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mailtribune.com (US) OR Trial begins in case of tortured marijuana grower During the opening day of what is expected to be a three-day trial. (Wed Apr 04 22:10:25 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(90%), $propaganda_theme1(90%), $propaganda_theme2(50%), $propaganda_theme3(65%), $propaganda_theme5(70%), $propaganda_theme6(75%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $plants(100%), $intoxicant(100%), $cannabis(100%), $incarceration(100%), $youth(70%), $jury(100%)]

timminspress.com (Canada) Corporate and commercial sponsorships are being provided by Goldcorp PGM (Porcupine Gold Mines), Molson Coors Brewing Company, UP Cannabis, Northern Fencing, Miller Paving, Caron Construction, CAT, Certarus, Union Gas, Caisse Populaire- La Ronde, College Boreal,... (Wed Apr 04 02:09:58 2018 PDT)

timminspress.com (Canada) Corporate and commercial sponsorships are being provided by Goldcorp PGM (Porcupine Gold Mines), Molson Coors Brewing Company, UP Cannabis, Northern Fencing, Miller Paving, Caron Construction, CAT, Certarus, Union Gas, Caisse Populaire- La Ronde, College Boreal,... (Wed Apr 04 02:09:58 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(50%), $propaganda_theme3(50%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $plants(100%), $intoxicant(100%), $cannabis(100%), $school(100%), $meeting(100%)]

dailyheraldtribune.com (Canada) Firefighters witness a number of incidents from multiple vehicle collisions, house fires to drug overdoses. The opioid crisis, for example, is prevalent in the community. Every incident is different, every incident impacts first responders different but certainly wi... (Wed Apr 04 02:09:41 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(95%), $propaganda_theme2(95%), $propaganda_theme3(55%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $drugs(90%), $opioid(100%), $narcotic(100%), $various_drugs(90%), $various_illegal_drugs(60%)]

recorder.ca (Canada) As a first step, she proposed a round table with politicians, mental health, addictions and victim services officials to discuss ways to protect youth at risk. ... (Wed Apr 04 02:03:40 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(60%), $drugwar_propaganda(80%), $propaganda_theme1(70%), $addiction(60%), $propaganda_theme2(70%), $propaganda_theme3(75%), $propaganda_theme5(80%), $illegal_drugs(60%), $drugs(95%), $various_drugs(95%), $incarceration(100%), $youth(80%), $school(100%), $aggrandizement(100%)]

recorder.ca (Canada) Medical marijuana users to press for tax relief ! Brockville Recorder Medical marijuana users to press for relief on pot taxes Medical marijuana is shown in Toronto on November 5. (Wed Apr 04 02:03:40 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(100%), $propaganda_theme3(50%), $use_is_abuse(100%), $gateway(55%), $propaganda_theme4(100%), $propaganda_theme6(60%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $drugs(100%), $plants(100%), $intoxicant(100%), $medical_cannabis(100%), $cannabis(100%), $various_drugs(100%), $various_illegal_drugs(70%), $aggrandizement(100%)]

power94.fm Power 94 Deschutes County looks to rewrite marijuana grow laws in county / Deschutes County looks to rewrite marijuana grow laws in county The Deschutes County Commissioners are looking at possible changes to the countyb s marijuana regulations. (Wed Apr 04 22:02:59 2018 PDT)

power94.fm Power 94 Deschutes County looks to rewrite marijuana grow laws in county / Deschutes County looks to rewrite marijuana grow laws in county The Deschutes County Commissioners are looking at possible changes to the countyb s marijuana regulations. (Wed Apr 04 22:02:59 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(50%), $propaganda_theme3(50%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $plants(100%), $intoxicant(100%), $cannabis(100%), $cannabis_industry(50%), $cannabis_jobs(50%)]

drugnews.nu (Europe) Cannabis Cannabis medicin? Cannabis "Cannabis viktig basinkomst fC6r gC$ngen" En 15-C%rig pojke i StockholmsomrC%det som hade tvC% kartor Tramadol i fickan och provat det narkotiska lC$kemedlet fri... (Wed Apr 04 01:02:51 2018 PDT)

