Yes, it is legal in the U.S. and most other countries. As long as we continue to practice responsible Kambo facilitation, it will remain legal. This is another reason to seek out trained practitioners with in-person experience. 

The following is a list of contraindications for Kambo: 

• Serious heart problems (i.e., major heart surgery, coronary stent)

• Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

• Currently taking medication for low blood pressure

• History of stroke

• History of brain hemorrhage

• Aneurysm or blood clots

• Serious mental health problems such as bipolar, BPD, and schizophrenia

• Within 6 weeks of chemotherapy

• Currently taking immunosuppressants for organ transplant

• Addison’s Disease

• Epilepsy

• Recovering from a major surgical procedure (must wait a minimum of 6 months before receiving Kambo)

• Recently taken Bufo of 5-MeO-DMT (must wait a minimum of 6 weeks before receiving Kambo)

• Pregnant or breastfeeding

No. Kambo is not psychedelic. It is considered an ‘ordeal medicine’ that works on the physical body and, by doing so, provides access to more profound healing on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level. 

• Tribal Detox practitioners such as myself use ethically and humanely sourced Kambo from a known tribe that has an established relationship with the founders of Tribal Detox. The frogs may sometimes be stressed, but they are not harmed and are not held in captivity for ‘milking.’ They are treated with respect and reverence by the tribe and are always released back into the jungle. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Phyllomedusa Bicolor frog in their endangered species database's ‘Least Concerned’ category. These frogs are sacred and protected within the regions of our trusted sources. 

Kambo is safe when it is facilitated by a skilled and trained practitioner. Nowadays, many Kambo training programs are offered online and worldwide, so it’s crucial to seek out a practitioner who has extensive in-person training and understands the science and mechanics of Kambo to ensure a safe environment. Working with someone who has physically met the frog is good, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they facilitate safely and responsibly. What’s most important is to work with a practitioner committed to putting your safety first–someone who deeply understands how the peptides in kambo work with the body. 

Quite a few studies have been done on Kambo since the first samples were brought into the U.S. by the award-winning investigative journalist Peter Gorman and anthropologist Katharine Milton.

Here are a few studies:  

Antitumor and Angiostatic Activities of the Antimicrobial Peptide Dermaseptin B2

Deltorphins: a family of naturally occurring peptides with high affinity and selectivity for delta opioid binding sites

Medusins: A new class of antimicrobial peptides from the skin secretions of phyllomedusine frogs

Potential therapeutic applications of multifunctional host-defense peptides from frog skin as anti-cancer, anti-viral, immunomodulatory, and anti-diabetic agents

• You will arrive fasted for no less than 7 hours and no more than 14 with only enough water to wet your whistle (sips here and there). Drink up to 1 cup of water every hour up to two hours before your session. Ensure you’re hydrated with electrolytes prior to fasting. 

• A smoke cleansing will be offered to you upon arrival where we might discuss your intention for the ceremony.

• Sananga eyedrops will be offered. 

• We will discuss where you’d like your points or gates. Typically 1-5 for first session.

• I burn gates with a small incense stick, only through the first two layers of your skin.The kambô enters through the bloodstream.  

• You will drink up to 3/4 L of water while I prepare the kambô.

• Effects are usually felt in 1-5 minutes starting with a flush and elevated heartbeat. It feels awkward because there isn’t any movement but know it’s just a moderate exercise level. You might also feel heartbeat in the ears, lightheadedness/dizziness, nausea/purging, numbness and tingling of extremities and perhaps a sensation of swelling in the throat. All these are very normal reactions and won’t last longer than your session. Remember dots can be taken off anytime.

• I will remind you to breathe and we’ll leave the dots on for 20 minutes total. All symptoms will subside within 5-10 minutes of removing kambô.

• You will be able to rest and recover as long as necessary. Typically 10-30 minutes is all you’ll need. 

• Before or after resting, hapé will be offered. 

You may have read that kambô is toxic and it’s more than likely due to the purging effect it can have on the body. Please know that your body is going through a slightly raising and lowering of the blood pressure along with lots of beneficial peptides entering at one time. Some of the peptides aid in smooth muscle contraction (think digestion) and this peristaltic action, while in a fasting state, can cause digestive secretions. This can cause stomach contents to be forced out the mouth or anus.  Also know that purging isn’t just vomiting. It can be laughing, crying, shaking, sweating and even needing the toilet for a south purge. 

Purging is NOT necessary and some will sit with kambô and never have any need to do so. However, if you’re feeling sick and your body is in the need, please allow things to pr

I was trained in an extensive, in-person course with Tribal Detox. The top priority of Tribal Detox education is safety and respect to the client. I left feeling 100% confident in any scenario with a tremendous amount of support from the community of practitioners. Please peruse their website or reach out to me to gather any additional information.

Sananga are very powerful eyedrops extracted from the shrub Tabernaemontana undulate. It‘s used traditionally to improve vision for hunting. It is especially helpful for taking us ”out of our heads” and into our bodies prior to a kambô session. Its effects can last up to several days to weeks. Sitting with sananga can be challenging due to the burning one feels when the drop are applied. This is due to the tannins from the purified Amazonian river waters used during extraction. It’s always an option but not necessary during a kambô session. 

Hapé (ha-pay) or Rapé (ra-pay) is a sacred shamanic stuff typically made with ash from medicinal trees and sacred, wild tobacco. It is blown into the nostrils through self-administration or by another. Hapé has a very grounding and balancing effect on the mind, body and spirit and has been used throughout the Amazon for hundreds of years. There are different types of blows that help in various ways. This can be discussed as an option before, during or after your kambô session.