The use of psychedelic plant medicines is on the rise. No longer reserved for only religious or spiritual purposes, many people turn to these sacred plants for physical and emotional healing. Research around the world is touting the mental health benefits that substances like psilocybin can provide in treating patients with PTSD and depression. But the plant kingdom isn’t the only realm that holds valuable medicine. The Colorado river toad produces a substance called 5-MeO-DMT, known to be the most psychoactive substance in the world. Throughout South America, the giant leaf frog secretes a poison called kambo, that when used intentionally, can provide spiritual and physical benefits to the user. However, harvesting this medicine from the frog begs the question — is kambo ethical?
From an animal rights perspective, many people claim it falls under animal cruelty. However, others claim that when used in indigenous settings by practitioners in native areas, the process is harmless, and is perhaps a divine communion with this creature.
What Is Kambo?
Kambo is a poisonous secretion from the Phyllomedusa bicolor, otherwise known as the giant monkey frog or giant leaf frog. This species of frog is native to the Amazon basin and is found throughout South America. Amazonian tribes seek out the nocturnal frog high in the trees, sometimes up to 100 feet, to respectfully extract its medicine. Kambo is often referred to as the Spirit of the Frog, and this medicine is revered for its powerful benefits.
Kambo is technically not a psychedelic compound, though it often gets grouped into that category because of its similar benefits. People use kambo to treat depression, substance use disorders, chronic pain, migraines, and a host of other physical and mental ailments. Additionally, kambo is said to bring luck to the person administering and using the poison.
During a kambo ceremony, the practitioner will burn small holes into a person’s skin. While the location varies depending on who is performing the ceremony, the most common areas are the upper arm, leg, foot, or back. Once a hole is burned into the top layer of the skin, small amounts of kambo are put into the burns to quickly enter the body. Kambo is considered a purgative, and most people experience a physical cleansing by way of vomiting and sometimes diarrhea. This cleansing process can last for hours as the body purges the poison. Though the benefits can be tremendous, there are some risks and side effects to be aware of before partaking in a kambo ceremony.
Kambo Harvesting: Communion With Nature or Animal Cruelty?
The giant leaf frog is easy to handle and generally does not appear to be frightened by humans. Because it can secrete toxic poison rather quickly, it doesn’t have many predators and therefore has little reason to show signs of fear. However, the harvesting process itself can appear cruel, and in some cases, it might be.
How to Harvest Kambo
There are a few ways to harvest kambo from the giant leaf frog, and some of them are considered ethical while others are not. The kindest approach involves stretching out the frog’s legs from all four corners of its body with the use of straw strings. The goal is not to pull the legs too taut or cause pain, but to flatten out the frog’s back where the milky secretion is extracted. To gather the medicine, a small bamboo stick is stroked across the back of the frog to collect a thin layer of kambo. The secretion dries on the stick to later be applied to the burned skin, and the frog is untied and released back into the wild.
This may sound simple enough, however, there is often more to it than gently stroking the frog’s back with a stick. The giant leaf frog doesn’t secrete its poison without good reason, which is typically when it needs to protect itself from harm. In a state of fear or defensiveness, the frog will produce poison and emit it from its back to offer protection against predators. So, although the frog might not be secreting poison when first handled by humans, it’s what happens after the frog is tied up that causes the animal to emit its weapon.
If the frog wasn’t protecting itself at first, it surely might be when the practitioner holds it close to a fire with the explicit intention of inducing enough stress to encourage secretions. Some practitioners say they only need to gently stroke a frog’s foot to get the juices flowing, but still — is kambo ethical if it requires that a frog be in a state of stress to secrete its ‘medicine’?
Are the Frogs Harmed?
There are many proponents of kambo that say the frogs are treated fairly because the shamans of the Amazon basin have a deep connection with the jungle and its native plants and animals. Moreso, they respect the giant leaf frog and its medicine, and would never wish to upset the spirit of the animal in case of negative consequences. Some say that the frogs will even return the next day after they have been milked, as the tribesmen sing their songs.
Not all tribes approach the extractions with care. There are some members of the Matses tribe that have been outcast from their main tribe because of their mistreatment of the giant leaf frog. To obtain more kambo, the tribe places metal sticks into the frog’s nostrils, or even blows smoke at the frog to incite fear and heighten stress. The goal is to get the most excretions possible since it has a monetary value.
In addition to the concerns about physical harm, one must consider the danger of over-milking. frogs. This exploitation could leave the frog without enough venom to protect itself and they may fall prey to natural predators more easily. Supposedly, the kambo is only harvested from one frog once every three months. How does one know that it’s been three months? Because that’s apparently how long it takes for the marks from the straw strings to disappear from the frog’s legs. If the frog was tied tightly enough to leave marks for three months, one might argue that this must have caused discomfort.
On the other hand, assume the frogs experience no physical pain during this process, and they can safely return to their environment unharmed — is kambo ethical? Some parties will never agree with the use of any animal or animal byproduct for human use. Animal rights activists and groups like PETA advocate for an entirely animal-free lifestyle, including abstaining from products like honey so as not to exploit bees. For anyone practicing a vegan lifestyle, one must consider if the use of kambo aligns with their personal values.
Ethical Alternatives to Kambo
Although the giant leaf frog is not currently considered an endangered animal, there are plenty of more ethical alternatives available. Kambo is a powerful medicine that should be reserved for its use in small quantities by the indigenous people who have been using this medicine for hundreds if not thousands of years. For Westerners looking to treat health concerns or even pursue spiritual quests, there are other options.
Ketamine is widely available, well researched, and legal for use in medicinal settings to treat depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Even a single dose can help alleviate symptoms of depression like suicidal ideation. It is also known to help manage chronic pain. John Hopkins University has released many studies on the therapeutic effects of psilocybin against depression, and MAPS is currently studying MDMA in depth to explore its host of benefits.
When asking is kambo ethical, one must carefully weigh the benefits with the costs. For those unbothered by the practice of harvesting kambo, it is still advised to thoroughly research the practitioner and understand their method for obtaining kambo beforehand.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Drop us a note in the comments section and let us know how you feel about the ethics surrounding kambo.