drugnews.nu (Europe) Cannabis Cannabis medicin? Cannabis "Cannabis viktig basinkomst fC6r gC$ngen" En 15-C%rig pojke i StockholmsomrC%det som hade tvC% kartor Tramadol i fickan och provat det narkotiska lC$kemedlet fri... (Wed Apr 04 01:02:51 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(100%), $propaganda_theme1(90%), $propaganda_theme2(60%), $use_is_abuse(75%), $propaganda_theme4(75%), $propaganda_theme5(70%), $propaganda_theme6(60%), $propaganda_theme7(100%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $drugs(95%), $prohibitionist(80%), $legalization(100%), $chemicals(100%), $plants(100%), $pharms(100%), $euphoric_depressant(100%), $analgesic(100%), $non_opiate_synthetic_analgesic(100%), $anesthetic(100%), $intoxicant(100%), $opioid(100%), $narcotic(100%), $opiate(100%), $heroin(100%), $cannabis(100%), $tobacco(100%), $fentanyl(100%), $tramadol(100%), $various_drugs(95%), $youth(70%)]

intelligencer.ca (Canada) Medical marijuana users to press for tax relief OTTAWA b Medical marijuana patients are bracing for an uphill battle. (Wed Apr 04 02:01:45 2018 PDT)

intelligencer.ca (Canada) Medical marijuana users to press for relief on pot taxes OTTAWA b Medical marijuana patients are bracing for an uphill battle in their bid to convince the federal government to exempt medicinal cannabis from excise taxes. (Wed Apr 04 02:01:45 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(100%), $propaganda_theme1(55%), $propaganda_theme2(70%), $propaganda_theme3(75%), $use_is_abuse(100%), $propaganda_theme4(100%), $propaganda_theme5(70%), $propaganda_theme6(65%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $chemicals(100%), $plants(100%), $euphoric_depressant(100%), $analgesic(100%), $intoxicant(100%), $opioid(100%), $medical_cannabis(100%), $narcotic(100%), $opiate(100%), $heroin(100%), $methadone(100%), $cannabis(100%), $youth(70%), $school(100%), $aggrandizement(100%)]

intelligencer.ca (Canada) Medical marijuana users to press for tax relief OTTAWA b Medical marijuana patients are bracing for an uphill battle. (Wed Apr 04 02:01:45 2018 PDT) [$drug_related(100%), $drugwar_propaganda(100%), $propaganda_theme2(70%), $propaganda_theme3(50%), $use_is_abuse(100%), $propaganda_theme4(100%), $propaganda_theme5(60%), $propaganda_theme6(60%), $illegal_drugs(100%), $plants(100%), $intoxicant(100%), $medical_cannabis(100%), $cannabis(100%), $youth(60%), $school(100%)]

Calgary Herald
Bylaw banning public cannabis consumption moves forward ...
Calgary Herald
A proposed ban on the public consumption of cannabis received tentative approval from a council committee Tuesday, with councillors also calling on the province to clarify how pot revenues will be shared with municipalities.
Calgary moves forward with ban on public pot, defers decision on 'cannabis gardens'Globalnews.ca
City of Calgary staff recommend bylaw to ban public consumption of cannabisThe Globe and Mail
City Of Calgary Staff Want Councillors To Ban Public Marijuana ConsumptionHuffPost Canada
Straight.com
all 38 news articles »

Vancouver Sun
Vancouver startup high on technology to process cannabis plant waste
Vancouver Sun
A Vancouver startup company is betting it can provide a high-tech solution to help legal medical cannabis growers deal with plant waste, as their production expands to accommodate the recreational market. Micron Waste Technologies Inc. is developing ...

The Globe and Mail
Nova Scotia cannabis legislation sets fines, syncs weed and alcohol penalties
The Globe and Mail
Proposed Nova Scotia legislation would see fines as high as $10,000 for illegal marijuana sales or distribution to a person under 19, while impaired drivers will also face stiff penalties. The fines are part of a series of penalties around the legal ...
Too Many Cannabis Industry Employees Impaired At WorkForbes
Selling cannabis illegally in Nova Scotia could net the offender a $10K fineGlobalnews.ca
NS cannabis legislation sets fines, syncs weed and alcohol penaltiesCTV News
The Guardian -Toronto Star -The Tennessean -The JAMA Network
all 381 news articles »

New York Times
At Fund-Raiser, Cynthia Nixon Says She Favors Legalizing Marijuana
New York Times
Cynthia Nixon, the actress and Democratic candidate for governor, told supporters at a private fund-raiser last week that if elected she would seek to legalize marijuana and tax it to raise revenue for New York, attendees said. “She said that if ...
Cynthia Nixon says she backs marijuana legalization: reportThe Hill

all 20 news articles »

Colorado isn't one of them. Sorry, Denver.

This story is part of an occasional series on marijuana laws in the states.

