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- Why Entheology.org?
Our simple and concise mission statement including information regarding submissions. We pay you for reprint rights on any research paper we'd like to include here at Edoto...just click for details.
- Plants of the Gods
Absolute essential read for anyone interested in sacred entheogens. Includes detailed history and preparation of 97 psychoactive and/or sacred plants.
- Annual Causes of Death in America
The REAL truth is the most sobering statistic.
- Annual Causes of Death in America
The REAL truth is the most sobering statistic.
- Extracting Salvinorin from Salvia Divinorum
This is a concise extraction method for educational purposes only.
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Extremely important information regarding MAOI's, complete with Diet Card.
- Traditional Quid Preparation
Information regarding the traditional praparation of Salvia divinorum for divination by the Mazatecs.
- Pharmacology of Bufotenine
Exhaustive case study regarding Bufotenine, 5-MEO-DMT, and related substances.
- Study on Calea Zacatechichi (Dream Herb)
Calea zacatechichi is a plant of extensive popular medicinal use in Mexico. An infusion of the plant is has been reported to have psychotropic properties that have been clinically-proven to induce dreaming, and increase the frequency of dreams as well.
- In Depth Report Regarding DMT
In this article I wish to draw attention to a strange property of DMT which sets it apart from other psychedelics, namely, it's ability to place users in touch with a realm that is apparently inhabited by discarnate entities of an intelligent nature.
- The Science of Ethnobotany
Ethnobotanists share two decades of experience living with the indigenous peoples of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.
- Entheogens and the Future of Religion
The book should prove to be a welcome complement to other serious studies in mysticism (including those that take a fundamentally different tack).
- Tukanoans
The Tukanoans are one of the most known cultures that utilize ayahuasca as their sacrament. They are one of about 70 tribes who share this practice.
- Ayahuasca, shamanism, and curanderismo in the Andes
The term ayahuasca comes from the Quechua, meaning literally "the vine of souls," although it is also called "the visionary vine" or the "vine of death." The folk term refers to the botanical species of liana known as Banisteriopsis Caapi , which is also
- The Santo Daime Religion
In this paper, the reader will be introduced to the sect of Santo Daime, a Brazilian religion which combines Christianity with the indigenous practice of using ayahuasca, a native entheogenic plant.
- Santo Daime Church Wins Court Case
Freedom of Religion versus the Psychotropic Substance Treaty - The Verdict
- Ayahuasca: Human Consciousness and the Spirits of Nature
Anything with the name Ralph Metzner even remotely attached to it is a safe buy. An elder statesman responsible for dramatic shifts in consciousness within this nation and throughout the world...
- DMT: The Spirit Moecule
Covering a groundbreaking psychedelic substance that is actually found in human cerebrospinal fluid, Rick Strassman tells a first-person story of his research on the profoundly mysterious substance dimethltryptamine (DMT).
- The World As You Dream It: Shamanic Teachings from the Amazon and Andes
John has done a lot to honor and preserve the indigenous teachings and the ethnobotanical environment.
- Shapeshifting: Shamanic Techniques for Global and Personal Transformation
John has done a lot to honor and preserve the indigenous teachings and the ethnobotanical environment.
- Canada to Decriminalize Cannabis
The Liberal government is preparing to move ahead in the new year with legislation to decriminalize marijuana, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said yesterday.
- Solubility of Active Components – Quick Guide
Brief discussion on active components of plants and whether they were traditionally extracted into alcohol, water, or other solvents.
- Amanita Muscaria
This mushroom could very well be human's oldest hallucinogen, as it has been identified as Soma of ancient India.
- Anadenanthera - Yopo, Cebil, Villca
YOPO or PARICA (Anadenanthera peregrina or Piptadenia peregrina) is a South American tree of the bean family, Leguminosae. A potent hallucinogenic snuff is prepared from the seeds of this tree.
- Anadenanthera peregrina - Yopo
Under Construction.
- Argyreia nervosa - Hawaiian Baby Woodrose
Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds are perhaps one of the least understood of modern-day entheogens and exotic botanicals. There is much controversy in regards to its true place in Shamanic and traditional history outside of its native culture and home; India.
- Argyreia nervosa - Hawaiian Baby Woodrose
Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds are perhaps one of the least understood of modern-day entheogens and exotic botanicals. There is much controversy in regards to its true place in Shamanic and traditional history outside of its native culture and home; India.
