6. Plant materials not under international control containing psychoactive substances

328. The utilization of plant-based preparations that are not under international control and which contain natural psychoactive ingredients is often part of traditional indigenous rituals, traditional medicine and religious ceremonies. Examples of the plants or parts of plants from which such preparations are concocted include khat (Catha edulis) from East Africa and the Arabian peninsula; ayahuasca, a preparation made from plants indigenous to the Amazon basin of South America, most importantly a jungle vine (Banisteriopsis capii) and another tryptamine-rich plant (Psychotria Viridis), containing a number of psychoactive alkaloids, including DMT; the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), containing mescaline; magic mushrooms (Psilocybe), which contain psilocybine and psilocine; Ephedra, containing ephedrine; “kratom” (Mitragyna speciosa), a plant indigenous to South-East Asia containing mitragynine; Salvia divinorum, a plant originating in Mexico that contains the hallucinogen salvinorin A; and iboga (Tabernanthe iboga), native to western Central Africa, containing the hallucinogen ibogaine.

329. The Board pointed out some of the problems related to the use of those plant materials outside their original socioeconomic context in its annual report for 2010 (paras. 284-287). Since then, increasing interest in the use of such plant materials for recreational purposes has been noted, possibly encouraged by a lack of clarity with regard to the control status of the plants at the national or the international level. At present, no plants, including the ones containing psychoactive ingredients, are controlled under the 1971 Convention, although the active ingredients they contain are sometimes subject to international control. For example, cathine and DMT are psychotropic substances included in Schedule I of the 1971 Convention, while the plants and plant-based preparations that contain them, namely khat and ayahuasca, respectively, are not subject to any restrictions or control measures. This situation is seemingly exploited by drug trafficking networks and online retailers, resulting in increased trade, use and abuse of these plant materials in many countries.

330. The easy availability of those plant materials through the Internet is evidenced in the 2011 EMCDDA survey on the online availability of new psychoactive substances in the European Union. According to that survey, the most commonly sold new psychoactive substances based on natural products in Europe include “kratom”, Salvia
divinorum, ayahuasca and hallucinogenic mushrooms.

331. Furthermore, the Board notes the increasing popularity of practices that purportedly have spiritual connotations, such as “spiritual tourism”, under the cover of which the plant-based psychoactive materials are consumed. Several centres around the world offer “initiatory journeys” with the presence and assistance of a shaman. Some online travel agencies offer “initiatory journeys” “supervised” by shamans, although such events are usually totally outside the sociocultural context that they claim to represent. Shamanic practices during such initiatory journeys, such as trance, ecstasies, hallucination and divination, are reached mainly through the ingestion of preparations made out of plant materials containing the psychoactive substances mentioned above.

332. The Board notes with concern that the use of those substances has been associated with various serious health risks (both physical and psychological) and even with death. The Board therefore wishes to draw the attention of Governments to the fact that the use of such plant materials for whatever purpose could be unsafe practice.

333. In view of the health risks associated with those materials, a growing number of Governments have placed such material or preparations under national control, or are considering doing so, and are taking other measures to prevent negative health consequences of such use. For example, in 2009 Salvia divinorum emerged in Canada as a substance of concern; in 2010, an estimated 1.6 per cent of Canadians aged 15 years and over had used the substance in their lifetime and 0.3 per cent reported having used it in the past year. Although Salvia divinorum is not currently scheduled under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Health Canada has proposed to include it as a controlled substance under that Act. In the United States, the substance has been placed on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “Drugs and Chemicals of Concern” list. In addition, several states in the United States have banned the substance.

334. The Board reiterates its recommendation to the Governments of countries where the misuse and trafficking of such plant materials may occur to remain vigilant and recommends that appropriate action be taken at the national level where the situation so requires.

PROHIBiTIon CAUSES SERIOUS HEALTH RiSKS

This really is a oversimplification of the solution jamie.
While it surely is a good course of action, there are still those in the city or cold climates who are left out. Those who do not have a plot of land. Also, some plants can hardly be grown at a good rate like caapi.

I know you like rue more and you do have space to grow so it doesn't concern you. But that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. These plants have to stay legal, period.

This is the same institution that raised hell over USA's (they achieved nothing since US doesn't care for UN as already shown in the past ) and Uruguay's (not more talk about that after INCB president announced he will visit Uruguay) cannabis regulation.

Pages 46 and 82 for Uruguay and 21 and 41 tell us about how wrong this actions are.

I actually understand their concern. UN will loose all power if some of key world player will start "disobeying" the rules.

A critique of INCB in Huffington Post - click.

This really is a oversimplification of the solution jamie.
While it surely is a good course of action, there are still those in the city or cold climates who are left out. Those who do not have a plot of land. Also, some plants can hardly be grown at a good rate like caapi.

I know you like rue more and you do have space to grow so it doesn't concern you. But that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. These plants have to stay legal, period.