The present study aimed to assess the quality and risks involved in the consumption of psychoactive herbal products (PHs) that are available through informal commerce in the city of Diadema, SP, Brazil. Methods of ethnography were used to conduct the fieldwork during which four dealers were selected to record the collection, handling, packaging, types of PHs marketed, and their therapeutic purposes. in addition, lots of the PHs selected were purchased from the dealers and analyzed using microbiology and pharmacognosy techniques. 217 PHs were recorded and categorized into two main groups: stimulants (67%) and depressants (27%) of the central nervous system; sixteen of them were selected, and their 52 lots were acquired. the deficiencies observed in handling and packaging these lots by dealers were confirmed by microbiological analysis; 80.8% of them presented risk according to the indicators defined by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia. the pharmacognostic analysis confirmed the authenticity of only 9 to 16 PHs analyzed. in addition, descriptions of contraindications, adverse reactions, and drug interactions were found in the literature for the PHs. the results of this study allow the observation of the priorities for the sanitary adequacy of the popular trade of herbs.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)AFIP-Associacao Fundo de Incentivo a PesquisaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med Prevent, BR-04038034 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Ctr Estudos Etnobot & Etnofarmacol, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Dept Farm, BR-05508000 São Paulo, BrazilAdolfo Lutz Inst, Ctr Medicamentos Cosmet & Saneantes, BR-01246902 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psicobiol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Bandeirante Anhanguera, BR-02071013 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med Prevent, BR-04038034 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Ctr Estudos Etnobot & Etnofarmacol, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psicobiol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc
