Are Psychedelics Legal in Peru?

Unlike many other countries, Ayahuasca is entirely legal in Peru. When Peru signed the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which outlawed DMT (found in  Psychotria viridis), it required an exemption to allow for the use of Ayahuasca and San Pedro within the confines of its borders. As such, the government formally recognizes the use of Ayahuasca as part of its natural cultural heritage.

Having said that, while the intent of this exemption was to allow for the traditional use of Ayahuasca by indigenous tribes, there are many private companies offering ayahuasca retreats and you can even find powdered ayahuasca in markets, so there may be an emerging push to have government regulation for nontraditional ayahuasca tourism and commerce.

In order to prevent government regulations, many retreats and shamans have been attempting to establish some sort of local self-regulatory body that sets standards for safety and quality but have made little progress on this front.

While there are no specific laws in Peru explicitly prohibiting the possession or use of Bufo alvarius, the possession, and use of 5-MeO-DMT is illegal in Peru, Additionally, the collection and export of Bufo alvarius in order to collect its venom is also illegal in Peru.