- Banisteriopsis caapi - Ayahuasca
Used in the western half of the Amazon Valley and by isolated tribes on the Pacific slopes of the Columbian and Ecuadorian Andes.
- Brugmansia aurea - Golden Angel's Trumpet
Under Construction.
- Brugmansia sanguinea - Blood-Red Angel's Trumpet
Under Construction.
- Brunfelsia grandiflora - Brunfelsia
Under Construction.
- Caesalpina sepiaria - Yun Shih
This plant was reputedly used in China as hallucinogen, this is nearly all we know about this plant.
- Calea zacatechichi - Dream Herb
Calea zacatechichi is a plant used by the Chontal Indians of Mexico to obtain divinatory messages during dreaming.
- Cannabis sativa - Marijuana
The original home of Cannabis is thought to be central Asia, but it has spread around the globe with the exception of Arctic regions and areas of wet tropical forests.
- Areca catechu - Betel Nut
Betel nuts have been used as a drug for thousands of years. The practiced is thought to have started in south-east Asia and there is archaeological evidence to support this view.
- Jesus Healed Using Cannabis
Jesus was almost certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug, according to a study of scriptural texts published this month.
- Hallucinogen Said to Cure Drug Addiction
A powerful hallucinogenic drug that has been linked to dozens of deaths around the world is becoming increasingly popular among Britain's heroin and crack users, who believe it can offer an instant, painless cure for their addictions.
- Hallucinogen Said to Cure Drug Addiction
A powerful hallucinogenic drug that has been linked to dozens of deaths around the world is becoming increasingly popular among Britain's heroin and crack users, who believe it can offer an instant, painless cure for their addictions.
- Database Has Deadly Facts About Smoking
Tobacco FactFile, a new Internet database unveiled by the British Medical Association (BMA), contains worldwide facts and figures about smoking, the Associated Press reported February 27, 2003.
- Database Has Deadly Facts About Smoking
Tobacco FactFile, a new Internet database unveiled by the British Medical Association (BMA), contains worldwide facts and figures about smoking, the Associated Press reported February 27, 2003.
- A New Opposition Front in the Drug War
Criminalizing peaceful people who use psychoactive drugs to deepen their spiritual life is criminal itself, some groups are arguing
- Legal Status of Ayahuasca Herbs on the Line in the US
A case which pits the US government against the vine and leaves used to make ayahuasca, the South American visionary tea used for physical, emotional and spiritual healing, is nearing the trial phase and funds are urgently needed for the defense.
- Medical Maijuana Defense Bill - A Reality
The new medical marijuana affirmative defense bill in Congress is a reality! On Friday, March 21, three members of the California delegation sent a letter to all U.S. House members, informing them about the new bill and asking them to cosponsor it. YOU CA
- Get Ready for PATRIOT ACT II
The "fog of war" obscures more than just news from the battlefield. It also provides cover for radical domestic legislation, especially ill-considered liberty-for-security swaps, which have been historically popular at the onset of major conflicts.
- Get Ready for PATRIOT ACT II
The "fog of war" obscures more than just news from the battlefield. It also provides cover for radical domestic legislation, especially ill-considered liberty-for-security swaps, which have been historically popular at the onset of major conflicts.
- Bayer Pioneers New Cannabis-based Treatment
GW Pharmaceuticals plc (“GW”) and Bayer AG (“Bayer”) have entered into an exclusive marketing agreement for GW’s cannabis-based medicinal extract product, to be marketed under the Sativex® brand name.
- Maryland Passes Medical Marijuana Bill
Refusing to bend to pressure from the Bush administration, Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a bill Thursday that reduces criminal penalties for seriously ill people who smoke marijuana. Ehrlich is the first GOP governor to sign a bill protecting med
- Conservatives Upset at Money Wasted on Drug War
Conservative Republican watchdog analysts are upset with the government's incessant wasting of our tax dollars, namely the ones spent on a drug War that has only increased drug use among teenagers.
