Drugs Question

[Jade_Tiger]

I am well aware that the Church condems recreational drug use.
I am also aware that otherwise illicit drugs (opiates for instance) are permitted for medical reasons, whether for treatment or for legitimate research. However, there is one circumstance that I have never seen covered:

What about non-medical scientific research?

I am speaking about the field of anthropology and ethnomedicine. Many if not most cultures, especially more primitive cultures, use native drugs for ceremonial or medical reasons. The effects of these are of interest to anthropologists.

Would it be permitted for anthropological researchers or volunteers to make use of culture-specific drugs for research purposes? Obviously, these people would have to be in good health and have medical supervision. Would this be morally wrong, provided that there are no significant medical risks and no intention of forming a habit?

 

[Newbie2]

Doesn’t seem like that there would be any moral objections in attempting to discover the science behind “native” remedies, as long as strict criteria are involved.

 

[Mar044]

jesus used none conventional healing, and thousnads of years of medicine and those wishing to learn what may have been lost over thousands of years because of profit gain etc, although remember why you are doing something.

 

[CopticChristian]

I am well aware that the Church condems recreational drug use.
I am also aware that otherwise illicit drugs (opiates for instance) are permitted for medical reasons, whether for treatment or for legitimate research. However, there is one circumstance that I have never seen covered:

What about non-medical scientific research?

I am speaking about the field of anthropology and ethnomedicine. Many if not most cultures, especially more primitive cultures, use native drugs for ceremonial or medical reasons. The effects of these are of interest to anthropologists.

Would it be permitted for anthropological researchers or volunteers to make use of culture-specific drugs for research purposes? Obviously, these people would have to be in good health and have medical supervision. Would this be morally wrong, provided that there are no significant medical risks and no intention of forming a habit?

Jade,

I have a few questions.

What are the names of these culture specific drugs?

Who is going to be taking them?

 

[superamazingman]

Doesn’t seem like that there would be any moral objections in attempting to discover the science behind “native” remedies, as long as strict criteria are involved.

seems about right. The question is relatively broad, so none of us can comment on specifics, but providing there was medical supervision, it would seem ok…

 

[George_Stegmeir]

For what its worth, for over 50 years there have been modern (Western) medical institutes in both Hong Kong and Formosa that have been studing traditional Chinese Pharmacology and traditional Chinese Medicine, both of which have about a 5,000 year tradition. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology operates on a completely differant premise of healing than does Western Scientific Medicine.
In addition, similar institutes have been started in Mainland China, since it has opened up to the West.
Many interesting “new” drugs, and medical techniques (such as acu-puncture and shiz tsu) have been derived from classical Chinese remedies.

 

[GEddie]

If the objective were scientific, and the procedure suitably controlled as such, I imagine that it would fall into the same loophole as medical research.

ICXC NIKA

 

[JerryZ]

I am well aware that the Church condems recreational drug use.
I am also aware that otherwise illicit drugs (opiates for instance) are permitted for medical reasons, whether for treatment or for legitimate research. However, there is one circumstance that I have never seen covered:

What about non-medical scientific research?

I am speaking about the field of anthropology and ethnomedicine. Many if not most cultures, especially more primitive cultures, use native drugs for ceremonial or medical reasons. The effects of these are of interest to anthropologists.

Would it be permitted for anthropological researchers or volunteers to make use of culture-specific drugs for research purposes? Obviously, these people would have to be in good health and have medical supervision. Would this be morally wrong, provided that there are no significant medical risks and no intention of forming a habit?

It has been always of interest to science to find the active principle in natural medicaments used by pre industrial era cultures. Quinine is but one example of such a component used to treat malaria.
Another issue altogether would be to experiment with the allucinogens used by many of this same cultures in their rituals which are based in shamanic practices.
What would be the purpose of such tests?
That I would think go against our Catholic teachings.
Trance inducing drugs should not be experimented with as you are actively trying to open up portals to the spirit world which if I am not mistaken is FORBIDDEN in the Bible!