, during which no chemicals are used. In the case of the ayahuasca ritual, it is difficult to separate the psychoactive effects of the organic compounds from the “power” of the religious experience.

What are the effects of taking ayahuasca?

The name ayahuasca comes from the language of the Quechua Indians - “aya” means the soul or ancestors, and “huasca” - a rope or liana. Thus, this set of words is usually translated as “spiritual creeper”. Most often, a mixture of plants Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis or Diplopterys cabrerana is used to prepare ayahuasca decoction. They contain DMT, an organic psychoactive compound, and a group of beta-carboline alkaloids that slow down the metabolism of DMT.

Feelings are usually strong and varied. Intense visions usually occur, often with elements recurring in different people, known as the “ayahuasca world”. People talk about tropical plant motifs, complex geometric shapes, animals or spirit guides. They report a feeling of gaining knowledge through intuition, with limited input from logic. Long-forgotten memories and repressed emotions may surface. There is also a multifaceted view of various issues and problems, which should facilitate their subsequent solution. Some feel like they are dying.

All this is accompanied by strong reactions from the body - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, which ayahuasca advocates interpret as “cleansing”.

“The analysis of 538 cases reported by telephone to US poison control centers from 2005 to 2015 is of concern. shows that 63% of reports related to the occurrence of moderate or severe physical and psychopathological symptoms, of which 28 people required intubation, 12 convulsions, 7 respiratory arrest and 4 cardiac arrest. 3 deaths were recorded. However, it should be emphasized that the report concerns only the statements, without a detailed analysis of them it is not known what mixture of herbs or what substances were actually ingested by the victims. Review of research”, published in Psychiatria Polska in 2019 by Alexandra Barabash-Gembczyk and Krzysztof Kucija.

It should also be noted that there are studies showing positive changes in the lives of people who have undergone this type of “therapy”. There should be deeper reflection, higher ethical and pro-social attitudes, creativity and the ability to deal with difficult events from the past. There are reports that it even helps with addictions or drug-resistant depression. However, most of them are reports of low-quality methodology, in which “bias” is the bias, bias of the authors.

Ayahuasca - a powerful effect on the brain and body

As we already know, the compounds present in the decoction affect the body in different ways, for example, on the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system. For this reason, blood pressure and heart rate increase significantly during the session. However, the effect of the mixture on the central nervous system requires special attention. Studies of the brain of volunteers have shown, among other things, that it affects the activity of centers associated with the processing of emotions, memory, or the receipt of visual stimuli. At the same time, it weakens the connections of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for working memory and movement control, with the rest of the brain. This action perfectly explains what people say who have tried the ritual of the Amazons.

Studies of the effect of the extract on cell lines also indicate, for example, the stimulation of the formation of new neurons and the improvement of cognitive functions, but already in mice. Whether this occurs in humans is not known.

Ayahuasca: dangers

The most recent study, reported in mid-November, found that unwanted side effects are common. Physical side effects occurred in 70% of cases. ayahuasca is used and psychic is used in 55 percent, although in large part, as scientists have found, these effects are relatively harmless. The most common, according to the study, are:

• nausea and vomiting (68 percent of cases),

• headaches (18%)

• abdominal pain (13%).

Just over 2 percent of people using this procedure required medical attention due to physiological effects.

At the same time, older people with poor health, addicted to certain substances, repeatedly used such sessions for many years and without proper supervision were subjected to such effects to a greater extent.

Disturbing psychic effects:

• Delusions (29%)

• feeling of unnatural isolation and loneliness (21%),

• nightmares and scary thoughts (19%).

According to almost 90% of the people who experienced these effects, it was the natural element of ayahuasca.

Attention is also drawn to the high risk of developing serotonin syndrome. Physiologically, this kind of disorder does not occur; this is usually the result of too high doses of antidepressants or interactions between antidepressants and other drugs, as well as the use of certain drugs. The patient has hallucinations, agitation, severe sweating, increased heart rate, sometimes convulsions and tremors, high fever.
The researchers warn: “Many people turn to ayahuasca after becoming disillusioned with traditional Western mental health care. However, the powerful impact of this traditional method cannot be underestimated. Typically, mental health and emotional problems arise during the learning phase. Although they are usually temporary and considered beneficial for personal growth, the risks are higher for vulnerable individuals and in conditions of insufficient control. The researchers came to their conclusions after collecting information from more than 10,000 people. adults from 50 countries who have tried ayahuasca at least once.

The Polish authors of the aforementioned work also write about reports of deaths after taking ayahuasca, but acknowledge that the quality of these reports is also poor: “There are several documented cases of death, including suicide, after its ritual use, in which a causal relationship cannot be clearly established - the effect between the use of ayahuasca and death. They do not contain key information, such as a blood test for beta-carboline alkaloids, the composition of the decoction, and the dose consumed, which limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions. In other words, there is no documented evidence to conclusively point to ayahuasca poisoning as the cause of death.

Ayahuasca is banned in Poland

Experts dealing with this topic warn of various risks. One of them is the possibility of the appearance of mental disorders, such as psychosis, in individuals who have an individual predisposition to their occurrence. Ayahuasca ingredients can also interact negatively with certain medications (such as antidepressants) and even dietary ingredients. An additional threat is the health problems of the participants in such rituals. Naturally, pregnancy excludes participation in such a session.

A significant part of the problems, according to experts, may be due to improper preparation of the mixture or an incorrectly conducted session, especially when you risk not in traditional Brazilian conditions, but in a hidden place somewhere in Europe - there is not even a certainty that you are “treated » decoction of the desired plant.
Traditionally, the ritual is based on proper guidance from the shaman taking care of the volunteer, and the ritual is crucial here. The risk may also be associated with insufficient preparation of participants in this type of session, for example, due to cultural differences.

It must be remembered that ayahuasca has been used for a long time, but in specific, indigenous communities with a specific, often far from Western perception of the world and reality. Problems can also arise due to the lack of proper integration of life experience with the psyche. According to proponents of ayahuasca, such absorption is the basis for obtaining appropriate results and safety. It is a process that takes time and often proper guidance, and it is difficult in the west to find the right person to match an Amazonian shaman to help you deal with an exceptionally powerful experience.

At the same time, creeper ingredients may be used in Western medicine in the future, as their potential has not been proven. Whether this will happen, for example, due to legal problems, is still unknown. “Ingredients in ayahuasca have potential therapeutic value in the treatment of mental illness and disorders. However, due to the small size of the study groups and randomized trials, these conclusions should be approached with caution. An additional difficulty in continuing to work on this issue is represented by legal restrictions. The United Nations recommends possession of DMT only for scientific and medical purposes,” we read in the already cited work of Polish scientists.

Of course, an ayahuasca session is not entertainment or an adventure for bored representatives of the rich world. If someone is looking for help maybe they should ask if this would be the best way? It is better to remember that it is not for nothing that the mixture is banned in Poland in accordance with the Law on Combating Drug Addiction.