- New York Medical Marijuana Bill Wins Again
New York's medical marijuana bill, A. 5796, scored its third big committee win of the legislative session yesterday, passing the Assembly Ways and Means Committee with a bipartisan vote of 24 to 8. The bill passed the Health Committee April 8 by 16 to 6 a
- In the War on Drugs, Everyone's a Loser
The War on Drugs has had a profound effect on me. I used to be a proud Republican, but the more I listened to law-and-order Republicans chatter about the dire need for ever more enforcement of the controlled-substance laws, the more Libertarian I became..
- Entire Rainforests Set to Disappear in Next Decade
More than 23 million acres of the world's forests - enough to cover the whole of Scotland - are disappearing each year because of logging, mining and land clearance for agriculture. The scale of deforestation is so great that some countries, such as Indo
- Bush Administration Ignoring the U.S. Contstitution
The Bush administration, pressing its campaign against state medical marijuana laws, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let federal authorities punish California doctors who recommend pot to their patients.
- War On Drugs Assailed in Congress
(ONDCP) Reauthorization Act of 2003. The Democrats on the committee did not rubberstamp this bill; instead, they used the hearing as an opportunity to attack not only the Bush administration's medical marijuana policy, but also the war on drugs in its ent
- Heavy Marijuana Use Doesn't Damage Brain
Long-term and even daily marijuana use doesn't appear to cause permanent brain damage, adding to evidence that it can be a safe and effective treatment for a wide range of diseases, say researchers.
- Medical Marijuana Slowly Gains Ground
For hundreds of years, marijuana has been used to treat a wide variety of illnesses. But the herb has been illegal throughout the modern era of scientific medical research. Patients swear the drug works to relieve pain, prevent seizures, and counteract th
- Medical Marijuana Slowly Gains Ground
For hundreds of years, marijuana has been used to treat a wide variety of illnesses. But the herb has been illegal throughout the modern era of scientific medical research. Patients swear the drug works to relieve pain, prevent seizures, and counteract th
- Garden of Eden - Day 1
No sooner had God created Adam and put him in Eden than God began to contradict himself. He told Adam that he could eat from all the trees of the garden. ALL the trees. Then God said, “Nevertheless, you can’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and
- Garden of Eden - Day 1
No sooner had God created Adam and put him in Eden than God began to contradict himself. He told Adam that he could eat from all the trees of the garden. ALL the trees. Then God said, “Nevertheless, you can’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and
- IRS and FEC Gag Free Speech!
Two Bush administration agencies are proposing new regulations to prevent the Alliance and other advocacy groups from telling our supporters about the political actions of federal officials who are up for re-election. Our First Amendment rights - and your
- Court Overturns DEA's Ban in Hemp Foods
The hemp food industry has just won a major victory, defeating the DEA's attempts to ban all foods with even trace, insignificant quantities of THC.
- Pro-Family Groups Hoping to Defeat Bill C-250
"Freedom of speech and religion have not yet been oppressed by Bill C-250, and we remain optimistic . . . If the Prime Minister calls an election before [April 20], the bill would die. But we need to continue the pressure until we win this fully."
- Links Related to Freedom of Religion
A short list of useful links to information regarding fredom of speech and freedom of religion in the United States.
- Dalai Lama Says Envoys May Return to China Soon
The Dalai Lama said on Thursday his special envoys could return to China within months to continue building contacts with Beijing but he said a political solution to the Tibet question was still far off.
- Vatican Combats Threat of 'Alternative' Religions
Catholics from more than 25 countries are in Rome this week to hammer out a strategy for combating the threat posed to Christianity by "New Age" religions and fads.
- Vatican Combats Threat of 'Alternative' Religions
Catholics from more than 25 countries are in Rome this week to hammer out a strategy for combating the threat posed to Christianity by "New Age" religions and fads.
- Utah High Court OKs Non-Indian Peyote Use
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Utah Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that non-American Indian members of the Native American Church can use peyote in religious ceremonies.
- Utah High Court OKs Non-Indian Peyote Use
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Utah Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that non-American Indian members of the Native American Church can use peyote in religious ceremonies.
- New Attack on Raves and Live Music
Last year there was an outrageous abuse of power in Racine, Wisconsin, where hundreds of music fans were ticketed for being in a crowded nightclub where a few people used drugs. Those ticketed had no drugs on them. The police didn’t even have any evidence
- UDV Wins Ayahuasca Case
At 1:44 pm Eastern Standard Time today, December 10th 2004, the entire Supreme Court of The United States convened and determined to deny the Department of Justice’s request for that Court’s further intervention in the UDV’s legal case.
