UK Ayahuasca arrests

[Bushpig]

I have recieved this of recent folks,

Subject:
Aya law

Message:
As a fellow runner of a herb site, I though I would forward this email to you incase you dont have it. Its from the editor of sacred hoop magazine:

Dear all,


I have just come off the phone from talking to someone in the UK who has just told me they have had the most dreadful week.  They asked me to let others know about it.


They are part of a quite well known organisation involved in shamanism in the UK.


I am not sure if they want their name released, so as I am uncertain about this I am not disclosing it in this email.


For the last week, they have had police at their property including a helicopter and the bomb squad (I was told they were doing controlled explosions on such substances as weed killer and a plant rooting compound apparently)


They were arrested and charged with possession of class A drugs under the misuse of drugs act.


According to the conversation I had with them, the drugs in question were those used to prepare ayahuasca which is now apparently classed as Class A under what appears to be a recent change in the law.

As I understand it (but might well be wrong as I am not an expert on the law or chemicals) N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an active chemical in ayahuasca.


DMT is class A and so the plants used to make ayahuasca and which have DMT it them are also now class A.


People who are more knowledgeable than I with chemicals found in ayahuasca can do their own research as to the law regarding them.


Sacred Hoop is considering doing a small item on the law and teacher plants in the light of this arrest, as it is something we have not ever covered, so I would welcome any knowledge anyone can share on the subject.


I have not visited the place where they live and were arrested - I have not spoken to the person face to face, but I see no reason to doubt their story.  They told me they have just spent several days on remand and are facing a 3 to 7 year period in prison if convicted.


They are (at this time) looking at a defence built upon the fact that the change in the law was not advertised and they were not aware of it.


I have spent some time looking on line at the law regarding ayahuasca in the UK and can find no clear facts regarding it that are on recently updated websites.


I personally know nothing of the laws on these matters, as teacher plants are not part of my practice (with the occasional exception of the grape), but I know that there are many who do use these plants in their shamanic practice


I have been asked by this person to let the wider shamanic communitee know about their arrest and so this is what i am doing.


I have also been asked for prayers and to request prayers by any in the wider shamanic circle who wish to send them (I'm sure not knowing the name or the sex  of the person wont stop the spirits hearing them)


If you wish to receive any extra information about this if I receive it, please email me back and I will send you bulletins as and when I hear them.


Blessings to all.

[Bushpig]

Looks worrying indeed but there is very little official information regarding what law they had been arrested under, if there had been a law change or if a different intpretation has happened within exisiting law.  We hope to find this out ASAP


Boooshpig

[Amomynous]

For those interested, there is a follow up link on aya.com