Historical Documentation of Taino Cohoba Snuff and DMT Discovery
Longreads reports that Friar Ramon Pane, who traveled with Christopher Columbus, documented the use of a psychoactive snuff called cohoba among the Taino people on the island of Hispaniola by 1496. An associate of Christopher Columbus observed that after using the cohoba powder, participants lose consciousness and become like drunken men.
Centuries after these early observations in the Caribbean, chemical research further clarified the psychoactive components of such plant preparations. In 1955, researchers identified N,N-DMT as a psychoactive ingredient of Anadenanthera peregrina seeds, which provided the plant material for the traditional cohoba snuff.
Common Questions
What did Friar Ramon Pane document about the Taino people?
He documented their use of a psychoactive snuff called cohoba, which caused users to lose consciousness and become like drunken men.
What was identified in Anadenanthera peregrina seeds in 1955?
Researchers identified N,N-DMT as a psychoactive ingredient in those seeds.