Tourists Are Now Smoking Toad Venom in Mexico’s Hipster Town Tulum
Observers are split on the consequences of “speed-toading” using the venom, called bufo, as a cure for the ills of the modern world.
by Mattha Busby September 14, 2021, 8:00am

TULUM, Mexico — The smoking of a powerful hallucinogenic toad venom in short retreats, a practice known as “speed-toading,” is exploding in the Caribbean tourist hub of Tulum, where it’s now a sought-after New Age healing tool.
Bufo alvarius, which contains the fast-acting psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT—regarded by many as the world’s most powerful psychoactive substance—and often referred to simply as bufo, is touted by some of its purveyors as a miracle cure for the ills of the modern world and mental health issues.
Emerging research suggests it reliably brings about mystical experiences, reduces depression, and relieves anxiety. But a significant minority of users report serious mental health difficulties after smoking the so-called “God molecule.”
“I was falling into nothing. I was doing flips. My arms and legs were going in different directions, dancing crazily. I was laughing hysterically because I was so happy, all while floating above my physical body. It was literally the best feeling ever,” recalled 23-year-old former pharmaceutical factory worker “Charlotte”, who asked VICE World News not to use her real name, of her experience with bufo.
Just think, there were some who thought we Hippies were weird to smoke marijuana…