Frequently asked questions

It is a meeting point for organisations devoted to the study of and work with entheogens. We want to help bring an end to policies based on prohibition, ignorance and stigma. To that end, we promote meetings, training and activities, and we support our member organisations.

Find out more in Our mission and Our work.

No. FERM is a federation of non-profit associations. Its Code of Ethics does not allow the open sale of sessions, trafficking for profit, the commercialisation of or speculation with entheogens, nor the open advertising of ceremonies.

It is the common framework embraced by the Federation's organisations. It has 31 points in three sections (towards guides, towards participants and towards the wider community) and an annex on the indigenous community. It can be reviewed and renewed; the current version dates from June 2023.

You can read it in full and download it under Code of ethics.

• Federated associations: legally constituted non-profit associations, with a voice and a vote in the General Assembly.
• Supporting associations: they take part in the Assembly with a voice but no vote, and may not use the Federation's logo.
• Friend organisations and individuals: they support the Federation's aims with a minimum contribution of €60 a year (€5 a month).

The details of each type of membership are under Membership.

It has four steps: pre-registration (with the form and submission of the association's documents), an assessment interview, a decision and the formalisation of membership. Applications are approved by the General Assembly.

All the steps and required documents are under Membership.

Among other things: legal advice from specialist lawyers, training in risk reduction and good practice, meetings with facilitating psychologists and among peers, free quality analysis at a specialist laboratory, collaboration in scientific studies and collective representation before public institutions. The benefits vary depending on the type of membership; you can see them under Membership.

To join the Federation you need to be a legally constituted non-profit association. If your group is not one yet, the Federation runs training on how to set up and manage an association responsibly, such as the workshop “Modelo asociativo comunitario o de uso compartido: paso a paso” (Community or shared-use association model: step by step) (in Spanish). You can also write to us.

Ayahuasca, as a plant preparation, is not prohibited, but nor is it regulated: it does not appear on the lists of controlled substances, although its active ingredient, DMT, does. This creates legal uncertainty. The vast majority of court cases have ended in acquittal or dismissal, but not before arrests, searches and seizures.

We explain this under Legal framework, together with a compilation of cases in Spain. This is general information and is no substitute for legal advice.

Yes, to member organisations, through specialist lawyers. If you have experienced malpractice, the Support Network can also point you towards legal support.

To the Support Network. You can contact us, anonymously if you prefer, for guidance. We have a network of professionals offering legal, medical and therapeutic support. The Code of Ethics also provides for a confidential mailbox: support@redmicelio.org.

Under Science we bring together studies on ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, iboga, mescaline, 5-MeO-DMT and salvia, along with their limitations, as well as safety resources such as the AyaSafe documents from ICEERS.

You can make a donation, join as a friend organisation or individual (from €5 a month) or sign up to our mailing list at the bottom of every page.

We only use your data for what you ask us to do, and we never sell it. This website does not set its own cookies or use visitor statistics. Full details are in the Privacy policy.