UNITED NATIONS

INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS
CONTROL BOARD
' INCB .OICS
NATIONS UNIES
ORGANS INTERNATIONAL OS
CeNTReLE CSS STUPeF!ANTS
To: Mr. lO!Jsberg.
Address: lnspacloralB for HeBIth Care
Mlnialry of Public Health
Den Haag - "The Netherlands
Fax No.:
From:
00031 - 70 - 340 71 69
Herbert Schaepe. Secretary
Intemational NarcoHes Control Board
Oa18: 17 January 2001
Ref.: INCB.pSY 10101
Fna: 141/1 NET
No.of ....g..: 1
SUbject: International control of the preparation "ayahuaaca-
.. ,
DeBr Mr. Lousberg.
I would lilce to refer to your facsimile of 20 December 2000 conc::eming
the - trad'tional use of eentrelled substances, In particular the use of a
pr8paration called -ayshuaecs'" by religious groups in the Nethertands.
. The above mentioned Issue was coO$u!ted by the INCB 5ecretariat with
the Scientific Sedlon and the Legal Advisory Sectlon of the United National
International DnJg Control Programme (UNDCP). It Is our understsndlng that
"ayahuascs" Is the common name for a liqUid preparation (decoctlon) for oral
us.. pnopared from plants Indigenous to th.. Amazon basin of South America,
......ntially the stem bark of different species of a Jungle vine (Banisteriopsis
sp.) and the tryptamlne;ich plant Psychotrla viridis. According to the scientific
ll!enrture, ayahuasca commonly con,,"ns a number of psychoactive alkaloids,
including DMT which is a substance inciuded In SChedule I d the 1971
ConvenlJon on Psychotropic SUbstances.
No plants (natural materials) containing OMT are at present con'troiled
under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Consequently,
preparalJons (e.g. decodlons) made of these plants. including ayahuasca are
not under intemalJonal control and. therefore, not subject to any of the articles
of the 1971 Convention.
Yours slnc::erely,
Herbert Schaepe
Secretary of the Board
UnIted I>.: abons Drug Control Office. FAXmd,collng Ayahuasca ISnot
Contributed by Am<> ' ''''I<' tw.,..".,d '" 2001f..",.,d "'ll -Q-
Erowid Ayahuasca Vault : Law : UNDCP's Ayahuasca Fax, Jan 1... ht t p: / / www.erowid.org/ chemicals/ ayahuasca/ ayahuasca_law10....
1 de 2 16/ 11/ 2007 14: 12
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United Nations Drug Control Program
Ayahuasca Policy Fax
January 17, 2001
contributed by Arno Adelaars (Arno's Homepage)
Image of original FAX 1.
Vienna International Center PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone: +43-1-28060, Telefax +43-1-26080-5857 / 5858
Email: secretariat@incb.org Internet Address: http://www.incb.org
To: Mr. Lousberg, Chief
Date: 17 January 2001
Ref: INCB-PSY 10/01
File: 141/1 NET
Address: Inspectarate for Health Care
Ministry of Public Health
Den Haag - The Nethedands
Fax: 00031-70-340 71 59
From: Herbert Chaepe, Secretery
International Narcotics Control Board
Subject: International control of the preparation "ayahuasca"
Dear Mr. Lousberg,
I would like to refer to your fascimile of 20 december 2000 concerning the traditional
use of controlled substances, in particular the use of a preparation called
"ayahuasca" by religious groups in the Netherlands.
The above mentioned issue was consulted by the INCB Secretariat with the
Scientific Section and the Legal Advisory Section of the United Nations International
Drug Control Programma (UNDCP). It is our understanding that "ayahuasca" is the
common name for a liquid preparation (decoction) for oral use prepared fromk plants
indigenous to the Amazon basin of South America, essentially the stem bark of
different species of a jungle vine (Banisteriopsis sp.) and the tryptamine-rich plant
Psychotria Virides. According to the scientific literature, ayahuasca commonly
contains a number of psychoactive alkoloids, including DMT which is a substance
included in Schedule I of the the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
No plants (natural materials) containing DMT are at present controlled inder the
1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Consequently, preparations
n(e.g.decoctions) made of these plants, including ayahuasca are not under
Erowid Ayahuasca Vault : Law : UNDCP's Ayahuasca Fax, Jan 1... ht t p: / / www.erowid.org/ chemicals/ ayahuasca/ ayahuasca_law10....
2 de 2 16/ 11/ 2007 14: 12
international control and, therefore, not subject to any of the articles of the 1971
Convention.
Yours sincerely,
Herbert Schaepe
Secretary of the Board
Last Modified - Thu, Jul 19, 2007
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