History and Actual Religious Uses of San Pedro Brew in Ecuador

• In Event: Domains of Critical Drug Studies: Absent Pleasures and Risky Presents in Emerging Spaces of Harm Reduction - I

Abstract

San Pedro (TrichocereusPachanoi) is a relatively unexplored psychoactive plant. It`s chemical compounds have been studied in several papers (Dobkin, 1968; Pardanani,1967) while the research about its properties and traditional uses is smaller. Anthropological and archeological studies made by authors as Mario Polia or Rainier Bussman show the antiquity in the use of San Pedro, but still is not clear how this knowledge was transmitted by native peoples to their oldest known users, who are the mestizo healers of the Huaringas lagoons of Peru and how from then its use has spread throughout Peru and Ecuador. Nowadays, the ritual use of San-Pedro has expanded notoriously among mestizo and indigenous groups (Gutierrez,2015). Have occurred a singular expansion from the first group that introduced a religious use of San Pedro at the early 90`s, to numerous new groups with more recreative and scientific interests.

This research provides elements for a description of the process of resurgence and expansion of the use of San-Pedro in Ecuador and how this country has been established as a key point for the expansion of the use of San Pedro to the world. Using a participatory observation method, key actors were identified and, among them, 5 people experienced in brew management located in different areas of Ecuador and northern Peru; to whom, semi structured interviews were conducted. To interpret the results, the discourse analysis was applied, finally, to perform open and selective categorizations.

Author

• Luis Antonio Gaybor, Central University of Ecuador