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{{Short description|Nonprofit educational organization}}
{{CS1 config|mode=cs2}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = Erowid Center
| formation                = {{start date and age|1995|p=y}}
| logo                     = Erowid Center Logo.jpg
| logo_size                = 250px
| type                     = [[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3)]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Erowid Center {{!}} Grass Valley, CA {{!}} Cause IQ |url=https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/erowid-center,203256212/ |website=www.causeiq.com |access-date=2022-09-23 |archive-date=2022-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923050716/https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/erowid-center,203256212/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| tax_id                   = 20-3256212
| founders                 = {{ubil
||Fire Erowid
|Earth Erowid
}}
| founding_location        = United States
| membership               = {{circa}} 2,000
| key_people               = Fire Erowid, <small>([[Executive Director]])</small><br/>Earth Erowid, <small>([[Technical Director]])</small>
| affiliations             = [[Bluelight (web forum)|Bluelight.org]] <br/>
[[Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies]]
| area_served              = Worldwide
| focus                    = Drug information and [[drug education]]
| website                  = {{URL|erowid.org}}
| remarks                  = Over 90,000 unique visitors per day<ref>[https://erowid.org/general/stats/stats.shtml "Erowid.org—Unique Visitors per Day."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322082547/https://www.erowid.org/general/stats/stats.shtml |date=2019-03-22 }} Erowid.</ref>
}}

'''Erowid''', also called '''Erowid Center''',  is a non-profit educational organization that provides information about [[psychoactive drug|psychoactive plants and chemicals]].<ref name="trip"/><ref name="AboutErowid"/>

Erowid documents legal and illegal substances, including their intended and adverse effects. Information on Erowid's website is gathered from diverse sources including published literature, experts in related fields, and the experiences of the general public. Erowid acts as a [[publisher]] of new information as well as a library for the collection of documents and images published elsewhere.

== History ==
Erowid was founded in April 1995 as a small business with their website being published six months later.<ref>{{citation |last=Erowid |first=Fire |url=https://erowid.org/general/about/about_article5.shtml |title=Erowid F. "Erowid: 10 Years of History." Erowid Extracts. Jun 2005;8:12-14 |publisher=Erowid.org |access-date=2010-02-08 |archive-date=2020-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518210518/https://erowid.org/general/about/about_article5.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> The name "Erowid" was chosen to reflect the organization's stated philosophy of education. Using [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] linguistic roots, "Erowid" roughly translates into "Earth Wisdom" ([[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁er-|*''h₁er-'']], [[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*''weyd-'']]).<ref name=trip>Emily Witt. [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/23/the-trip-planners "The trip planners."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503190502/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/23/the-trip-planners |date=2020-05-03 }} ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]].'' 23 November 2015. Retrieved 2018-03-05.</ref>

In 2005, the [[501(c)(3)]] non-profit educational organization, "Erowid Center", was formed.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/20-3256212/erowid-center.aspx |title=Guidestar Entry |publisher=Guidestar |access-date=2012-07-05 |archive-date=2013-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211212533/http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/20-3256212/erowid-center.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> The organization is supported by donations, and its [[website]] is free of advertisements. Although its primary focus is on the website, Erowid Center also provides research and data for other [[harm reduction]], health, and [[education]]al organizations. The organization is based in [[Northern California]].<ref>{{citation|url=https://erowid.org/general/about/about_faq.shtml#located|title=Where is Erowid located?|access-date=2013-04-07|archive-date=2020-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518012550/https://www.erowid.org/general/about/about_faq.shtml#located|url-status=live}}</ref>

