Psychedelics such as magic mushrooms offer promise for addressing addiction, post-traumatic stress and other difficult-to-treat conditions.
But University of Cincinnati postdoctoral researcher Neşe Devenot says the field is fraught with ethical concerns and financial interests.
In a peer-reviewed essay published in the journal Anthropology of Consciousness, Devenot and her co-authors argue that they look forward to a culture that makes these medicines available in a safe and affordable way that respects the traditions behind them.
Psilocybin has been used in religious ceremonies in Mesoamerica and other places dating back thousands of years. The journal article noted that magic mushrooms hold spiritual significance for many people. Federal law exempts certain Native American religious uses of peyote or ayahuasca in drug prosecutions under specific conditions.
"Indigenous people have been using psychedelics for millennia. And they have been long persecuted for psychedelic or plant medicine practices," Devenot said. "To have big corporations coming in while these groups are still being prosecuted doesn't sit well with us."
The researchers said the irrational exuberance over the prospects of creating psychedelic treatment monopolies are incongruous with "the 6,000-plus years of R&D" by indigenous and counterculture groups.
The researchers plotted the inevitable path for psychedelic capitalism of pharmaceutical companies "legitimizing" ancient plant medicines curated by indigenous and counterculture traditions by ignoring the sacred context of those traditions and the importance of "set and setting," the rituals and safeguards that long have accompanied their use.
Eventually, these companies project exclusive rights to these treatments and the continued criminalizing of traditional uses to create an artificial demand for commercial ones.
"The reason people are excited about it is there are promising developments in psychedelics," Devenot said.
