Doctor sees healing power in psychedelic plant as Peru investigates deaths

[Judi Lynn]

Published:
April 24, 2018

Updated:
April 24, 2018 1:55 PM PDT


Adolfo Flores
BuzzFeed News Reporter
Mexicali, Mexico
Reporting From
Mexicali, Mexico

VANCOUVER — A retired doctor who spent years treating drug addiction says he has seen the healing powers of a psychedelic plant that a Vancouver Island man was studying in Peru before he was killed by a mob that blamed him for a shaman’s death.

Dr. Gabor Mate said ayahuasca grows in the jungle and is brewed with other plants into a thick concoction people drink at ceremonies in countries such as Peru, Costa Rica and Brazil.

The drug is illegal in Canada. Health Canada said in a statement that ayahuasca is a controlled substance that is considered to have no medical benefit.

Mate said the hallucinogenic medicine is used as part of ancient aboriginal practices to help people tap into childhood trauma with support from a leader, and he has seen its power at work in Peru, and Costa Rica, from where he returned two weeks ago after facilitating ceremonies involving the plant.

More:
http://theprovince.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/doctor-sees-healing-power-in-psychedelic-plant-as-peru-investigates-deaths/wcm/75841194-c390-4b2f-a9ca-c36a6584ab13

[BigmanPigman]

1. I saw Tony Bourdain go there and he tried the stuff.

It was pretty interesting. Apparently the stuff makes you pretty sick for awhile at first. The people who were actually cured by it said it was worth it. Tony thinks he was given a mild dose of it since he has done a lot of psychedelics in his lifetime and this was not up there with his best experiences.