It’s been legal to buy small amounts of marijuana in Colorado for over four years. But consumers can’t order buds, edibles or the marijuana concentrate called “shatter” through the mail — that’s illegal under federal law. And they can’t have weed delivered to their doorstep, like a pizza or an order of pad thai.

Lawmakers in Colorado and other states that pioneered recreational marijuana legalization have been reluctant to allow home delivery, even in an era when consumers are used to getting everything from diamond rings to toilet paper delivered.

Supporters say delivery makes it easier for medical marijuana patients to get their medicine, helps licensed marijuana businesses compete with the black market, and could reduce drugged driving. Opponents say delivery could make it easier for kids to buy drugs and could turn delivery cars into targets for thieves.

Skeptics also say launching a risky service could attract unwanted federal attention. Denver is concerned that marijuana delivery could cause additional safety issues and draw federal scrutiny, according to a statement from Eric Escudero, communications director for the city’s Department of Excises and Licenses. Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded Obama-era guidance that had told federal prosecutors not to target marijuana businesses that are licensed and regulated.

Colorado legislators last year rejected language in a bill that would have legalized marijuana delivery. Now they’re considering a pilot program instead. Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Singer, a sponsor of both bills, said the earlier proposal failed because it went too far, too fast, for some of his colleagues. The current bill is “a slow step in the right direction,” he said.

Colorado, Washington state, Alaska and Washington, D.C., don’t allow home delivery of marijuana. Oregon, California and Nevada do, but services are not universal. In Oregon, state data shows that close to two-thirds of counties have a dispensary licensed to make recreational marijuana deliveries. In California, marijuana industry advocates say that less than a third of cities and counties in the state allow retail marijuana sales, which could include home delivery.  

But illegal and quasi-legal delivery businesses are widespread regardless of the law.

Washington, D.C., for instance, allows cannabis possession but not sales. So businesses, including delivery companies, are selling overpriced stickers, cookies, and cold-pressed juice with a gift of cannabis thrown in. “At Juiced, we make sure that all our products make an impact that will enhance your spirit and your mood:),” says one such company’s website, with a coy smiley face emoji.

Safety, Diversion Concerns

In Colorado, opponents of legalizing home delivery include law enforcement, county officials, the city of Denver and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.

“That notion of having a delivery person go around house to house and dropping off potentially significant amounts of marijuana — any amount of marijuana — I think we look at that as just a hazard,” Hickenlooper told the Cannabist, a website of the Denver Post, last spring when the Legislature was considering legalizing home delivery statewide.

“And if we’re really serious about keeping marijuana out of the hands of teenagers,” he said, “delivery service offers more opportunity for that marijuana to get into the hands of kids.”

Home delivery could also bring marijuana sales into counties that don’t allow such sales, said Eric Bergman, policy director at Colorado Counties Inc., a membership association for county officials. More than half of the state’s counties prohibit marijuana businesses within their jurisdiction, according to state data. Some cities within those counties’ borders do allow marijuana businesses to operate.

Marijuana businesses, meanwhile, are lobbying for a change in the law. Advocates for a San Francisco-based marijuana delivery startup called Eaze, which some have called “Uber for weed,” have told Colorado lawmakers that technology can help allay some of their concerns.

For instance, the Eaze app blocks orders to places where delivery isn’t allowed. “Eaze has a whole team of people that monitors, is it legal in that city? Is it legal in that ZIP code?” said Elizabeth Conway, principal at Gide LLC, a firm that lobbies for cannabis and tech companies.

Not all cities oppose permitting marijuana delivery. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, a Democrat, argued that allowing delivery would help licensed businesses compete with the black market, potentially driving out illegal businesses. A supplemental budget bill currently on Democratic Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk would require regulators to study home delivery of medical marijuana.

Local Control

States that do allow marijuana home delivery don’t allow just anyone to drive around with weed for sale. Oregon’s rules address when pot can be delivered (8 a.m. to 9 p.m.), where (only houses and apartments in the locality where the retailer is licensed), how often (one delivery per person per day), and to whom (adults over 21), for instance. Drivers can’t take more than $3,000 worth of weed products “out for delivery” at one time.

California’s long list of rules includes a requirement that delivery vehicles be outfitted with a GPS tracking system and prohibits “unmanned vehicles” such as autonomous cars from delivering weed.

Cities and counties in both states can opt out of allowing delivery or set more stringent rules, adding further complication.

