Tourist boom for ayahuasca a mixed blessing for Amazon

Short supply of plant has led to uptake in commercial planting, use of dangerous alternatives and fears of deforestation
The Guardian (UK)
Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Surging consumption from foreigners has seen the cost of the DMT-rich brew skyrocket, a familiar situation for locals already struggling to afford quinoa prices because of western demand. Demand is such that even in the ayahuasca trail’s more traditional jungle heartland of Iquitos, shamans are having to reach out further and further into the wild to cater to tourists. Exacerbating the situation is overseas demand – with ayahuasca retreats springing up everywhere from Canada to Turkey, a largely unregulated export market has developed. (See also: Ayahuasca: From the Amazon to the Global Village)