Psychoactive Nonprofit

Kal Cobalt
RS ayahuasca lg.jpg

After twelve years online, Erowid, the prominent information vault for psychoactives, is finally being granted nonprofit status.. Two years of work to achive this goal will be realized on January 1, 2008, when the new entity entitled "Erowid Center" will become a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charitable organization.

"We hope that [this status] will help us continue to improve the quality and reliability of available information about psychaoctive plants, chemicals, technologies and practices," states an Erowid letter.

 

Photo of ayahuasca leaves by Ayahuasca In San Francisco under Creative Commons license.

Comments

More info?

Submitted by Kal Cobalt on Fri, 12/21/2007 - 15:08.

What causes you to have that opinion? As someone who's never had a psychedelic experience, I often read Erowid in an attempt to further my understanding, but obviously don't have any way of determining how realistic the information is myself.

I've been visiting Erowid for years...

Submitted by mdragynfly on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 00:30.
...and I really have to say that it has been a valuable tool while I was trying to choose my spiritual journeys. It was on Erowid that I first saw Salvia and was actually able to get some before they banned it (I also got a poor little tree, but it died). I cannot say that I've gone natural all the way. I really don't like MJ and for years LSD was the way to go for me, a spiritual journey every time. I had hopes for X but I felt it drew me back into my body rather than letting me reach out for the universe (not to mention those icky brain damaging effects). But anyway, I think that information and education are key and I believe that Erowid is good at giving a scale to things. They give you so many facts, including actual chemistry for those who go that in depth before trying something (or deciding it isn't for them). I'm all for the site and am happy that they got granted their non profit.

forever the fine line

Submitted by Emerson on Wed, 01/16/2008 - 12:29.

As a professor of addiction studies and over 20 years in the field of addiction counseling, I have found Erowid to contain some of the most accurate and current information on drugs, especially the "designer drugs" that hit the streets. In fact, Erowid is one of the only organizations I have donated to -- I have my 'drug geeks' T-shirt too!! The problem I have with Erowid are the chemistry lessons for home-made drugs, i.e methamphetamine.

 However, tremendous amounts of propoganda and disinformation on the effects of drugs (of course this applies mainly to "illegal" drugs", which are demonized, when in reality legal pharmaceuticals are more dangerous to brain chemistry) flood social awareness and policy. Most people will buy into the propoganda -- drugs are bad, mmmk -- for example, NIDA's 'research' on Ecstasy has been debunked by German researchers, yet this information remains hidden while bogus research is still out there.

Yes, the "illegal drugs" - heroin, cannabis, cocaine - certainly have side effects. Since the pharmaceutical companies have resorted to mass advertising on TV, it's alarming when the side effects of these "legal drugs" are listed. I would much rather be prescribed low doses of ecstasy for depression than an SSRI that has a laundry list of serious side effects. For those of you interested in research on psychodelics, check out MAPS.org -- I keep waiting for them to need volunteers. :)

Drugs: Expensive Erowid: Priceless!

Submitted by BotanyPHD78 on Wed, 07/30/2008 - 11:08.
I have used Erowid for what? 10 years now possibly, not quite sure. But I work at a drug treatment center and am slowly trying to work out my own program based on alternative medication. Erowid has been an invaluable resource to me and I owe it all to them! (Doesn't mean I'll give everything up for them, lol) But I am glad that everything is working out for them.