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| Ayahuasca Tea – Wiki Image |
Theresa Boyle
The Star
A Vancouver doctor who has been using a ritual hallucinogenic tea to help addicts has been ordered by Health Canada to stop or face criminal prosecution.
Dr. Gabor Maté received a letter in the mail from Health Canada on Monday, warning him to stop using ayahuasca because it is considered a controlled substance and requires proper authorization.
Maté says he has tried helping up to 150 addicts with the traditional Amazonian medicine for about two years. His work is featured in the documentary, The Jungle Prescription, airing on CBC’s The Nature of Things on Thursday night.
“I wish it was otherwise because I have seen how I can help people with this and now it is going to be much longer to seek approval if we even get it,” Maté said in a telephone interview from Vancouver.
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic drink derived from a woody vine that grows in the Amazon basin. It has been used for centuries as a source of medicine by local shamans.
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