Changa (drug)
Changa (/ˈtʃɑːŋɡɑː/) is a DMT/MAOI-infused smoking blend. Typically, extracts from DMT-containing plants are combined with a blend of different herbs and ayahuasca vine and/or leaf to create a mix that is 20–50% DMT,[1] akin to a smokeable ayahuasca.[2] The effects of Changa are considered by many to be more grounded than just DMT freebase smoked on its own.[3]
History
Changa was created by Australian Julian Palmer in 2003-2004[4] and named when he 'asked' for a moniker for the drug during an Ayahuasca session.[5]
The substance became highly popular in Australia in the mid 2000s,[6] but its widespread introduction outside of Australia appears to be dated to the Boom Festival in Portugal in 2008.[7] Palmer actively worked to 'seed' Changa throughout the world, introducing it to the UK, Russia, India, Morocco, West Africa, Chile, Montenegro and China.[8]
Changa was growing in popularity as of 2015 due to its ease of smoking and longer duration (approximately 10-20 minutes) compared to smoking freebase DMT crystal.[9]
The oldest evidence of the consumption of DMT is over 4,000 years old. Pipes made of puma bone (Felis concolor) were found at Inca Cueva, in Jujuy Province, Argentina, containing remains of DMT and bufotenin, the compounds found in Anadenanthera beans. Radiocarbon testing of the material gave a date of 2130 BC.[10] However the main active constituent of Anadenanthera is bufotenin.
In popular culture
Australian electronic trio Pnau titled their November 2017 album Changa in homage to the substance.[11] It reached a peak of number 11 on the ARIA charts.
References
- St. John, Graham (2015). Mystery School in Hyperspace: A Cultural History of DMT. Berkeley, USA: Evolver Editions. ISBN 978-1583947326.
- Cusack, Carole; Norman, Alex (2012). Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production. Leiden, Netherlands: BRILL. ISBN 9789004221871.
- "Changa - DMT-Nexus Wiki". wiki.dmt-nexus.me.
- St. John, Graeme (2016). "Aussiewaska: A Cultural History of Changa and Ayahuasca Analogues in Australia.". In Labate, Beatriz; Cavnar, Clancy; Gearin, Alex (eds.). The World Ayahuasca Diaspora: Reinventions and Controversies. Routledge. pp. 143–164. ISBN 978-1-4724-6663-1.
- Berger, Markus (2017). Changa: Die rauchbare Evolution des Ayahuasca. Nachtschatten Verlag. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-3037883563.
- Palmer, Julian (2014). Articulations: On the Utilisation and Meanings of Psychedelics. Julian Palmerisms. ISBN 9780992552800.
- Gomes Batista, Henrique (2 May 2019). "CHANGA, A NOVA DROGA QUE ACENDEU O ALERTA DA POLÍCIA". Época. Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- Revell, Jack (11 November 2020). "Meet the Man Who Brought DMT to the Masses". Vice. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- Lyden, John C.; Mazur, Eric Michael (2015). The Routledge Companion to Religion and Popular Culture. Abindgon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781317531067.
- Pochettino, M. L.; Cortella, A. R.; Ruiz, M. (1999-04-01). "Hallucinogenic snuff from Northwestern Argentina: Microscopical identification of anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (fabaceae) in powdered archaeological material". Economic Botany. 53 (2): 127–132. doi:10.1007/BF02866491. ISSN 1874-9364.
- McGrane, Danielle (2017-11-09). "Pnau release drug-inspired album". The West Australian. Retrieved 2018-01-01.