The Molecule

5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine is a naturally occurring tryptamine-based psychedelic found in numerous plants and in the parotoid glands of one very specific toad. Bufo alvarius (Sonoran Desert Toad), also known as Incilius alvarius. The secretion is ethically milked from the glands, expressed onto a piece of glass, and then collected for later use. The dried venom is pale, translucent in color, and has a texture similar to dried plastic cement. It is known to contain anywhere from 10% to 30% 5-MeO-DMT and up to a dozen other tryptamine and alkaloids. 

The Ancient History

Most historical and archaeological evidence of 5-MeO-DMT use is centered in Central and South America, primarily in the form of snuff. This psychoactive preparation was made from the seeds of Anadenanthera peregrina, Anadenanthera colubrina, or Virola theiodora, which were dried, ground, and combined with a natural alkali such as wood ash or lime. The resulting powder was then forcibly blown into participants’ nostrils through wooden or bone tubes.

There is archaeological evidence of variations of this practice dating back thousands of years. Pipes made from puma bone, found alongside Anadenanthera seeds in the Humahuaca Gorge in Argentina, have been radiocarbon dated to around 2000 BC. Snuff tubes and trays have also been discovered throughout Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, often dating back over 1,000 years.

Indigenous peoples were still using these snuffs for shamanic purposes at the time of Spanish colonization, and these practices were reportedly observed by Europeans in the 16th century. However, there is no historical evidence supporting the ancient or ceremonial use of 5-MeO-DMT derived from the Sonoran Desert toad. Despite this, debate has emerged within the 5-MeO-DMT community following a theory of indigenous use presented at the World Bufo Alvarius Congress in 2018.

The Recent History

The world has Ken Nelson to thank for the psychedelic discovery of 5-MeO-DMT in the Buffo Alvarius toad secretion. After uncovering some scientific research documenting the presence of 5-MeO-DMT with bone samples of the Buffo Alvarius, he set off to become the first human being ever to smoke the secretion. An incredibly profound experience inspired him to share his findings. In 1983 he published the famous pamphlet, Bufo Alvarius: The Psychedelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert, under the pseudonym Albert Most.

After the publication of this pamphlet, the use of the Bufo secretion expanded in the underground. By the early 1990s, 5-MeO-DMT was made available via mail order throughout the United States in its synthetic form. As its popularity grew more, governments became aware. Obviously through fear and lack of knowledge, it was gradually prohibited across many countries throughout the 2000s. (Or was always technically illegal in countries that had prohibited DMT and had analog clauses in their drug-scheduling legislation.) 

Due to the legality issues, the use of 5-MeO-DMT was forced to stay underground to protect both those seeking and serving the compound. In recent years the popularity has grown substantially, which has caused an increase in ceremonial use at retreats in countries where it is not illegal. In the past couple of years, during what is being termed “The Psychedelic Renaissance", research into the therapeutic application of psychedelics has rapidly increased, with serious scientific attention now being placed on the healing potential of 5-MeO-DMT.