Is possession of endogenous DMT illegal in the US?

Answer 1

The DEA usually does not limit, control, or prohibit the possession of certain animals or plants that contain endogenous, controlled compounds unless they are specifically prepared for use (i.e.- dried, cut, packaged, pulverized, etc). Examples of this are: Psilocybin and Psilocin found in Psilocybe mushrooms, LSA and related amides found in Morning Glories and similar plant species, and 5-methoxy-DMT, 5-OH-DMT (bufotenin), and N,N-DMT, some of which are found in mammals (including humans), plants, toads and certain types of fish. Consequently, preparations used by South American natives like ayahuasca brews and yopo, vilca, and virola snuffs (which contain either DMT and/or all or some of the DMT related compounds mentioned above) are illegal since they are processed for human consumption. Note that the term "processed for human consumption" could apply to merely crushing virola bark into a powder, the rationale being that pulverizing the bark means it is being prepared for insufflation. Conversely, the plant species these snuffs are derived from are not illegal if they are possessed in their natural state. In some cases the DEA has scheduled specific plant species b/c they contain certain alkaloids or terpenoids that are perceived as dangerous. This makes possessing or growing them strictly prohibited, even if one of these plants happen to grow wild on an individual's property. Examples of this are- the Cannabis' species, the Opium Poppy (although certain species like the California Poppy aren't illegal even though they contain similar alkaloids), Iboga, and the Coca plant.