- UDV Wins Ayahuasca Case
At 1:44 pm Eastern Standard Time today, December 10th 2004, the entire Supreme Court of The United States convened and determined to deny the Department of Justice’s request for that Court’s further intervention in the UDV’s legal case.
- The Supremes Debate Medical Marijuana
It's California pot patients' second effort to break the legal yoke that the federal Controlled Substances Act holds around state laws that let sick people use cannabis if they have a valid recommendation for it from their doctor. In the first case, U.S.
- The Supremes Debate Medical Marijuana
It's California pot patients' second effort to break the legal yoke that the federal Controlled Substances Act holds around state laws that let sick people use cannabis if they have a valid recommendation for it from their doctor. In the first case, U.S.
- Supreme Court to Hear Appeal on Hallucinogenic Tea
The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday it would decide whether the federal government must allow the U.S. branch of a Brazilian-based religion to import a hallucinogenic tea for use as a sacrament.
- Supreme Court to Hear Appeal on Hallucinogenic Tea
The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday it would decide whether the federal government must allow the U.S. branch of a Brazilian-based religion to import a hallucinogenic tea for use as a sacrament.
- NOT SO DOPEY
The active ingredient of cannabis may protect against heart disease and strokes. In fact, marijuana's ability to relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and AIDS, among other diseases, is pretty well agreed by
patients, if not by the medical establis
- NOT SO DOPEY
The active ingredient of cannabis may protect against heart disease and strokes. In fact, marijuana's ability to relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and AIDS, among other diseases, is pretty well agreed by
patients, if not by the medical establis
- NOT SO DOPEY
The active ingredient of cannabis may protect against heart disease and strokes. In fact, marijuana's ability to relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and AIDS, among other diseases, is pretty well agreed by
patients, if not by the medical establis
- Should 'Sally D' Be Made Illegal?
There are plenty of herbal plants, such as Saint-John's-wort or morning glory, that contain emotion-altering compounds. But Salvia divinorum, known in the streets as Sally D, is making bigger legal waves on account of its short-term side effects, which so
- Should 'Sally D' Be Made Illegal?
There are plenty of herbal plants, such as Saint-John's-wort or morning glory, that contain emotion-altering compounds. But Salvia divinorum, known in the streets as Sally D, is making bigger legal waves on account of its short-term side effects, which so
- Prince Charles Hopeful of End to Kava Ban
PRINCE Charles is hopeful that the export ban on Fiji's traditional drink will be lifted in the near future. This was relayed by Foreign Affairs Minister Kaliopate Tavola after a brief conversation with the Prince of Wales on Thursday.
- Prince Charles Hopeful of End to Kava Ban
PRINCE Charles is hopeful that the export ban on Fiji's traditional drink will be lifted in the near future. This was relayed by Foreign Affairs Minister Kaliopate Tavola after a brief conversation with the Prince of Wales on Thursday.
- Anti-Drug Gains in Colombia Don't Reduce Flow to U.S.
Five years and $3 billion into the most aggressive counternarcotics operation ever here, American and Colombian officials say they have eradicated a record-breaking million acres of coca plants, yet cocaine remains as available as ever on American streets
- Anti-Drug Gains in Colombia Don't Reduce Flow to U.S.
Five years and $3 billion into the most aggressive counternarcotics operation ever here, American and Colombian officials say they have eradicated a record-breaking million acres of coca plants, yet cocaine remains as available as ever on American streets
- Canada Approves Cannabis Spray
Canada became the first nation Tuesday to approve a pharmaceutical prescription spray derived from the cannabis plant, a move that could shift the medical marijuana debate in the U.S.
- Canada Approves Cannabis Spray
Canada became the first nation Tuesday to approve a pharmaceutical prescription spray derived from the cannabis plant, a move that could shift the medical marijuana debate in the U.S.
- 63% Believe Bible Literally True
Sixty-three percent (63%) of Americans believe the Bible is literally true and the Word of God. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 24% disagree and say it is not.
- Liberal Bible-Thumping
Even aside from his arguments that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and that St. Paul was a self-hating gay, the new book by a former Episcopal bishop of Newark is explosive.
