Holman’s reading provided me with a good introduction to what ayahuasca entails and its connection to the Shipbo peoples. What stood out to me was the potential threat that ayahuasca poses to health and the lack of scientific research about its consumption.

In the text, Holman explained that there had been incidents in which the consumption of ayahuasca had had very detrimental effects on health of both natives and tourists. Holman said that most of the health concerns were due to pharmacological interactions, yet research had been inconclusive. To me, this was a very frightening thing. I think that there is a certain degree of negligence in commercializing ayahuasca and creating a whole industry from it when, as Holman said, there isn’t enough research to determine if ayahuasca is harmful or not. I think more research should be conducted on the side effects of ayahuasca before making it so accessible to everyone around the globe. I believe that even though ayahuasca is considered a sacred and important thing for the Shipibo peoples, we should not dismiss the fact that is a form of drug, and that we should treat it as one.

I believe that ayahuasca consumption should be heavily regulated until further research is found, as to avoid any more possible deaths related to the plant. Tourism based on the plant should also be regulated and Shamans should not be allowed to advise on the consumption of ayahuasca as they are not medically or scientifically qualified to dispense of it.