Legalization in Brazil Since
the 60's researchers and authorities have been accompanying the development and expansion
of our spiritualist doctrine. In 1982 it was formed the first commission (composed by
Medical Doctors, anthropologists, psychologists, representatives from the Brazilian
Justice Ministry, from the Brazilian Federal Police and from the Brazilian Army) to
certificate in loco the Santo Daime/Ahyauasca phenomenon, in the late years of
Brazilian dictatorial regime governments.
Two Commissions visited, first the Rio do Ouro Seringal
(rubber extraction camp) and after the embryo of the Céu do Mapiá Village,
leaving very well impressed with what they have seen. Much tests and interviews were done
with significant sampling of the local population. The results attested excellent levels
in the evaluation of diverse aspects of the social, spiritual and personal lives of its
members. It was noticed a strong social cohesion tie, and an inherent cooperative living
among the Daime Community participants. It was also observed superior levels of
healthiness, education, organization and life quality in comparison to others similar
settlements on the region (found on the Purus River' valley).
In 1984, through CONFEN - Conselho Federal de Entorpecentes
(Brazil's Narcotic Federal Council), a Justice Ministry organ-division responsible to plan
and run the governmental politic in relation to the use of drugs and pharmacies, it was
created a Working Commission to study specifically the ritualistic use of ahyauasca. Along
1985 and 1986, this group had visited many communities beneficiaries of the use of the
drink, including Céu do Mapiá, where they've confirmed the positive opinion of
anterior commissions.
It was once more found out high levels of social organization,
cohesion, and work capacity of the community. The life quality found out there (absences
of alcoholism, chronic malnutrition; infant mortality' and delinquency's rates near 0;
absence of violence; self-respecting habitation, nutrition and working patterns) leaded
the working group of CONFEN to conclude, in 1987 that:
"the religious rituals conducted
with the sacramental drink Santo Daime/Ahyauasca didn't bring injuries to the social life,
though contributed to its better integration, being remarkable the benefits testified by
the usuary religious groups members.
By the other side, the results of pharmacological and psycho-social
researches run in the usuary's communities, found out the absence of any addiction and
dependency risk in the use of such substances in a ritual context. It was asked several
counsels to the most imminent psychopharmacology researchers. And all of them were
emphatic in affirming, confirming results yet noticed, that:
"The Santo Daime doesn't
represent characteristics of drug abuse, by its ritualistic and discontinuous use and by
the absence of behavioral alterations."
Other favorable counsels
In 1991, other pressures and denouncements from discontent sectors
within the legalization of the drink, leads to the constitution of a new commission that
executed new studies and visits to the main ahyauasca's and daimists' entities. The CONFEN
once more manifested itself by the continuation of an accompaniment of the ritual use of
the drink, without adopting any prohibitionist orientation.
Thus, it was benefited the government, the scientific and research
communities interested in this research area and, of course, the usuary entities that
could continue developing its works in a increasingly responsible way, realizing
outnumbered benefits to its members, not only on their own spiritual part, but also in
terms of social assistance and charity. |