For instance, just 12 of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County are planning to regulate cannabis, said Joe Nicchitta, the countywide coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Cannabis Management. Some areas want to allow retail storefronts but not delivery services, some want to allow delivery but not storefronts, and some want both.

“The concern is that there will be a race to the bottom,” he said, where delivery businesses will “locate in the area with the most lax regulations and then deliver all over the county.”

For businesses, the biggest concern isn’t what they need to do to get licensed but whether localities will allow them to operate at all, said Max Mikalonis, legislative advocate for the California Cannabis Delivery Association. “There are huge swaths of the state that cannot legally be delivered to.”

Mikalonis is among the lobbyists pushing for a state Senate bill that would stop localities from banning marijuana delivery services. Right now, it can take hours for business owners to figure out, city by city, what addresses they’re allowed to serve, he said, adding that allowing delivery would help medical marijuana patients and bolster the legal market.

In recent years several California marijuana delivery drivers have been robbed, some at gunpoint. Such incidents have been cited by Colorado law enforcement groups in their arguments against allowing delivery services there.   

Sgt. David Woolsey, who works for the division of marijuana control at the San Jose Police Department, said that since the city began allowing marijuana home delivery last year, there’s only been one such incident, a burglary of a delivery driver’s car (the driver was not hurt). Robberies and homicides that involve black market delivery businesses are probably more common, he said, but it’s hard to say for sure because the black market is hard to track.

Nine businesses in the San Jose area are currently licensed and offering delivery, he said. “The problem is there are 35 or 40 illegal delivery services active in our area.” Some unlicensed businesses have their own websites, others post to Craigslist, Facebook and other social media sites, he said.

It’s difficult for law enforcement to track down illegal businesses that advertise online, Woolsey said, because they often don’t have an obvious location.

He said city officials decided to allow home delivery because they wanted to push consumers to buy their weed legally. The legal market is governed by rules and regulations that keep consumers, employees and businesses safe, he said. 

Consumers can be blissfully unaware that “legal marijuana” doesn’t mean all methods of purchase, anywhere, are allowed, officials and industry insiders say. Both Nicchitta and Woolsey said their teams want to help consumers better identify which cannabis businesses are legal. 

In Nevada, Ben Sillitoe, CEO of Oasis Cannabis, a licensed dispensary close to the Las Vegas Strip, said his employees have been making regular deliveries of cannabis since 2016 with few hiccups. Fifteen percent of the store’s cannabis sales come from deliveries, he said.

“We’ve had issues where children have tried to order delivery — we’ve been able to catch that,” he said. Oasis staff members review the purchasers’ identification to make sure they are over 21 before handing over the pot.

He said that he needs to be able to offer delivery to stay competitive.

“The black market has been delivering for as long as the black market has existed,” he said. “It’s something customers are accustomed to.”

 

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What do you think you know about this powerful mind-altering concoction?

Ayahuasca is one of the most powerful mind-altering potions on the planet. When ingested, the brew brings people into an enchanted cosmos of spirit allies and tricksters or what scientists might consider as archetypes of the mind. Whatever labels you throw on the experience of ayahuasca, it is difficult to not finish a ceremony feeling enchanted and otherworldly – like you have just come from a space where ancient embodied knowledge and deep wisdom reside.

This article does not cover the risks and benefits of ayahuasca. Here, I am going to share with you some of the popular misconceptions about ayahuasca and why they are incorrect or misleading. Some of the myths are relatively innocent and partially true, one of them is actually dangerous. The following five misconceptions are currently traveling the ayahuasca world at the speed of satellite and modem transmissions. If you know of any other common or dangerous ayahuasca myths, please share them with us in the comments below.

Ayahuasca has Been Used for Thousands of Years

 

It’s very common to hear people say, “Ayahuasca has been used by indigenous Amazonian cultures for 5000 or even 8000 years.” This is certainly possible. Ayahuasca use might, in fact, be this old, but scientists have found no conclusive evidence of ayahuasca being consumed beyond a few hundred years ago.

Anthropologists have suggested that ayahuasca was probably first used among Tukanoan speaking groups of the Upper Western Amazon. Considering archeological and anthropological studies, Bernd Brabec de Mori suggests it is unlikely that ayahuasca drinking is thousands of years old. He noted that archeologists have recorded vast ancient trade networks connecting tribes of the Tukano region to other parts of the Amazon, and there is no evidence of ancient ayahuasca trade or use there.

It may be difficult to find records of ancient ayahuasca drinking because the jungle climate does a good job of destroying or devouring things. We may never know how old ayahuasca drinking truly is, but there is evidence of DMT-containing snuff preparations being used back in 200BC, and DMT is an important chemical element in most ayahuasca brews.