Fire Erowid and Earth Erowid are the [[sobriquet]]s of the two creators of the site. Both work full-time on the project, along with speaking at conferences, producing original research, and contributing to [[entheogen]]ic research.<ref name="trip"/> According to the site, the creators' vision includes a "world where people treat psychoactives with respect and awareness; where people work together to collect and share knowledge in ways that strengthen their understanding of themselves, and provide insight into the complex choices faced by individuals and societies alike."<ref name="AboutErowid">{{cite web |title=About Erowid: Mision, Vision, and Crew |url=https://erowid.org/general/about/ |website=Erowid.org |access-date=28 August 2021 |archive-date=25 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825103602/https://www.erowid.org/general/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Erowid Center's mission is to provide and facilitate access to objective, accurate, and non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants, chemicals, technologies, and related issues.<ref name="real">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9M2qN8Oi4AcC&q=real+drugs+virtual+world |title=Real Drugs in a Virtual World: Drug Discourse and Community Online |publisher=Lexington Books |date=2007 |access-date=June 24, 2022 |isbn=9780739114551 |last1=Murguía |first1=Edward |last2=Tackett-Gibson |first2=Melissa |last3=Lessem |first3=Ann |archive-date=July 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712225714/https://books.google.com/books?id=9M2qN8Oi4AcC&q=real+drugs+virtual+world |url-status=live }}</ref> According to one study, "Erowid is a trusted resource for drug information—both positive and negative,"<ref name="real" /> and Erowid has been extensively cited worldwide by book authors,<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.springer.com/medicine/forensic/book/978-1-934115-06-0 |vauthors=Khan JI, Kennedy TJ, Christian DR |title=Basic Principles of Forensic Chemistry |publisher=Springer.com |year=2012 |access-date=2012-05-31 |isbn=9781934115060 |archive-date=2012-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112070155/http://www.springer.com/medicine/forensic/book/978-1-934115-06-0 |url-status=live }}</ref> scientific and medical journals,<ref>{{citation |author=Corazza O. |s2cid=29318833 |title=Phenomenon of new drugs on the Internet: the case of ketamine derivative methoxetamine |journal = Human Psychopharmacology|pages=145–9 |volume=27 |issue=2 |date=2012-03-05 |doi=10.1002/hup.1242 |pmid=22389078|display-authors=etal|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{citation |author1=Ambrose J.B. |author2=Bennett H.D. |author3=Lee H.S. |author4=Josephson S.A. |title=Cerebral vasculopathy after 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine ingestion |journal=The Neurologist |doi=10.1097/NRL.0b013e3181a3cb53 |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=199–202 |date=May 2010 |pmid=20445431|s2cid=35035721 }}</ref> newspapers,<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/movies/hamilton-morriss-web-series-hamiltons-pharmacopeia.html?_r=1 |author=Simonini, R. |title=A Psychonaut's Adventures in Videoland |page=AR17 |work=The New York Times |date=2012-02-12 |access-date=2012-05-31 |archive-date=2018-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917020235/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/movies/hamilton-morriss-web-series-hamiltons-pharmacopeia.html?_r=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{citation |author=Valerie Vande Panne |url=https://thephoenix.com/Boston/life/107572-higher-education-how-to-do-drugs-in-boston/ |title=Higher education: How to do drugs in Boston |publisher=Thephoenix.com |date=2010-09-01 |access-date=2012-05-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204053928/http://thephoenix.com/boston/life/107572-higher-education-how-to-do-drugs-in-boston |archive-date=2012-02-04 }}</ref> magazines,<ref>Piore, A. "Chemists in the Shadows". ''Discover Magazine''. Mar 2012</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://reason.com/blog/2012/02/23/rand-paul-blocks-synthetic-drug-bans |author=Jacob Sullum |title=Rand Paul Blocks Synthetic Drug Bans |publisher=Reason.com |date=2012-02-23 |access-date=2012-05-31 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304215426/http://reason.com/blog/2012/02/23/rand-paul-blocks-synthetic-drug-bans |url-status=live }}</ref> filmmakers,<ref>{{citation |url=http://dirtypicturesthefilm.com/ |author=Sauret, E. |title=Dirty Pictures |publisher=Dirtypicturesthefilm.com |year=2010 |access-date=2012-05-31 |archive-date=2019-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917135002/https://dirtypicturesthefilm.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> radio and TV shows,<ref>{{citation |url=http://nicolaslanglitz.de/ewExternalFiles/Hubert_2010_Erowid.pdf |author=Hubert |first=Martin |title=Erowid: Halluzinationen aus dem Netz |publisher=Wissen.dradio.de |date=February 27, 2010 |access-date=June 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918135055/http://nicolaslanglitz.de/ewExternalFiles/Hubert_2010_Erowid.pdf |archive-date=September 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>Edell, D. "Dr. Dean Edell Show". April 2006</ref><ref>{{citation |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?id=4132469&page=1#.T1vIBVFK4so |author=Childs, D. |title=A Homebrewed High? Poppy Tea Hits the Web |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=2008-01-16 |access-date=2012-05-31 |archive-date=2019-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923234325/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?id=4132469&page=1#.T1vIBVFK4so |url-status=live }}</ref> Ph.D. students,<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.neip.info/downloads/Fotiou_Ayahuasca_2010.pdf |author=Fotiou, E. |title=From Medicine Men to Day Trippers: Shamanic Tourism in Iquitos, Peru |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison |year=2010 |access-date=2012-05-31 |archive-date=2019-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214182031/http://www.neip.info/downloads/Fotiou_Ayahuasca_2010.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Moraes, A.G. "Alterações anatomopatológicas em corações de camundongos submetidos à inalação crônica de cocaína crack". 2009</ref> web sites, and other media producers.

