What is Ayahuasca? Is Ayahuasca tea illegal?

Ayahuasca is a beverage with psychoactive properties, a plant used since ancient times by many indigenous communities living in the Amazon rainforest for religious, medical, social, and artistic purposes. 

Shamans have used ayahuasca to open human spiritual perceptions, utilizing it in various rituals and practices such as magic, divination, disease diagnosis and treatment, and hunting. Furthermore, this hallucinogenic mixture, which has been used for centuries in religious rituals by some indigenous communities in South America, has been used as a potential treatment alternative for antidepressant-resistant illnesses. When taken in high doses, it is powerful enough to have fatal effects on human health.

IS AYAHUASCA ILLEGAL?

Although ayahuasca likely originated among the inhabitants of the rainforest, it is used today in major cities across South America, particularly in Brazil, as well as in countries such as the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and even Japan. Due to the dimethyltryptamine (DMT) it contains, its use is illegal in most countries except for medical necessities.

News Source: 12punto