Per Tradition Ten, the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Psychedelics in Recovery as a whole.
Deciding to incorporate plant medicine into a recovery program is a complicated and deeply personal decision for each of us. Like many in our fellowship, I spent years in the rooms of AA and NA, working those programs, being of service, and practicing their version of sobriety. These programs helped save my life, and I received many valuable lessons from the folks in those rooms.
While new in recovery, I heard a lot of the program phrases we’re all familiar with: “take what you need and leave the rest,” “meeting makers make it,” “one day at a time.” But one phrase stuck with me, one that I heard from some of the more established members, and it really resonated: I want to live in steps 10, 11, and 12.
Part of my recovery is living a values aligned life that doesn’t require constant amends for my choices—living with integrity, respect, and being of service. When the topic of psychedelic medicine work entered my life, I tried to apply these steps to the medicine itself. Where does it come from? What are the ethical considerations? Would this path require me to make more amends?
I do not want my medicine work to inadvertently cause harm, and therefore more amends, so I began researching these topics, and what I found was eye-opening. Many popular medicines often come from disreputable people who simply do not care about the impact of their “business,” they have no concern for the environmental ramifications, nor do they give any thought to the communities that have protected this sacrosanct work for millennia. A number of these medicines are poached from sacred lands, revered as holy sites by indigenous tribes that strive to protect Mother Earth and her medicines.
There are two medicines that stand out not only for their healing potential but also for the ethical dilemmas surrounding their use: Bufo and Peyote. Both have deep spiritual significance to the indigenous peoples who have safeguarded these traditions for centuries, yet their increasing popularity in the modern world has led to exploitation, poaching, and environmental degradation. Understanding the origins, cultural contexts, and the impact of harvesting these medicines is crucial if we are to incorporate them into our recovery journeys with the respect and responsibility they deserve.
Bufo, the medicine of the Sonoran Desert Toad (and other Bufo toads), has been used since pre-Colombian times throughout Mesoamerica. In this wave of psychedelic awakening, many have extolled the healing properties of Bufo medicine. Mainstream media has reported on it, celebrities are talking about it, and drug journalist Hamilton Morris covered it on his popular Vice show Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia. Afterwards, Morris warned the world about what folks like me already knew: in the face of climate change, pesticide contamination, and human interference, Morris argued that if toad venom continues to gain popularity, there is no truly sustainable way to harvest it. The best conservation tactic, he says, is to dedicate resources to habitat preservation and opt for “synthetic” (plant extracted) 5-MeO-DMT. Milking toads for venom is an ethically dubious practice; individuals often poach toads from the wild and milk them without regard for the greater ecological impact, killing them due to the stress of haphazard harvesting. In my opinion, due diligence is essential to ensure the ethical collection of this medicine. I won’t be using medicine from uncertain sources, and in a world where plant-extracted 5-MeO-DMT exists, I’m going to opt for plant-extracted over animal-harvested—and possibly animal-abused—medicine.
Peyote, the medicine of a very slow-growing cactus found in México and the United States, grows mostly in the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Chihuahuan Desert, and parts of Texas and Arizona. This medicine has been used by several indigenous groups in what is now the USA and México. In 1995, the Native American Church of North America declared the “peyote crisis” a top priority. In the 30 years since this crisis was declared, the problem has only worsened. The Wixárika of México, who inhabit a tri-state area of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Durango, are ancient guardians of peyote (Hikuri in their language) and have used peyote in religious ceremonies for centuries. Wixárika curanderos (healers) make an arduous three-month pilgrimage every year to collect medicine and tend to the sacred peyote gardens. The Wixárika actively work to preserve their culture and land against the encroachment of large development projects and the ever-growing intrusion of people seeking their knowledge and resources. Currently, the Wixárika are petitioning to have their lands designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boost conservation and preserve their unbroken, centuries-long, cultural tradition. Poaching medicine on sacred lands remains a constant issue. Thankfully, there is a fast-growing alternative in Huachuma, or San Pedro cactus. San Pedro cactus is legal to own and easy to grow, contains many of the same alkaloids found in peyote, and can be more easily traced back to its original source. One caveat about San Pedro cactus: this medicine is also being poached from wild habitats, especially in Peru. The Huachuma Collective, an organization dedicated to preserving Andean culture around San Pedro ceremonial use, has asked the public to stop buying wild San Pedro due to shrinking wild cactus populations.
In our literature, we say that we “do our research,” and in my opinion, this should include understanding where we source these medicines and how we, as consumers, impact the natural world. Personally, I do not want my healing to come at the expense of other people, cultures, or Mother Earth herself. I hope you’ll join me in thinking deeply about the ethics of incorporating these medicines and psychedelics into our recovery programs.
Dave M., Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