Various anthropologists have argued that ayahuasca drinking probably spread among indigenous people over the last 200 hundred years or so. Bernd Brabec de Mori mapped the language of ayahuasca magical songs, or icaros, across parts of the Amazon. He found many of the lyrics and words about ayahuasca could be linked to indigenous migrations of the last few hundred years.

But, a few hundred years of indigenous ayahuasca drinking a long time if we consider how young the psychedelic movement is in modern Western societies. Also, it’s important to recognize that other psychedelic plants were used among ancient cultures in the Amazon jungle, just as they were used in ancient civilizations across the whole globe.

Ayahuasca is Legal in the United States

 

This is both true and false. Over the last year there have been a few ayahuasca groups in the Unites States claiming, loud and proud, to be operating legally when in fact they were dangerously illegal.

One of the groups, called Ayahuasca Healings, claimed to be offering the “first ever legal ayahuasca church in the United States.” The news went viral online, celebrated in articles published by VICE, Daily Beast and other outlets. Ironically, not only was Ayahuasca Healings operating illegally in the United States, there have been two other Ayahuasca groups (União do Vegetal and Santo Daime) operating legally in the U.S. since 2006 and 2008. The Brazilian ayahuasca religions Santo Daime and União do Vegetal have churches operating legally in various parts of the globe, including South America, Europe and North America. But this was not always the case.

There have been cases of police raiding ayahuasca ceremonies in Europe. Yes, that is correct. Police in both Germany and Italy stormed into ceremonies armed with guns to arrest the so-called “drug takers.” I cannot imagine anything more terrifying than being in the middle of an ayahuasca experience, traveling the depths and heights of my soul, and being confronted with adrenaline-pumped authorities shouting at me with guns in their hands.

In comparison to the legal hoaxes, ayahuasca is being used secretly and illegally in vast underground medicine and spirituality networks that span from Russia to South Africa, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, India and the United States. This cultural space is obviously not regulated by governments. It is organically self-regulated by people taking risks to share the sacred medicine with their communities.

Vomiting is a Side Effect of Drinking Ayahuasca

 

Often mainstream media articles about ayahuasca  state that one of the “side effects” of ayahuasca is vomiting. They make ayahuasca sound like a pharmaceutical drug that has the undesirable “side effects” of vomiting, sweating, and diarrhea. Ayahuasca can, and often does invoke unpleasant bodily processes, like vomiting, sweating or even in some cases diarrhea. But this is far from being a “side effect” of the brew; people who drink ayahuasca understand ayahuasca vomiting as a powerful way of attaining holistic healing. To borrow medical terminology, purging is not a “side-effect” but a “central-effect,” or perhaps, a “sub-central-effect” of ayahuasca.

Some people express disappointment if they didn’t purge during a ceremony. The purge can cleanse the body and it is often followed immediately by strong visions. Purging can also bring psychological insight. In its most basic sense, ayahuasca purging requires a psychological commitment to surrender, trust and let-go, which is not always easy when you are in a visionary world of strong emotions. The purge is something many people initially struggle with.

There are different healing philosophies about the ayahuasca purge. They include scientific, spiritual and shamanic versions, and some philosophies incorporate elements from each of these different perspectives. But something they all share is the idea that the purge is a cleansing process that can bring more peace and vitality to the person’s life. A friend once told me, “pharmaceuticals make you feel great in the beginning, then bad later. Ayahuasca makes you feel bad in the beginning, then great later”. This metaphor has limitations. But it has some truth; alluding to how ayahuasca is a different types of medicine to most medicines people consume in Western societies.

Some people never purge and rarely have unpleasant bodily experiences when drinking ayahuasca. They still report attaining different types of healing and spiritual insight. But the purge should certainly not be treated as an unwanted side effect of the brew.

Science shows DMT Flooding the Brain at Birth and Death

 

Another common myth getting around the Internet is that DMT, the potent psychedelic molecule in ayahuasca, is released by the pineal gland of the brain when we are born and when we die. This is a super cool idea, and hopefully it’s true. It would make me feel more comfortable with the idea that the universe is inherently ethical. But there has been no scientific proof that the brain produces increased amounts of DMT when we are born or when we die.