== Projects ==

=== Online library ===
The library contains over 63,000 documents related to over 737 psychoactive substances,<ref name=trip/><ref>{{citation |url=https://erowid.org/general/newsletter/erowid_newsletter30.shtml |title=''Erowid Extracts'': August 2018, Number 30 |publisher=Erowid Center |access-date=2018-09-01 |archive-date=2020-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520150407/https://erowid.org/general/newsletter/erowid_newsletter30.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> including images, research summaries and abstracts, [[FAQ]]s, [[Mass media|media]] articles, experience reports, information on [[chemistry]], dosage, effects, [[law]], [[health]], traditional and [[entheogen|spiritual use]], and [[drug testing]]. {{ as of |2014 | 07 }}, over 17 million people visit the site each year.<ref>{{citation |url=https://erowid.org/general/newsletter/erowid_newsletter26.shtml |title=''Erowid Extracts'': July 2014, Number 26 |publisher=Erowid Center |access-date=2015-11-16 |archive-date=2020-05-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504221009/https://www.erowid.org/general/newsletter/erowid_newsletter26.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

The site generally contains more detail in the pages listed under [[plants]] and [[chemicals]] than in other sections. It does not have comprehensive information about the specific effects of most pharmaceuticals. Such information may appear elsewhere on the site, where one can read about people's individual reactions to various drugs.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Erowid Experience Vaults: Complete Substance and Category List|url = https://erowid.org/experiences/exp_list.shtml|website = erowid.org|access-date = 2015-11-30|archive-date = 2020-05-18|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200518012409/https://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp_list.shtml|url-status = live}}</ref>

=== Experience Vaults ===
Erowid allows site visitors to submit descriptions of their own personal experiences with psychoactive substances for review and possible publication. The site states that they welcome all perspectives regarding personal psychoactive experience, including positive, negative, and neutral. Their collection consists of more than 30,000 edited, reviewed, and published reports, as well as stating that they have another 55,000 unpublished reports undergoing review.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://erowid.org/experiences/exp.cgi?S1=0&S2=-1&C1=-1&Str= | title=Search Results : Erowid Experience Vaults | access-date=2018-05-31 | archive-date=2020-07-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722205242/https://erowid.org/experiences/exp.cgi?S1=0&S2=-1&C1=-1&Str= | url-status=live }}</ref> Many of their reports are collected from [[Bluelight (web forum)|Bluelight.org]], and the two organizations have collaborated to categorize and publish trip reports.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Erowid Experience Vaults: Bluelight Experience Report Collection |url=https://erowid.org/experiences/exp_group.php?Group=Bluelight |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=erowid.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-02-05 |title=Love reading experience reports? Then Help Erowid! |url=https://bluelight.org/xf/threads/love-reading-experience-reports-then-help-erowid.291523/ |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=Bluelight.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== DrugsData / EcstasyData ===
Erowid also runs DrugsData (formerly EcstasyData), an independent laboratory [[drug checking]] program co-sponsored by IsomerDesign and [[DanceSafe]].

Launched in July 2001 under the name EcstasyData, its purpose was to collect ecstasy pill samples sent anonymously by the public, in order to manage, review, and publicly report laboratory test results from a variety of organizations<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.ecstasydata.org/about.php |title=About EcstasyData.org |publisher=EcstasyData |access-date=2010-02-08 |archive-date=2015-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116045912/http://www.ecstasydata.org/about.php |url-status=live }}</ref> As the site evolved into DrugsData, the service expanded to testing samples of most recreational drugs, and publicly report the sample's chemical composition as well as what it was sold as.

