Preserving Peyote: Native American Church Leaders Ask that the Sacred Cactus Not Be Decriminalized

By Connor Yearsley
In March 2020, the National Council of Native American Churches and the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative released a joint statement requesting that decriminalization efforts exclude the medicinal and psychoactive peyote cactus. Concern for the continued survival of the cactus, as many human-related factors have put severe strain on wild populations, prompted these organizations to release the statement. Read more >>

Strengthening Sustainable International Trade in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

By Patricia De Angelis, PhD, and Anastasiya Timoshyna
At the 18th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), held in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 2019, members addressed future directions for the agreement that focused heavily on sustainable use and conservation of protected plants. Efforts to monitor international trade in botanicals that may be considered endangered in their native territories — including permit issuance and consistent and up-to-date surveys and population studies — can help maintain plant populations for future use in trade. Read more >>

Guest Editorial: Musings on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day

By Steven King, PhD
Fifty years after the first Earth Day celebration, the message of interdependence and the connection of people to nature is more relevant and resonant than ever. Guest contributor Steven King, executive vice president of sustainable supply, intellectual property, and ethnobotanical research at Jaguar Health, urges a reassessment of our relationship to the natural world and a renewed respect for its plants and people. Read more >>