Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca

Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca

Josep Maria Fábregasa, Débora Gonzáleza, Sabela Fondevilab, Marta Cutcheta, Xavier Fernándezc, Paulo César Ribeiro Barbosad, Miguel Ángel Alcázar-Córcolese, Manel J. Barbanojg, h, Jordi Ribaf, g, h and José Carlos Bousof, g, ,
a Instituto de Etnopsicología Amazónica Aplicada (IDEAA), 08037 Barcelona, Spain
b Centro UCM-ISCIII para la Evolución del Cerebro y Comportamiento Humanos, Sección de Neurociencia Cognitiva, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
c Independent Researcher, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
d Departamento de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus, 45662 Bahia, Brazil
e Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
f Human Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, IIB Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
g Centre d’Investigació de Medicaments, (CIM-Sant Pau), IIB-Sant Pau, Servei de Farmacologia Clínica, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
h Departament de Farmacologia i Terapèutica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
Received 28 January 2010; revised 31 March 2010; accepted 31 March 2010. Available online 15 June 2010.

Abstract

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage used for magico-religious purposes in the Amazon. Recently, Brazilian syncretic churches have helped spread the ritual use of ayahuasca abroad. This trend has raised concerns that regular use of this N,N-dimethyltryptamine-containing tea may lead to the medical and psychosocial problems typically associated with drugs of abuse. Here we assess potential drug abuse-related problems in regular ayahuasca users. Addiction severity was assessed using the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), and history of alcohol and illicit drug use was recorded. In Study 1, jungle-based ayahuasca users (n = 56) were compared vs. rural controls (n = 56). In Study 2, urban-based ayahuasca users (n = 71) were compared vs. urban controls (n = 59). Follow-up studies were conducted 1 year later. In both studies, ayahuasca users showed significantly lower scores than controls on the ASI Alcohol Use, and Psychiatric Status subscales. The jungle-based ayahuasca users showed a significantly higher frequency of previous illicit drug use but this had ceased at the time of examination, except for cannabis. At follow-up, abstinence from illicit drug use was maintained in both groups except for cannabis in Study 1. However, differences on ASI scores were still significant in the jungle-based group but not in the urban group. Despite continuing ayahuasca use, a time-dependent worsening was only observed in one subscale (Family/Social relationships) in Study 2. Overall, the ritual use of ayahuasca, as assessed with the ASI in currently active users, does not appear to be associated with the deleterious psychosocial effects typically caused by other drugs of abuse.
Keywords: Ayahuasca; Hallucinogens; Addiction Severity Index (ASI)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T63-509SDMP-1&_user=10&_coverDate=10/01/2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=a5b44cb4132f85799b03864b43f49a98

I have to wonder if frequent NNDMT use had anything to do with that. Hallucinogens were being investigated as ways to treat alcohol and other substance addiction before Nixon's paranoia declared them Schedule I and research pretty much ground to a halt in the US.

I'm not surprised ritual drug use like this shows negligible harm, even though this church allows children to partake of the ritual along with the adults. I know a lot of people out here on the Peyote Road and none of them shows any signs of delusion or dementia.

Declare it illegal, though, and you'll see a lot of harm developing at light speed.

Given complete support by their employers, and by their pastors in the Catholic Church.

And like you say, the kids are able to participate to.

A much more sensible policy than what we see here.

I've also heard that the active compounds in 'shrooms were being studied for use in designing anti psychotics with less side affects as well as other psychiatric medications (this was when all anti-psychotics had a high risk of giving you tardive dyskinesia).