5-MeO-DMT is a potent psychedelic found within the excretion of the Colorado River toad (Bufo alvarius or Incilius alvarius). Although, it’s also present in some plants and can be made synthetically—the latter being the most sustainable way to
consume the entheogen. It belongs to a class of chemical compounds called tryptamines, which include psilocybin and DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine).
In the United States, the Colorado River toad is one of the most common and controversial sources of 5-MeO-DMT. Its native habitat runs along the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The controversy comes from the ethics of harvesting toad
venom: Even if the toad is caught and released, harvesting venom may introduce pathogens to the toad and also weaken its ability to fend off predators, which can threaten the toad’s life and may decrease the species population. Conservationists also
warn against habitat destruction as more would-be psychonauts seek out the toad for its intoxicating venom.
The oldest known uses of 5-MeO-DMT are not associated with toad venom at all. The chemical is a natural constituent in Anadenanthera peregrina (Yopo) seeds and Virola bark, which hail from South America and are used to make entheogenic snuff. Both
plant-based and synthetic 5-MeO are viable alternatives to toad venom. Although, the rise in popularity of yopo may also come with its own sustainability issues—increased global trade of entheogenic plants and psychedelic tourism have the potential to
negatively impact Amazonian communities if such activities are performed in an extractive or appropriative way. As such, it’s important to pay attention to how yopo is sourced and whether or not reciprocal capital and resources actually flow back into
the communities from which it originally came.