The Legal Landscape of Global Ayahuasca Defense

Jesús Alonso Olamendi is Program Lead at ICEERS' Legal Defense Program (ADF). He holds a Law degree from the Ibero-American University of Mexico and a Master's (LLM) in Legal and Political Theory from the University of York, United Kingdom, with further specialization in International Human Rights Law, History, and Criminal Law. He served as an advisor to the Mexican Senate on human rights and drug policy legislation, with an emphasis on medical cannabis and harm reduction, and was alternate coordinator for the UNODC's project on Consolidation of the Accusatory Criminal System in Mexico. Since 2021 he has been general director of the Institute for Training in Justice and Human Rights.

Francisco Azorín is a lawyer specializing in the legal status of entheogenic plants and a researcher in the field of psychoactive substances and drug policy. His work focuses on the legal analysis of regulatory frameworks affecting traditional, therapeutic, and cultural uses of plants and psychoactive substances, as well as on promoting approaches grounded in human rights and scientific evidence.

He is the author of several publications on psychoactive substances and legislation, contributing to discussions on regulatory models and alternatives to prohibitionist drug policies. He is also a member and collaborator of various national and international organizations advocating for reforms to current drug policies, promoting harm reduction, the protection of traditional practices, and the recognition of new regulatory approaches.

Yama Nomanawa is the general chief of the Tauari Region of the Noke Koi people. As a respected spiritual and political leader, he has been a key element in preserving and protecting the ancestral traditions and passing on their knowledge to future generations. He is the president of the recently created Noke Koi Federation, which aims to reclaim and defend the rights of the tribe, and he’s also the vice-president of the American non-profit organization Vozes Da Floresta (VDF) in service of the Amazon Rainforest and the empowerment of Indigenous communities.

Chief Yama has led ceremonies and participated in conferences in different parts of the world and his strong spirit has positioned him as a renowned and highly respected leader.