- Liberal Bible-Thumping
Even aside from his arguments that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and that St. Paul was a self-hating gay, the new book by a former Episcopal bishop of Newark is explosive.
- Liberation?: Afghanistan’s 2nd Largest Heroin Crop Ever
The department's annual drug-trafficking report, released in March, warned that Afghanistan was "on the verge of becoming a narcotics state." This year's heroin crop will likely be the 2nd largest ever in Afganistan's history, notedly HIGHER than when th
- Liberation?: Afghanistan’s 2nd Largest Heroin Crop Ever
The department's annual drug-trafficking report, released in March, warned that Afghanistan was "on the verge of becoming a narcotics state." This year's heroin crop will likely be the 2nd largest ever in Afganistan's history, notedly HIGHER than when th
- LOUISIANA CRIMINALIZES MANY BOTANICALS
The penalty for possession is imprisonment with or without hard labor for not more than 5 years and, in addition, a possible fine of up to $5,000. The penalty for manufacture or distribution is imprisonment with or without hard labor for not less than 2 y
- LOUISIANA CRIMINALIZES MANY BOTANICALS
The penalty for possession is imprisonment with or without hard labor for not more than 5 years and, in addition, a possible fine of up to $5,000. The penalty for manufacture or distribution is imprisonment with or without hard labor for not less than 2 y
- Missouri Bans Salvia Divinorum & Salvinorin A
Missouri becomes first state in the U.S. to specifically schedule Salvia divinorum and its active chemical.
- Mexico Passes Law Making Possession of Some Drugs Legal
Mexican lawmakers passed a sweeping new drug law early Friday that would crack down on small-time dealers, legalize the possession of small quantities of drugs and mandate treatment for addicts.
- Mexico Passes Law Making Possession of Some Drugs Legal
Mexican lawmakers passed a sweeping new drug law early Friday that would crack down on small-time dealers, legalize the possession of small quantities of drugs and mandate treatment for addicts.
- FDA Makes False Claims About Marijuana
Last Friday, 24 members of Congress demanded that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) account for its disingenuous April 20 statement claiming that “no sound scientific studies” support the medical use of marijuana.
- FDA Makes False Claims About Marijuana
Last Friday, 24 members of Congress demanded that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) account for its disingenuous April 20 statement claiming that “no sound scientific studies” support the medical use of marijuana.
- FDA Makes False Claims About Marijuana
Last Friday, 24 members of Congress demanded that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) account for its disingenuous April 20 statement claiming that “no sound scientific studies” support the medical use of marijuana.
- Moses High On Drugs: Isreali Researcher
New study examines the possible use of psychoactive plants by Moses on Mt. Sanai, and in the religious rites of biblical times.
- Moses High On Drugs: Isreali Researcher
New study examines the possible use of psychoactive plants by Moses on Mt. Sanai, and in the religious rites of biblical times.
- Ira Glasser Remembers William F. Buckley, Jr.
William F. Buckley, Jr., conservative intellectual--and supporter of drug policy reform--passed away February 27, 2008. He is remembered by Ira Glasser, president of DPA's board and former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
- Narcotics Control Board Destroying Coca Cultures
In a culturally insensitive and irrational move, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has called for the governments of Bolivia and Peru to abolish all uses of the coca leaf, including coca leaf chewing.
- Narcotics Control Board Destroying Coca Cultures
In a culturally insensitive and irrational move, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has called for the governments of Bolivia and Peru to abolish all uses of the coca leaf, including coca leaf chewing.
- Outrageous Anti-Pot Lies: Media Uses Cancer Scare Tactics
Headlines suggested a study proved pot is a greater cancer risk than tobacco -- but the media didn't even wait for the report to be released.
- Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii grows in South-Eastern America and in northern regions of Mexico. In Mexico, peyote has been used for divination in shamanic rituals and in the treatment of ailments for at least 10,000 years.
- Tagetes lucida - Marigolds
Tagetes lucida, widely identified as a powerfully psychoactive strain of the marigold flower, was first documented by the Aztecs. They used Tagetes lucida in their ritual incense they referred to as yyauhtl. This name was derived from the Aztecan word uja
- Salvia Divinorum Creates Catch-22
Florida follows the lead of eight other states and considers ban on Salvia divinorum.
