Hapé

Hapé is the preparation of powdered medicinal herbs administered through the nose as a snuff. Hapé quickly and intensely produces effects that make the user feel alert and elevated. Typically, mapacho (nicotina rustica sacred tobacco) which contains about twenty times the nicotine of common tobacco is used as a base for Hapé, and other plant medicines are added for various effects.

This ancient practice of consuming powdered plant medicines through the nose dated back to the pre-Colombian days and was first observed among the indigenous tribes of Brazil. To these tribes, hapé is a sacred shamanic medicine with extensive healing and other powers. Other uses include inducing visions, increasing energy, and heightening the senses with the aromatic fragrance of the plants used in the blend.

Several tribes traditionally use Hape, and they each produce their own specific Hapé blends.