Kambo- Frog Poison As Medicine?

A more acceptable habit of the Silicon Valley folk is taking psychoactive drugs as a way of boosting their work performance. Also known as biohacking, this practice can range from natural psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, magic mushrooms, and magic truffles, to synthetic drugs like LSD and MDMA. 

Now there’s a new “cool” substance for the Musks and Zuckerbergs of the United States. An ancient magical compound so poisonous, it will literally make you vomit. But apparently, you’ll be desperate to try it again! 

Enter Kambo… the Amazonian frog-mucus poison drug that got Silicon Valley elites wanting more.

What is Kambo?

Kambo is a poison that comes from the giant monkey frog of the Amazon rainforest. When stressed, the bright green frog squirts a toxic mucus on their legs and back. It’s originally meant to be a defense mechanism — so why are people scraping the frog poison and drying it for later use? 

For hundreds of years, kambo was kept a secret. Before it ever became popular in Silicon Valley (or in the West as a whole in 1994), the poison drug was first taken by indigenous tribes in the Amazon. 

Shamans used kambo as a talisman to ward off sickness. They also saw kambo as a potent way to “purge” the body and soul, as fast as possible. (Kinda like an exorcism.)

A kambo ritual starts by burning the skin with a red-hot wooden stick or vine. The poisonous dried frog mucus — now mixed with water or saliva to make a paste — is then smeared on the wound. 

Right away, kambo enters the bloodstream. After wincing for a bit from the burn holes in your arm or ankle, you’ll vomit aplenty (with a sudden urge to “visit the toilet” as well). So be prepared!

Side Effects of Kambo

Sounds like hell, right? But why would anyone want to experience all of kambo’s side effects, which include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and really swollen lips? 

Julia Allison, a media strategist in San Francisco, told the New York Times about her kambo experience:

“They call it ‘frog face’. It kind of looks like a celebrity plastic surgeon went to town on your face, like Kim Kardashian in a fun-house mirror. And then, suddenly, you are unbelievably nauseous. You’re basically going from zero to the worst flu of your life within 60 seconds.”

Simply put: when you take kambo you’re poisoning your body, and it shows. But kambo devotees like Allison swear by the glorious rewards that come after the purge. 

“It was the worst experience of my life. And I can’t wait to do it again.”

Just wait and see!

Taste of a Poison Paradise

Dr. David Rabin, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist in California, told the New York Times:

“Last year, none of my patients had ever heard of kambo. Now, I would say 20% to 30% of my new patients already know about it. I have a lot of patients who are like, ‘Oh, I’m going to do kambo this weekend.’”

The poison from kambo also causes fever, chills, rapid heart rate, and a desire to faint — but these effects only last for about 40 minutes. By then, the kambo paste should be peeled from your skin. You probably won’t feel it though, as most users fall asleep after doing kambo.

Days later, it’s a total 180, and kambo’s rewards begin to manifest. You’ll wake up as strong as the Incredible Hulk (or close to it, at least). Anxiety will vanish, and your mind goes razor-sharp. 

Be warned, however. Kambo is not Wonderland. It’s closer to the savage boxing ring of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, so no trippy colors here! 

Chris Shaw, an emeritus professor at the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University — and a global expert on frog skin secretions — told Vice:

“Kambo is not scientifically proven for treatment, but I would not be at all surprised if kambo worked well in cases of depression… Taking kambo leads to a massive rearrangement and overload of the nervous system; it changes our neurochemistry.”

Scientists believe that by shocking your system, the poison from kambo may actually rewire the brain & the way it “motivates” you to keep winning.

Is Kambo Legal?

Yes, Kambo is legal in the US and in most countries — except in Brazil. 

This is because unlike Schedule 1 psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, kambo is NOT hallucinogenic. 

Which makes you wonder. Is the only criterion for a drug to be “illicit” the ability to trigger hallucinations? Lawmakers seem to think so. Maybe the series of legal wins for psilocybin last year can improve our chances for its OK somewhat in 2021?

Be Cautious

In the end, it would be wise to be cautious before trying kambo or any other obscure drug (even if it’s popular with tech geniuses).

Even Dr. Rabin, who advocates for psychedelic therapies using MDMA and ketamine, says the same thing:

“It would never be something that I’d recommend as a first-line treatment, mostly because we don’t know enough about it yet. It’s hard to find reliable providers who are trained to use kambo.”

“As a doctor, we always focus on ‘do no harm’.”

This is why he would rather prescribe ketamine, which carries few health risks “over something like kambo, which could hurt or kill you if not used very carefully.” 

So what do you think? Would you risk being burned with frog poison, just for a chance at ‘super-strength’?