Anadenanthera colubrina -- why baking soda?

[mouthwater]

What purpose does the baking soda/lime powder *exactly* serve? SWIM has read at least one report on the interweb of a psychonaut who did not use either baking soda or lime powder, but still received effects.

Jonathan Ott writes (in his Pharmacology of Bufotenine paper):

Cebib-seed snuff was prepared by lightly toasting, then triturating to a coarse powder, freshly collected seeds (with addition of reagent-grade sodium bicarbonate as a drying agent to facilitate finer pulverization, and in emulation of shamanic use of ashes or lime in Anadenanthera snuffs).

So, is baking soda used mostly to help dry the pulverized seeds? If so, it doesn't seem entirely needed, correct?

SWIM was curious about what ratio of "baking soda : anadenanthera colubrina seeds" is most effective, if there even is such a ratio. SWIM has found suggestions ranging from "1:3" to "1:1." If sodium bicarbonate is used mostly as a drying agent, then this ratio shouldn't matter much, no?

edit: SWIM asked a friend last night, and s/he also didn't have a perfect understanding as to why, although they figured it had something to do with alkalinity. SWIM just read on the A&H website that "When [brand name removed] baking soda comes in contact with either an acidic or an alkaline substance, it's natural effect is to neutralize that extreme pH..." Was s/he on the right path?

Thanks.

[tenacioustornado]

lime(calcium hydroxide) is used because it reacts when wetted and dried to freebase the bufotenine so it can be absorbed in the nasal cavity,or smoked there's other thread on this 1st page that go into more detail.

[69Ron]

You should use calcium hydroxide, not baking soda. Calcium hydroxide is what the natives use. It's FAR more effective.

Calcium hydroxide is also used for Virola calophylla resin snuff as well as Virola theiodora resin snuff. Virola calophylla snuff contains mostly just DMT, Virola theiodora snuff contains mostly 5-MeO-DMT and Anadenanthera colubrina snuff contains mostly bufotenine. They are three very different experiences.

When using calcium hydroxide with Anadenanthera colubrina snuff, most people use 1 part calcium hydroxide to 2-4 parts Anadenanthera seeds. When using calcium hydroxide with Virola calophylla resin snuff or Virola theiodora resin snuff, use about 6% calcium hydroxide by weight.

The nice thing about Anadenanthera colubrina seeds, Virola calophylla resin and Virola theiodora resin is that they can be prepared as snuff without any extraction needed at all. They also work sublingually as a quid.