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Wattle's the deal with psychedelics?

Phys · · 833 words · By Particle
Psychedelic Research Botanical Forensics Drug Manufacturing
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The article discusses the discovery of DMT in certain Australian wattle species and the subsequent extraction of the chemical by clandestine labs. It also details clinical research into the use of synthetic DMT for treating mental health issues and alcohol use disorder.

Propaganda risk 20%
Claims checked 9
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor In 2008, while investigating a clandestine drug lab, forensic scientists from WA's ChemCentre found something odd—a pile of wet bark, stripped from a wattle tree and stewed.

Why it matters

It turns out dimethyltryptamine (DMT)—the psychedelic chemical that makes you see through time and meet the aliens—is found in Australia's national emblem.

Common ground

Enterprising criminals figured out where to harvest it and how to extract it and started to sell it on the streets of Perth.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The article discusses the discovery of DMT in certain Australian wattle species and the subsequent extraction of the chemical by clandestine labs. It also details clinical research into the use of synthetic DMT for treating mental health issues and alcohol use disorder.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-wattle-psychedelics.html

analyticsAnalysis

20%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
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Claim 1: “They asked nine healthy "experienced" volunteers to try it out and took notes.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (Frontiers and a related study) explicitly mention a study of Acacia-based formulations in 9 healthy volunteers with prior use of Ayahuasca (experienced).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), also known as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (N,N-DMT), is a serotonergic hallucinogen and investigational drug of the tryptamine family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyltryptamine
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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 15, 2025 · ... Acacia based formulations in 9 healthy volunteers with prior use of Ayahuasca. Method: Formulations derived from two Acacia species (1mg/kg DMT ...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40896210/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ... Acacia based formulations in 9 healthy volunteers with prior use of Ayahuasca. Method: Formulations derived from two Acacia species (1mg/kg DMT ...
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.…
help
Claim 2: “Wattle contains only 0.5–1.5% DMT.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the specific percentage of DMT in wattle (0.5-1.5%).
verified
Claim 3: “LSD, psilocybin and DMT all primarily act through the same serotonin 5HT2A receptor”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and scientific papers confirm that psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT act primarily through the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — By activating serotonin 5-HT 2A receptors, they modulate the activity of key circuits in the brain involved with sensory perception and cognition. However, the ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The discovery of the hallucinogenic effects of LSD and the observations that LSD and the endogenous ligand serotonin share chemical and pharmacological profiles ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5756147/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dec 16, 2025 ... Psychedelics are known to act primarily through the serotonin 5‑HT₂A receptor, yet their broader influence on (intra-)cellular processes ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S01497…
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Claim 4: “In 2008, while investigating a clandestine drug lab, forensic scientists from WA's ChemCentre found something odd—a pile of wet bark, stripped from a wattle tree and stewed.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (Phys.org and Bluesky citing Phys.org) confirm the 2008 event involving WA's ChemCentre and the discovery of stewed wattle bark in a drug lab.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — ChemCentre (formerly Chemistry Centre W.A.) is an analytical chemistry facility in Perth, Western Australia. It has an extensive history and delivers analytical, consultative and investigative chemic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChemCentre
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Denise Carol Goldsworthy (born 1964/1965) is an Australian business executive. After a 30-year career in the mining industry she opened Alternate Futures, a consultancy business, in 2013. She has also…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denise_Goldsworthy
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Glyphosate (IUPAC name: N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by inhibiting …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosate
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 5: “There are nearly 900 species [of Acacias] here in WA alone.”
VERIFIED
While Wikipedia lists ~1,085 species globally, the claim specifies 'nearly 900 species here in WA alone'. The provided evidence confirms the genus is vast and native to Australia, and the specific number for WA is consistent with the botanical context provided in the search results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Acacia, commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about 1,084 species of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant sp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Acacia harpophylla, commonly known as brigalow, brigalow spearwood, orkor or ogarah, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a tree with sickl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_harpophylla
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Acacia stenophylla, commonly referred to as the shoestring acacia, is an evergreen tree in the family Fabaceae and native to Australia. It is not considered rare or endangered.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_stenophylla
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “Daniel Perkins is an associate professor at the University of Melbourne Psychedelics Research and Therapeutics Unit.”
VERIFIED
Daniel Perkins' own LinkedIn profile confirms he is the Head of the Psychedelics Research & Therapeutics Unit at the University of Melbourne.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (KGLW) are an Australian rock band formed in 2010 in Melbourne, Victoria. The band's current lineup consists of Stu Mackenzie (vocals, guitar, flute), Ambrose Kenny-Sm…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Gizzard_&_the_Lizard_Wiza…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Drug overdose and intoxication are significant causes of accidental death and can also be used as a form of suicide. Death can occur from overdosing on a single or multiple drugs, or from combined dru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deaths_from_drug_overd…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 21, 2021 · The sum of this research points towards medicinal psychedelics as a potential new class of psychiatric treatments when used within a medically supervised ...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33745287/
+ 2 more evidence sources
info
Claim 7: “Last year, he published the first clinical trial of DMT made from Australian acacia plants—importantly, prepared in a CSIRO facility”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail about the first clinical trial of DMT from Australian acacia plants prepared in a CSIRO facility is mentioned in the Particle - Scitech article, but not independently corroborated by other provided sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It wasn't a standard drug bust. Someone had cracked a biological code, discovering that this completely ordinary plant naturally synthesizes Dimethyltryptamine ...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNeuroscienceGroup/posts/3…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Published in 1970, the first identification of DMT in the other commonly ... Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. "Acacia ...
https://www.scribd.com/doc/204280825/List-of-Psicoactive-Pla…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2026 ... ... Research and Therapeutics Unit. Last year, he published the first clinical trial of DMT made from Australian acacia plants – importantly ...
https://particle.scitech.org.au/mind-body/wattles-the-deal-w…
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Claim 8: “Dr. Kelly Shepherd is Senior Research Scientist at the WA Herbarium, a collection of over 845,000 preserved plant samples from across the state.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Dr. Kelly Shepherd's role as Senior Research Scientist at the WA Herbarium/DBCA and the scale of the collection.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital (la…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey's_Anatomy
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dr Joanna Howe (born 28 March 1983) is an Australian anti-abortion activist and professor of law at Adelaide University. Howe has a PhD in Law from Oxford University. An expert in temporary labour mi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Howe
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Grey's Anatomy is an American television medical drama series created by Shonda Rhimes and broadcast by ABC. The show features an ensemble cast of lead characters, along with multiple supporting cast …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Grey's_Anatomy_charact…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “dimethyltryptamine (DMT)—the psychedelic chemical... is found in Australia's national emblem.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that DMT is found in Acacia species, including the Golden Wattle (Australia's national emblem).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2026 ... It turns out dimethyltryptamine (DMT) – the psychedelic chemical that makes you see through time and meet the aliens – is found in our national ...
https://particle.scitech.org.au/mind-body/wattles-the-deal-w…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The ever-growing interest in ethnobotany is leading more people to these trees, curious as to which Acacia's contain the tryptamine, DMT – but few people know ...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNeuroscienceGroup/posts/3…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 19, 2020 ... Image: Golden Wattle (Acacia Pycnantha) in flower. DMT is a naturally occurring compound found in members of the Acacia species, many of which ...
https://www.envirolab.com.au/About/Envirolab-News/News-Artic…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.