RECENT PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN PSYCHOACTIVE ”ETHNOBOTANICALS” IN ROMANIA.
ROBERT VIOREL ANCUCEANU^1*, MIHAELA DINU¹, ADRIANA
IULIANA ANGHEL¹, OANA CRISTINA REBEGEA¹, OCTAVIAN
TUDOREL OLARU¹, DANIEL POPESCU², GABRIELA POPESCU²
1 Botany Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University
of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Str., 020956, Bucharest,
Romania
2 Department of Public Health of Bucharest
3 “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia
Str., 020956, Bucharest, Romania
*corresponding author: robert.ancuceanu@gmail.com
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Abstract:

This paper discusses a current problem, important for the Romanian and international society, regarding the plants, extracts and substances known as “legal drugs”, “ethnobotanicals”, “light drugs” – their consumption pattern, commercialization, public health consequences and the change of the legislation in force.
It clarifies the sense of two words used lately with different meanings from the etymological ones: ethnobotany, science studying the plants used in the culture of various peoples, ethnic and social groups, and the tautological phrase “ethnobotanical plants”, which at best should be replaced with “ethnobotanicals” or “ethnobotanical products”, designating in the current use, rather inappropriately, psychotropic, hallucinogenic, psychedelic or mind-altering herbal products.
This article takes in discussion the plant species identified as most commonly used lately in Romania (intended for commercialization and consumption). Also, the legal status of these plants in various countries from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia is presented.

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