In November 2022, National Police sub-inspector Marcos Quinteiro, stationed in Galicia, wrote a surprising article about ayahuasca in the Police Corps’ journal Ciencia Policial. Far from a prohibitionist discourse, Quinteiro chose to investigate the world of ayahuasca from a legal and anthropological perspective.
Since then, Quinteiro has spoken publicly in various debates and forums, and even offers courses on the ceremonial plant as part of the training of new police officers.
In this interview, Marcos Quinteiro reflects on the legality, culture, and practices surrounding this age-old plant, as well as on the growing scientific and judicial interest around it.
How have your colleagues in the Police reacted to your article and your public statements about ayahuasca?
It’s not a subject that has had a great impact. In the workplace, some colleagues do show interest and ask me questions, but it hasn’t spread much further. That said, I was offered the chance to give talks about psychedelics and ayahuasca. So, once a year, I give a lecture to trainees, in which I explain what it is and what it isn’t, its positive aspects as well as the risks. I also talk about the current applications of these substances in psychiatry and psychology, so that they see a more positive, less demonized perspective.
An institutional role
Do you do this educational work on a personal or institutional basis?
It was the training division of the station where I work that asked me. Within police stations there are several units, and one of them is dedicated to training. There, talks are given on many topics, from locksmith techniques to various other issues useful for police work. The training coordinator attended a lecture I gave in Tarragona [invited by Universitat Rovira i Virgili] and was very interested. She told me: “How about every time new staff join, you give a talk on this subject you know so well, so they can also get up to speed?”. For now, it’s a local initiative, but it has been officially recognized.
It would be very interesting if this initiative spread, considering that in your article you concluded that 90% of police officers hadn’t even heard of ayahuasca.
That survey I conducted between 2018 and 2019 among 442 colleagues at the National Police School, and indeed, the lack of knowledge about ayahuasca was enormous. I think that has changed, since now there is more media coverage of the subject.
It has changed partly because of police operations against ayahuasca ceremonies—in other words, the media interest has to some extent been fueled by the very institution you work for, hasn’t it?
Yes, that’s true. There were quite a few operations, and they received very strong and rather negative coverage. I think the issue was presented in a rather harsh way.
Acquittal
Especially considering that the subsequent court rulings often don’t align with police actions.
As far as I know, all rulings have been acquittals, except for one conviction by agreement between the parties. The most recent ones even require the return of the seized ayahuasca. And what’s most relevant is that judges now state in their rulings that ayahuasca is not a controlled substance. In previous rulings, acquittals were based on it not being considered a crime against public health, but now it is directly recognized that it is not scheduled.
What do you think practitioners working with ayahuasca in Spain should do to comply with the law?
That’s a tough question. I’m not a lawyer, but I do think it should be regulated, because right now there is a sort of limbo where it’s unclear what can or cannot be done. I often cite the Plantaforma ethical code, which I think is a good starting point: professional, rigorous, and ethical, as its name suggests.
It is also essential to spread knowledge about what ayahuasca is, how it is used, and who uses it—from South American Indigenous communities who have employed it ancestrally, to its current use as therapeutic support. I believe that’s the path: extending knowledge, fostering a more positive understanding of ayahuasca in society, and, of course, addressing the negative aspects that do exist.
Importing ayahuasca
That would be the awareness-raising part, which is what we try to do at Plantaforma, but then there are still complex issues, such as the importation of the plant.
I’m not very familiar with customs regulations, but it’s true that since it’s a product without health certification, it can be stopped. It’s like trying to bring ham without an official seal or brand: they can stop it and take it away.
Would you like to study ayahuasca anthropologically in the Amazon, as you already did in Galicia?
Not only would I love to, but it’s actually a project I have. Also, I’ve been lucky to meet people like Fidelia [Ronin Wesna] from the Shipibo-Konibo in Pucallpa and others from Putumayo in Colombia, and they have all invited me to join them.
It’s a dream I’ve had since I was young. I’m passionate about nature and plants, and the Amazon is the garden of the world.
A good opportunity to discover that ayahuasca is much more than a drink. It is a whole culture, a way of being in communion with Nature, also a powerful vehicle of social cohesion…
That is also my view of ayahuasca: we cannot objectify it as just a substance, it is something much greater, encompassing many dimensions—not just the matter of the brew itself, but everything you’ve said: it is part of those deeply traditional cultures, and for them it is a cornerstone of society. Trying to understand it from our Western perspective is a bit complicated.
Good and bad practices
In your report and in your talks, you emphasize the distinction—also made by Plantaforma—between good and bad practices around ayahuasca.
Yes, of course. The other day I was asked on a podcast: “What is more dangerous, the substance or the person administering it?”. I think the person administering it is more dangerous. Ayahuasca has enormous positive potential, but it can be dangerous if mixed with other substances or medications, or if administered to people with psychiatric or heart conditions.
Moreover, some people don’t act with the necessary professionalism. There have been reports—more in Latin America than in Spain—of sexual abuse during ayahuasca sessions. That side sadly exists too, and often tarnishes the reputation of others who are doing work I consider positive.
Have you ever proposed an ayahuasca ceremony with your police colleagues?
(Laughs) No, not so far. For now, I limit myself to raising awareness: explaining what it is, what its legal status is in Spain, and talking about organizations like Plantaforma, which are working seriously in this field. But I haven’t gone further than that.
The future of ayahuasca in Spain
Where do you think the legal pendulum of ayahuasca is swinging today—in the direction of greater openness or tighter restriction?
It’s hard to predict. On the one hand, we are experiencing a psychedelic renaissance backed by pharmacology, neuroscience, and psychiatry. All of that points to a possible legalization. But at the same time, we see how European countries are banning it: France, years ago already, or more recently Italy. So the future is an enigma—I couldn’t say which way the pendulum will swing… it’s quite random, because suddenly anything could happen: there could be an accident, or a scientific discovery. It’s a rather unpredictable pendulum.
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