Ceremonial ‘Plant Medicine’ use and its relationship to recreational drug use: an exploratory study

Ceremonial use of psychoactive plant-based drugs like ayahuasca and psilocybin is growing in the US, but little is known about the users or how they distinguish such use from recreational drug use. Interviews with 15 plant medicine facilitators revealed they view ceremonial use as a natural healing practice within community and ritual, clearly separate from recreational use. They see plant medicine as a potential treatment for addiction, though concerns exist about interference with recovery. The use may also influence recreational drug habits. More research is needed on who uses plant medicines, their motivations, and risks.

Study at a glance

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The ceremonial use of psychoactive/hallucinogenic plant based drugs, such as ayahuasca, psilocybin and others, is a growing trend in the United States (US) and globally. To date, there has been little research documenting how many people are using psychoactive substances in this context, who the users are, what benefits/risks exist in the use of these drugs and the relationship between ceremonial drug use and recreational drug use.In this paper we describe a cohort of plant medicine facilitators in the US and explore how they differentiate plant medicine use from recreational drug use. METHODS: Using modified ethnography, individual interviews were conducted in 2016 with 15 participants who are currently facilitating plant medicine ceremonies in the US. Descriptive content analysis was performed to discover themes and to inform a larger mixed-method study. RESULTS: Ceremonial drug use was seen by participants as a natural healing and treatment modality used in the context of community and ritual. Three main themes were identified relating to participants' differentiation between ceremonial plant medicine use and recreational drug use: 1) participants see a clear delineation between plant medicine use and recreational drug use; 2) plant medicine is seen as a potential treatment for addiction, but concerns exist regarding potential interference with recovery; and 3) plant medicine use may influence recreational use. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed on who is using plant medicine, motivators for use, perceived and real risks and benefits of plant medicine use and harm reduction techniques regarding safe ingestion.