- White Lotus - Nymphaea ampla
The effects of the flower when prepared as a tea or decoction and ingested are said to be much like the opiate apomorphine. White lotus actually contains aporphine, which is closely related to apomorphine, differing only in the lack of two hydroxyl group
- Passiflora - Passion Flower
The psychoactive properties of the Passiflora genus as a whole is still awaiting thorough ethnopharmacological study, however there are several species that have a rich history as entheogens.
- Yohimbe - Pausinystalia yohimba
In addition to its sexual stimulant and aphrodisiac qualities, the bark of the yohimbe tree has been reported to also be hallucinogenic when smoked. The psychoactive effects are primarily due to the main active constituent yohimbine. Yohimbine has sympath
- Withania somnifera - Ashwagandha
Widely used back in Mesopotamia for its medicinal and narcotic properties, this member of the Nightshade Family, was well known in ancient Egypt and characterized and classified as a sakrân intoxicant in Old Arabic.
- Massachusetts Aims For Marijuana Decriminalization in November
Thanks to a carefully-crafted initiative campaign by the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP), Massachusetts may be the next state to take the step to decriminalize marijuana.
- Santo Daime: The Drug-Fuelled Religion
A new religion is spreading to Britain - its central sacrament the consumption of a hallucinogenic ayahuasca. This report is from inside the faith's heartland, the rainforests of the Amazon.
- Santo Daime: The Drug-Fuelled Religion
A new religion is spreading to Britain - its central sacrament the consumption of a hallucinogenic ayahuasca. This report is from inside the faith's heartland, the rainforests of the Amazon.
- Ken Kesey's Mexico - On the Lam With Ken Kesey
Journalist Lawrence Downes goes down Mexico way in an attempt to conjure the trail blazed by Ken Kesey, novelist, psychedelic prophet and hero of “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, along with his band of Merry Pranksters in the 1960s.
- Ancient Shamanic Solutions
Cultural anthropologist and author, Dr. John Broomfield, studies ancient shamanic cultures and applies ancient wisdom to modern-day solutions.
- Ancient Shamanic Solutions
Cultural anthropologist and author, Dr. John Broomfield, studies ancient shamanic cultures and applies ancient wisdom to modern-day solutions.
- LSD, Ketamine & Cannabis Could Treat Headaches to Diabetes
Doctors and researchers in the US and across Europe are studying legitimate therapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs with new science set to prove their case.
- LSD, Ketamine & Cannabis Could Treat Headaches to Diabetes
Doctors and researchers in the US and across Europe are studying legitimate therapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs with new science set to prove their case.
- Marijuana May Prevent Cancer, Not Cause It
Clinical research begins to demonstrate a link between Cannabinoids and halting the spread of a wide range of cancers.
- LSD Helped Forge Alex Grey's Spiritual, Artistic and Love Lives
Interview with artist Alex Grey explores his use of psychotropic drugs and their influence on his art, his spirituality, and his life.
- Ayurvedic 'Viagra' To Be Tested On Humans
Researchers in India are studying the effects of Ayurveda herbal medicines for treatment of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
- Salvia Divinorum: Old Psychedelic Drug, New Appeal
The hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum can be purchased online or at a local head shop. While the DEA and others want to limit its use, scientists say making it a controlled substance would hinder research.
- Salvia Divinorum: Old Psychedelic Drug, New Appeal
The hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum can be purchased online or at a local head shop. While the DEA and others want to limit its use, scientists say making it a controlled substance would hinder research.
- Brain's Reaction To Potent Hallucinogen Salvia Explored
U.S. Department of Energy is conducting new brain-imaging studies on animals, documenting the effects of Salvia divinorum on the brain.
- Brain's Reaction To Potent Hallucinogen Salvia Explored
U.S. Department of Energy is conducting new brain-imaging studies on animals, documenting the effects of Salvia divinorum on the brain.
- Trip Of A Lifetime: How LSD Rocked The World
A comprehensive overview of the life and work of Albert Hoffman, the bicycling Swiss chemist who created LSD - it explores the trailblazing, mind-altering legacy he left behind after his death on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at the age of 102.
- Trip Of A Lifetime: How LSD Rocked The World
A comprehensive overview of the life and work of Albert Hoffman, the bicycling Swiss chemist who created LSD - it explores the trailblazing, mind-altering legacy he left behind after his death on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at the age of 102.
