Catholic Christianity became the state church of the Roman Empire. Since alcohol was often produced in abbeys and monasteries, it became the dominant psychoactive substance during the empire, and after. As noted by Tupper (2002) "Indeed, after the Roman Empire was succeeded by the Roman Catholic Church, and for the next thousand years in most of Europe, psychoactive substance use was largely limited to fermented beverages such as wine, beer, cider and mead, which were often produced in abbeys and monasteries".
Source: Tupper, K. W. (2011). Ayahuasca, entheogenic education & public policy (Doctoral dissertation, UBC).
| Drugs: | Alcohol |
|---|---|
| Regions: | Europe, Middle East |
| Topics: | Cultivation, production and trade, Cultural factors (social, religious, ritual) |