'Kentucky Ayahuasca': Chief Shaman of Aya Quest Steve Hupp reveals what drove him to offer therapy with the Schedule 1 drug: 'America needs this!'
Viceland's latest documentary series 'Kentucky Ayahuasca' tells the story of how a former bank robber met a South American shaman in prison and got fascinated by ayahuasca. The drink is considered a herbal medicine and is a potent entheogenic tea which has hallucinogenic properties that some say is useful for confronting any kind of trauma or illness that has been stored in the body and mind. The experience that participants go through at Aya Quest allows each individual who drinks it to heal and recover faster than what is seen with conventional forms of therapy.
In the United States, however, ayahuasca has been described as a Schedule 1 drug because of its hallucinogenic properties. It is still considered a drug and this is a perception that the American Shaman wants to change.