- New Medical Trials Study Therapeutic Uses of LSD
A new Swiss research study of LSD as a therapy is the first in 36 years. The clinical trials are to determine its usefulness in easing anxiety and relieving pain in patients suffering from illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis.
- The Future of Psychedelics
Author Daniel Pinchbeck discusses the 2008 World Psychedelic Forum held recently in Switzerland, and the potential for studying psychedelic therapies in the shifting world political climate.
- The Shroom Tragedy
Magic mushrooms are on the verge of being outlawed by the Dutch government for the usual sensationalized reasons as everywhere else.
- The Shroom Tragedy
Magic mushrooms are on the verge of being outlawed by the Dutch government for the usual sensationalized reasons as everywhere else.
- How the Internet Fuels the Global Psychedelic Community
This year and the next, the United Nations will evaluate the War on Drugs. Since its official start in 1998 we have been bombed with official statistics on drug use, drug addiction, drug trafficking, street prices, courtcases and all the like. But what do
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Conservationists say the rate at which Indonesia is losing its forests has doubled since the 1980s.
They say the lowland forests, the richest in the country, will not survive for long on some of the biggest islands.
They blame corruption for driving "an epidemic of illegal logging".
Indonesia's forests are home to a wealth of species and are one of the world's biological treasures.
The accusation comes from the World Resources Institute (WRI), Global Forest Watch (GFW), and Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI).
In a report, The State of the Forest: Indonesia, described as the first comprehensive map-based assessment of the country's forests, they say the deforestation rate doubled in the late 1990s.
While Indonesia was losing a million hectares (2,471,000 acres) of forest annually in the 1980s, the report says, nearly 2m ha (4,942,000 acres) are now being destroyed every year.
Forest cover has fallen from 162m ha (400,300,000 acres) in 1950 to 98m ha (242,200,000 acres) in 2000.
There for the taking
The jewels in the crown, the lowland forests, have almost entirely disappeared from the island of Sulawesi.
Sulawesi mangrove forest: Little remains
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By 2005, the report says, they will have vanished across Sumatra, and by 2010 from Kalimantan.
One of its co-authors, Emily Matthews, said: "Deforestation on this scale, at this speed, is unprecedented. Indonesia is rapidly moving from a forest-rich to a forest-poor country."
The report says this doubling of deforestation rates results mainly from "a corrupt political and economic system that regards natural resources as a source of revenue to be exploited for political ends and personal gain."
Togu Manurung, director of FWI, and another co-author, said: "Indonesia's economic miracle of the 1980s and 1990s was based on ecological devastation and abuse of local people's rights and customs.
"Our findings do not provide grounds for much optimism, despite clear signs of change in Indonesia."
The report says not only corruption is to blame, but lawlessness, illegal logging, political instability and over-expansion of forest industries.
Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry says legal timber supplies from natural forests declined from 17m cubic meters in 1995 to under 8m in 2000.
Left homeless
The report says huge expansion in the plywood, pulp and paper industries in the last 20 years means that demand for wood fibre now exceeds legal supplies by up to 40m cubic metres annually.
Sumatra's lowland forests "will last three years" (Emily Matthews)
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It says illegally cut wood accounted for as much as 65% of the supply in 2000.
Indonesia is home to 16% of the world's bird species, 11% of plants and 10% of mammals. These include the orang-utan and the Sumatran tiger, neither found anywhere else.
Two years ago the World Bank said the state of Indonesia's forests was so bad it might withdraw support for forestry protection projects.
Sea change needed
It said Indonesian maps showed the area of forest lost between 1985 and 1997 was greater than the entire state of Florida.
Thomas Walton of the Bank said: "Illegal logging has become rampant, even in national parks, on a scale that exceeds the volume of legal logging, and the authorities look the other way.
"Only a radical departure from 'business as usual' will spare the nation and the world the loss of this precious natural resource."
Dirk Bryant, director of GFW, said: "Sixty-four million hectares (158,100,000 acres) of Indonesian forest have been cut down over the past 50 years.
"There is no economic or ethical justification for another 64m ha to be lost over the next 50."
What the clearance gangs leave behind: A former forest in Sumatra
Images courtesy of Forest Watch Indonesia. |
