The Western popularization of non-institutionalized, traditional healing systems implies multiple challenges that deserves in-depth reflection. In fact, this is already happening in many parts of Amazonia with ayahuasca, in Mexico with peyote, and in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea with iboga. Biomedical and cultural misappropriation, the over-exploitation of natural resources for commercial purposes, medicinal plant tourism that threatens the viability of local community rituals, and disruptions of egalitarian traditional social systems perverted by economic inequalities are among the challenges faced. These challenges can be overcome only if they are dealt with from a perspective of reciprocity that extends beyond the GMH agenda’s narrow recognition of traditional medical systems involving psychoactive plants. It is therefore necessary to invest in indigenous epistemological research and practices in order to truly protect indigenous peoples’ right to science, since this right, beyond its concern with science, involves much more complex economic and sociopolitical dimensions.