An experiment on the process of death would be pretty easy to do, right? Get a group of terminally ill people to agree to being inspected upon death to measure the DMT levels in their system. For the time being, the idea is a hypothesis that can be traced to psychopharmacologists Jace Callaway and then Dr. Rick Strassman. Dr Strassman conducted incredibly pioneering research into DMT experiences in the 1990s. Given the types of mystical experiences people were having when they took DMT, he suggested that DMT plays a central role in near death experiences (NDE). He also believes the pineal gland in the center of the brain marks the point at which the life-force or spirit enters the foetus in the first trimester of pregnancy and then exits upon death.

The pineal gland is the seat of the soul, according to the seventeenth century French philosopher Rene Descartes, and philosophers have had a good time laughing at Descartes for this belief for centuries. But in 2013, scientists discovered DMT in the pineal glands of rodents and human lung tissue. Interestingly, the pineal gland corresponds biologically with the “third eye” or “inner eye” of mystical traditions of the East and West. Science has not yet proven or disproven the link between DMT, birth and death, but there certainly are solid facts pointing to DMT being darn significant to what it means to be human.

Ayahuasca is a Female Spirit Being for Indigenous Cultures

 

Mother Ayahuasca, La Madre, The Grandmother, and The Divine Feminine are all commonly evoked or summoned in the visions of Western ayahuasca drinkers. The effects of ayahuasca appear to resonate with maternal or feminine qualities for many people. But is Ayahuasca considered a female spirit being for everyone?

It is a less than interesting endeavor when science tries to prove or disprove spiritual beliefs. This is not my intention here. My intention is to share with you some of the cultural diversity of ayahuasca drinking in the Amazon rainforest. This, I hope, can help us build a more holistic vision of ayahuasca.

There certainly are many reports of ayahuasca being a female spirit in different indigenous cultures. And there certainly are reports of ayahuasca being a male spirit in Amazonian cultures. For instance, during her fieldwork in Iquitos, Peru, anthropologist Evgenia Fotiou described meeting male shamans and apprentices who claim that ayahuasca is a male spirit.  In parallel, in the Brazilian ayahuasca religion Santo Daime, the ayahuasca vine has been considered male.

For the famous shaman Maestro Juan Flores of the Asháninka, ayahuasca is a male spirit. Maestro Juan Flores has gained international recognition for his shamanic work. He was featured on the front cover of the French edition of National Geographic in 2013. In an interview available on YouTube, the shaman explains that the ayahuasca vine is male, and the chacruna plant, that is usually prepared with ayahuasca, is female. He says:

There is no Mother Ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is always a male spirit. That’s who we are. Dedicated shamans, male warriors, working for the benefit and healing of the people.

Finally, I would like to share with you some short excerpts from an indigenous ayahuasca initiation in the 1970s. The initiate, Alberto Prohano of the Yagau, describes a vision of encountering a “man” who is the “mother ayahuasca spirit”. Unlike most Western depictions of Mother Ayahuasca, here she is ambiguous and has powers to heal and to harm. Alberto Prohano described his visionary ayahuasca initiation:

I open my eyes. It’s a man. Then he says, ‘I am the mother of ayahuasca. Do you want to reach the world above, the second floor? … Here, change into this, taita (vocative of father), before you get sick and the virotes [magic darts] penetrate your body.’ I put on a kind of clothing and then we go down to the earth again… The mothers of ayahuasca visit each other frequently, even beyond the middle of the sky. Each time you cure, they are present… The mothers call you father. They come and go. But they can also do harm. – Ayahuasca Reader: Encounters with the Amazon’s Sacred Vine. 

 

If you want to go deep into your learning about ayahuasca, I suggest you check out the online ayahuasca courses at Kahpi. You’ll find over 100 short video lessons on everything you need to know to gain confidence, trustworthy knowledge and practical wisdom about the Amazonian brew.

 

 Related Stories

• Maybe White People Shouldn't Take Drugs From Indigenous Cultures
• Ayahuasca Can Help Cure Depression, Alcoholism: Study
• You Won't Believe Which Middle East Theocracy Takes an Enlightened Line on Entheogens and Psychedelics!

Globalnews.ca
Cannabis seized from alleged unauthorized Saskatoon storefront
Globalnews.ca
Police were called to the 2100-block of St. George Avenue just before 9:30 a.m. CT on Sunday for break-in at a business. READ MORE: Saskatoon police bust illegal cannabis outlet. Story continues below. Related. Police hope Saskatoon's illegal pot ...
Weekend break-in leads to police raid on Saskatoon marijuana ...CBC.ca
Police respond to break and enter only to discover an illegal cannabis outletSaskatoon StarPhoenix

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