Michael Bolton
A South American company run by an Australian and his wife is currently advertising number of dates for ‘ayahuasca ceremonies’ in Mayo, despite the drug being illegal in Ireland.
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic drink made from tropical plants found in the Amazon. It is illegal in Ireland, because it contains the powerful hallucinogenic drug dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, a class A drug.
A number of dates for ‘ayahuasca ceremonies’ at a location near Castlebar, running throughout the summer is being advertised by Shamballa Retreats. Tickets for events are varied, but one retreat is priced at €1,260.
On the website, the location is shown as a field between Castlebar and Bangor Erris.
“Our retreats combine traditional eastern practices with the power of ayahuasca in order to clean the deeper parts of ancestral and life wounds.
“Inviting magic and delight and beauty back into our lives. Opening our hearts to new experiences and love.”
The website makes claims that the drug has the power of healing. However, it has also been proven to have several dangerous side effects.
Some affects include an increased heart rate, agitation, seizures, dizziness, while some people have reported to they feel like they have had a "near-death experience".
Gardaí warn that the drug is illegal in Ireland, and urge anyone to experience negative affects from drugs to seek emergency help immediately.
"An Garda Síochána further advises that it is an offence to cultivate, import, export, produce, supply and possess N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) except in accordance with a Ministerial Licence."
It said the force continues to target those involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs in Ireland through operational initiatives such as Operation Tara, which is a nationwide operation targeting all illegal drug activities.