As of April 10, 2024, DrugsData's service is on administrative pause until further notice, by order of the [[DEA]]. DrugsData has published test results for over 20,000 samples throughout its 23 years of service.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.drugsdata.org/ |title=DrugsData.org |publisher=DrugsData |access-date=2025-01-27}}</ref>

Testing costs have sometimes been covered by project funding (when available) and at other times are covered by those who submit tablets for testing. Multiple published studies use EcstasyData.org as a primary source of data.<ref>[https://erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?ID=6995 Tanner-Smith EE. "Pharmacological content of tablets sold as 'ecstasy': results from an online testing service".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322082739/https://erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?ID=6995 |date=2019-03-22 }} Drug Alcohol Depend. 2006;83(3):247–54.</ref><ref>[https://erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?ID=7152 Tanner-Smith EE. "Corrigendum to 'Pharmacological content of tablets sold as 'ecstasy': Results from an online testing service'".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418074319/https://erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?ID=7152 |date=2019-04-18 }} Drug Alcohol Depend. 2008;93(1-2):190.</ref>

Tablets of street ecstasy can be anonymously submitted to a DEA licensed laboratory for testing and then photos of the tablets and GC/MS test results are published on the project's website.

=== Erowid Extracts ===
''Erowid Extracts'', the bi-annual members' newsletter of Erowid, has been published each year since 2001. It provides updates on the organization's activities, results of surveys conducted on Erowid.org, experience reports, new articles on various aspects of psychedelic and psychoactive plants and drugs, and information about psychedelic culture and events. New issues of ''Erowid Extracts'' are sent to members, but past issues are available on the Erowid website.<ref>{{citation |url=https://erowid.org/general/about/about_newsletter.shtml |title=''Erowid Extracts'' |publisher=Erowid Center |access-date=2012-03-10 |archive-date=2012-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129123907/http://www.erowid.org/general/about/about_newsletter.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Psychoactive Reference Library ===
Erowid and The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies ([[Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies|MAPS]]) collaborated on two large reference database projects. Erowid has provided expertise and work developing and coordinating the construction of an online psychoactive drug reference library, and MAPS has published a similar collection <ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v11n1/11119ero.html | title=MAPS/EROWID Psychedelic Bibliography Projects | access-date=2014-06-16 | archive-date=2014-04-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418210655/http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v11n1/11119ero.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Document archiving ===
Erowid Center also archives and provides access to thousands of older texts in their online and physical libraries. By collecting and making these texts available, they attempt to  promote an understanding of the changing contexts surrounding the use of psychoactive drugs. Major archiving projects include the [[Albert Hofmann]] collection, the [[Myron Stolaroff]] Collection, documents from [[Alexander Shulgin]], and a complete archived snapshot of [[The Hive (website)|The Hive]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Box, Paper, Scanner - Archives at Erowid |url=https://www.erowid.org/general/about/about_article18.shtml |website=Erowid.org |access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-date=8 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908125151/https://www.erowid.org/general/about/about_article18.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Reception ==
Due to the subject matter presented on Erowid.org, the site has drawn praise and criticism from both the media and medical officials. Edward Boyer, an emergency-room physician, and toxicologist, while admitting that Erowid has a plethora of useful information, once argued the site may cause more harm than good to potential drug users.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/23/features-davis.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050324095519/http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/23/features-davis.php |author=Davis E. |title=Don't Get High Without It |publisher=LA Weekly |archive-date=2005-03-24 |date=2004-04-30 |access-date=2012-05-31}}</ref>

Anthropologist Nicolas Langlitz argued that Erowid also sometimes serves as a mechanism of postmarket surveillance or [[pharmacovigilance]] in the realm of illicit and experimental substances.<ref>{{citation |author=Nicolas Langlitz |s2cid=7513456 |title=Pharmacovigilance and Post-black Market Surveillance |journal=Social Studies of Science |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=395–420 |date=2009-06-01 |doi=10.1177/0306312708101977 |pmid=19848184 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Bluelight (web forum)]]
* [[The Hive (website)]]
* [[Drug rehabilitation]]
* [[Responsible drug use]]
* [[Trip report]]

== References ==
{{reflist|33em}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.drugsdata.org/ Drugsdata.org]
* [https://www.dmt-nexus.me/ DMT-Nexus]

[[Category:American educational websites]]
[[Category:Drug culture]]
[[Category:Hallucinogens]]
[[Category:Charities based in California]]
[[Category:American digital libraries]]
[[Category:501(c)(3) organizations]]
[[Category:Harm reduction]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in California]]