Peyote & Mescaline

Peyote is a small, spineless cactus. The active ingredient in peyote is the hallucinogen mescaline.

From earliest recorded time, peyote has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States as a part of their religious rites. Mescaline can be extracted from peyote or produced synthetically

• Buttons, Cactus, Mesc, and Peyoto

The top of the peyote cactus is referred to as the “crown” and consists of disc-shaped buttons that are cut off.

The fresh or dried buttons are chewed or soaked in water to produce an intoxicating liquid. Peyote buttons may also be ground into a powder that can be placed inside gelatin capsules to be swallowed, or smoked with a leaf material such as cannabis or tobacco.

Abuse of peyote and mescaline will cause varying degrees of:

• Illusions, hallucinations, altered perception of space and time, and altered body image

Users may also experience euphoria, which is sometimes followed by feelings of anxiety.

• Intense nausea, vomiting, dilation of the pupils, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, a rise in body temperature that causes heavy perspiration, headaches, muscle weakness, and impaired motor coordination

Other hallucinogens like LSD, psilocycbin (mushrooms), and PCP

Peyote and mescaline are Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that they have a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.