A group of 46 U.S. military veterans and first responders traveled to Costa Rica last week for a seven-day retreat centered on ayahuasca ceremonies, joining a growing number of trauma survivors seeking alternative treatments outside conventional medical channels.
The program combined ayahuasca ceremonies with psychological counseling and group therapy sessions. Several participants reported improvements in symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder, though clinical evidence for such treatments is limited.
The retreat adds to a broader pattern of veterans seeking psychedelic-assisted therapy abroad, particularly as domestic research into these compounds accelerates. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 11-20% of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan experience PTSD in a given year, while treatment-resistant cases have driven interest in alternative approaches.
The Legal Gray Area
Ayahuasca occupies an ambiguous legal position in Costa Rica. The brew, which contains DMT, has not been explicitly criminalized in the country, though its legal status is unclear. This contrasts with the United States, where DMT is a Schedule I controlled substance.
The regulatory uncertainty has created a market for retreat centers catering to Americans seeking psychedelic experiences. Costa Rica hosts dozens of such facilities, though they operate without formal oversight or standardized safety protocols.
Several U.S. states have moved to decriminalize or regulate psychedelic substances in recent years. Oregon launched its psilocybin therapy program in 2023, while Colorado voters approved regulated access to psilocybin and other psychedelics in 2022. But ayahuasca has received less policy attention than psilocybin or MDMA.
Research Progress and Limitations
Clinical research into psychedelics for PTSD has expanded significantly since 2020. The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD in 2017, and Phase 3 trials showed promising results, though the agency rejected the treatment application in August 2024, requesting additional studies.
Ayahuasca research is less advanced. A 2023 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that 83% of participants reported improvements in PTSD symptoms following ayahuasca ceremonies, but the study lacked a control group and relied on self-reported outcomes.
Dr. Rachel Yehuda, director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has noted the challenges in studying ayahuasca. "The ceremonial context makes it difficult to isolate the effects of the compound itself from the therapeutic setting," she said in a recent interview.
The Cannabis Connection
The psychedelic therapy movement shares structural similarities with medical cannabis advocacy. Both involve Schedule I substances, rely heavily on patient testimonials, and have gained traction through state-level policy changes rather than federal approval.
Veterans have been central to both movements. Organizations like Veterans Cannabis Project and Heroic Hearts Project have advocated for research access and policy reform. The latter specifically connects veterans with psychedelic therapy programs abroad.
Some retreat organizers have begun incorporating cannabis into their protocols, though the Costa Rica program did not include cannabis-based treatments.
What's Next
The retreat organizers plan to conduct follow-up assessments with participants at three-month and six-month intervals. However, without a comparison group or standardized measurement tools, the data will have limited scientific value.
Meanwhile, pressure is building for expanded domestic research access. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the CURE Act in March 2024, which would require the VA to study psychedelic treatments for PTSD. The bill has 23 cosponsors but has not advanced out of committee.
For now, veterans seeking psychedelic therapy face a choice: wait for domestic programs to develop, or travel abroad to facilities operating in legal gray zones.
This article is based on original reporting by hightimes.com.
