Other Traditional Preparations Where Accurate, Respectful Coverage Is Possible

Safety note. Traditional preparations vary, and nothing on this page makes any plant, seed or animal product safe to take. If someone is confused, very agitated, has a seizure or cannot be woken after taking any plant, seed or product, call 911 (US) or US Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (plant and mushroom poisoning). This page does not teach identification, preparation or use.

"Sacred plant medicine" is a marketing phrase as often as a cultural one. Real traditions belong to specific peoples, and many are sacred or restricted. We cover a tradition only when we could read a source we trust, and we describe it at a general level. Where we could not, we say Proper evidence not found. Evidence labels used here: preclinical (cells or animals only), insufficient evidence and evidence of harm.

Yopo snuff: Orinoco peoples

Most Orinocoan ethnic groups, including the Cuiva and the Piaroa, use yopo, a hallucinogenic snuff derived from the seeds of the Anadenanthera peregrina tree. [1] A study of the two peoples found that yopo is strongly associated with the narratives central to each group's cosmology and identity, that Cuiva use is also a way of resisting persecution, and that Piaroa attitudes are shaped by shamanic ethical principles and missionary activity. [1] The authors do not expect social change to phase out yopo in either community. [1] Its meanings differ by people and place, and this page does not describe how it is made or used.

Anadenanthera peregrina is an accepted species name in the GBIF database (read 2026-10-22). [2] For a related species, A. colubrina, a review reports that bark is used for respiratory conditions and seeds as entheogens in religious rituals, that bufotenine was isolated from the seeds, and that most medicinal claims rest on laboratory and animal tests. [3] Label: preclinical. Proper evidence not found for human treatment trials of yopo in the sources read. See other psychoactive plants: yopo, morning glory and more. Yopo is not ayahuasca; see DMT vs ayahuasca for how a plant preparation differs from a compound.

Ololiuqui and other Mesoamerican uses

A review of archaeological and historical evidence says the Olmec, Zapotec, Maya and Aztec used peyote, hallucinogenic mushrooms and the seeds of ololiuhqui (Turbina corymbosa), which it says contain mescaline, psilocybin and lysergic acid amide respectively. [4] It also lists balché, toad skin secretions, Jimson weed, wild tobacco, water lily and Salvia divinorum among substances used in ritual contexts, and says local shamans and healers still use some of them today. [4] That review is a broad survey; it does not tell us how any one community understands these plants today. Proper evidence not found on human health effects of ololiuqui in the sources read.

For peyote see peyote and its traditional contexts, and for Salvia divinorum see Salvia divinorum traditional contexts. Mushroom traditions are covered in the mushrooms section and in Indigenous traditions, ethics and conservation.

Animal-derived preparations

The Mesoamerica review states that the skin of toads of the genus Bufo contains bufotoxins with hallucinogenic properties and was used since the Olmec period. [4] Beyond that statement, Proper evidence not found in our readable sources for the cultural, conservation or health picture of toad-derived preparations. Toad secretions are not the same as the compound 5-MeO-DMT; see the 5-MeO-DMT guide. This page gives no collection or extraction information.

Risks that apply across plant preparations

• Content is unpredictable. NIDA says effects depend on amount, potency, personal biology and surroundings, and that contaminants or other substances can change effects. [5]
• Mental health. Clinical research excludes people with psychosis or bipolar disorder as a precaution. [5]
• Medicines. Interactions are assessed substance by substance; we found no plant-specific interaction data for the preparations on this page. See medication interactions.
• Harm reports. A study of online user reports and medical case reports on some morning glory seeds found that suicidal ideation was the most worrying symptom, reported by two users. [6] Label: evidence of harm (case and user reports, not controlled studies).

Cultural respect and limits

Indigenous-led authors ask Western researchers and practitioners to follow principles of reverence, respect, responsibility, relevance, regulation, reparation, restoration and reconciliation. [7] Naming a plant here does not mean it is appropriate to use it. Many peoples hold knowledge that is not shared with outsiders, and this page respects that by saying little.

Legal status

This is not legal advice, and laws change. Under US federal regulation (21 CFR 1308.11, US eCFR, read 2026-10-22) bufotenine and mescaline are listed in Schedule I; the text does not name Anadenanthera trees or morning glory seeds. [8] Whether other law applies to plants, seeds or animal products was not verified, and neither were other countries. See psychedelic legal status by country.