Tupper Kenneth W
Department of Educational Studies, University of British Columbia, BC, Canada.
Int J Drug Policy. 2008 Aug;19(4):297-303. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2006.11.001. Epub 2006 Dec 4.
Ayahuasca is a tea made from two plants native to the Amazon, Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, which, respectively, contain the psychoactive chemicals harmala alkaloids and dimethyltryptamine. The tea has been used by indigenous peoples in countries such as Brazil, Ecuador and Peru for medicinal, spiritual and cultural purposes since pre-Columbian times. In the 20th century, ayahuasca spread beyond its native habitat and has been incorporated into syncretistic practices that are being adopted by non-indigenous peoples in modern Western contexts. Ayahuasca's globalization in the past few decades has led to a number of legal cases which pit religious freedom against national drug control laws. This paper explores some of the philosophical and policy implications of contemporary ayahuasca use. It addresses the issue of the social construction of ayahuasca as a medicine, a sacrament and a "plant teacher." Issues of harm reduction with respect to ayahuasca use are explored, but so too is the corollary notion of "benefit maximization."
阿亚瓦斯卡是一种由原产于亚马逊地区的两种植物制成的茶，即卡皮藤和绿心籽，它们分别含有精神活性化学物质哈尔满生物碱和二甲基色胺。自前哥伦布时期以来，这种茶就被巴西、厄瓜多尔和秘鲁等国的原住民用于医疗、精神和文化目的。在20世纪，阿亚瓦斯卡传播到了其原生栖息地之外，并被纳入到现代西方背景下非原住民所采用的融合性实践中。在过去几十年里，阿亚瓦斯卡的全球化引发了一些法律案件，这些案件使宗教自由与国家毒品管制法律相对立。本文探讨了当代阿亚瓦斯卡使用的一些哲学和政策含义。它讨论了将阿亚瓦斯卡社会建构为一种药物、一种圣礼和一位“植物导师”的问题。探讨了与阿亚瓦斯卡使用相关的减少伤害问题，但也探讨了“利益最大化”这一必然概念。
