For inquiries regarding the utilization of ethnobotanicals, or in case you are experiencing an adverse situation or difficulty integrating and experience, please read this page. For inquiries regarding legal support , please read this page.
On the occasion of ICEERS’ 15th anniversary, we asked its founder, Benjamin De Loenen, to take stock of the foundation’s trajectory. In addition, we delve into the current and future challenges facing the historical process of globalization of master plants and their ceremonial practices.
In recent days, cannabis social clubs (CSCs) in Barcelona have faced a series of administrative inspections resulting in economic sanctions and, in some cases, closure orders. This situation, driven by the new mayor Jaume Collboni from the Socialist Party of Catalonia, threatens to dismantle a model internationally recognized as a safe and responsible alternative to the unregulated cannabis market.
The 2024 International Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) in the Netherlands gathered international experts across various subject areas. ICEERS helped coordinate a panel discussion that examined the various challenges facing the so-called “Psychedelic Renaissance” along with representatives from PsyPan, LIAAN, and MovAya.
ICEERS is launching this Integration Training Program to disseminate the experience gathered in its Support Center, which has helped more than a thousand people with integration questions over the last 10 years.
In contrast to other programs currently on the market, the ICEERS Integration Program is unique in its practical approach. This course is designed to provide you with the framework to design and implement an integration protocol. You will learn techniques and tools that will increase your capacity to support people in their integration processes.
Ayahuasca
Technical Report
This 26 page document by 11 world-class experts and researchers highlights the latest research on ayahuasca, its uses, pharmacology, legal status, and therapeutic effects.
Ayahuasca in Spain
An evaluation of ayahuasca ceremony participants based on public health indicators.
The ADF’s network is comprised of drug policy experts, lawyers, legal strategists, and renowned academics. ADF offers information to lawyers, court case defendants, and the general public with the aim of being an expert resource for legal proceedings. The program also works to engage policymakers, law enforcement authorities, and relevant actors to move towards sensible, human rights-based public policy.
At the national levels there is a widespread divergence of interpretation of how international legal frameworks should be to ayahuasca. In order to avoid risks, it is important to know the specific legal situation of each country.
The study provides a comprehensive review of over a decade of research conducted by ICEERS, focusing on how ayahuasca is embedded in traditional Amazonian medicine and its increasing global relevance.
The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) and to evaluate the effects of cannabis use on social cognition.
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a single dose of ayahuasca on college students with harmful alcohol use. The trial included 11 male college students, who were administered ayahuasca in a controlled environment with psychological support.
This study investigates the cognitive effects of long-term ayahuasca use among members of the Santo Daime church in Brazil, focusing on experienced users (over 20 years of use) and comparing them to beginner users (less than 3 years of use) and a control group of non-users.
This study delves into the demographics, behaviors, and social dynamics of members of Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs) in Barcelona from 2017 to 2020.
The authors emphasize the importance of developing and validating models and methods for psychedelic integration practices that help users of psychedelics to process and integrate their experiences into their daily lives.
Since 2010, the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS) has led efforts to evolve the relationship of Western societies with traditional plant medicines and the cultures they are part of. Our goal is a future in which ceremonial plant work is recognized and can be safely and legally practiced while being in right relationship with the Indigenous knowledge holders. ICEERS collaborates with plant medicine community representatives, Indigenous leaders, government agencies, law enforcement, and NGOs. Alliance building is imperative to develop successful strategies to guarantee the health, safety, and fundamental rights of all communities involved.
If you want to learn more about our organization, you can find further information here.
ICEERS is comprised of a multidisciplinary team with extensive experience in fields such as pharmacology, law, political science, psychology, communications, human rights, anthropology, among others. Our team is made up of people with six doctorates and 16 master’s degrees. We collaborate with universities, hospitals, associations, foundations, consortiums, governmental institutions, and Indigenous groups. Learn more about our collaborators and sponsors.
“Ethnobotany” is the science that studies the relationship between human cultures and plants. It can also refer to the knowledge that different cultures have acquired over time about the properties of various botanicals. In addition, psychoactive plant species with a longstanding relationship with different cultures are considered “ethnobotanicals”. Nearly 60% of modern medicines, from aspirin to the first anesthesia, originate from traditional medicinal plants. In fact, many of the components of today’s drugs are based on natural products that humans have worked with for centuries or millennia. Although science has only recently begun to take an interest in plants such as iboga or ayahuasca, their long standing relationship with humanity supports the essential fact that when humans have worked with plants for centuries, it is generally because they are considered “effective.”
No. ICEERS specifically warns against using ethnobotanicals when it violates the law, practices are conducted without proper professional guidance and/or supervision, or careful personal evaluation of the potential hazards and risks is lacking. The information provided by ICEERS is in no way intended to encourage the use of ethnobotanicals. You can find more information in the footer of this website and in Point 5.1 of the terms of use page.
No. ICEERS never endorses or recommends any ethnobotanical center or facilitator. We do not offer psychoactive plant experiences, nor do we recommend centers or professionals offering sessions or retreats. This is clearly stated on our contact page, as well as on other parts of our website here and here. As a harm reduction strategy, we provide psychoactive plant information and a free good practices guide so that people can make their own choices and learn how to mitigate risks.
No, ICEERS is not a membership-based organization. ICEERS is a private, non-profit foundation with United Nations consultative status (ECOSOC). We are not an association. We offer information and support services free of charge, and our work is supported through donations. While people at times may make recurring donations, they are not considered a form of membership or compensation. You can find more information about our legal status here.
