Americans seeking psychedelic treatments abroad face substantial risks, including death. A 40-year-old social worker from New Mexico died of a heart attack in August 2024 after taking ibogaine at a Costa Rica retreat. In 2025, a patient died during drug detoxification at a Mexico clinic. In June, a 41-year-old building inspector from Alabama died of multiple organ failure after ingesting ayahuasca at a Peru retreat.

There is no official tally of injuries and deaths at overseas psychedelic clinics. The New York Times interviewed more than two dozen patients and researchers who cited troubling episodes. Participants reported not being routinely evaluated for health conditions. Some facilities distributed prescription drugs without regard for medical history. Patients reported sexual assaults, including a Florida woman assaulted by a doctor while incapacitated at a Mexico retreat.

Amy Mc Guire, director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine, co-authored a JAMA study examining safety protocols at 49 psychedelic retreats. Less than half employed a medical professional, and roughly 10 percent had staff with emergency medical training. "We're seeing all of these for-profit organizations pop up, operating in this quasi-medical space without the appropriate safeguards," Dr. Mc Guire said.