Posted: August 13, 2025
As drug policies continue to evolve, it is conceivable that mescaline could re-emerge as a therapeutic tool. Globally, mescaline is regulated as an illicit substance, and transporting cacti might be illegal. Countries allow varying exemptions for research, religious sacrament, and hobbyist horticulture. San Pedro’s use in healing ceremonies is legal for those outside of the original culture in Peru. San Pedro cactus, also known as huachuma (wa-choo’-ma), is one of several cacti that produce the alkaloid mescaline, the psychoactive compound that inspired the term psychedelic in the first place.
- Consuming peyote can introduce a range of physical sensations, including elevated heart rate, mild sweating, and an initial wave of nausea.
- Mescaline is thought to be one of the oldest psychedelics used by humans, evidence suggesting Native Americans in Mexico consumed it ceremonially over 5700 years ago.
- This will excite those neurons in the brain and lead to psychedelic symptoms.
What Plants Are Hallucinogenic?
For more information on taking peyote safely, see Precautions and Safety and toxicity. Addiction is another promising application for mescaline’s therapeutic potential. As peyote, mescaline has long been used in traditional ceremonial contexts to treat alcoholism. In fact, a researcher at Harvard Medical School who has spent years studying peyote use found that the substance has reduced rates of alcoholism and drug abuse among Native Americans. He also concluded that the ceremonies themselves are an important element to the plant’s healing effects. The primary psychoactive compound is mescaline, considered a classical psychedelic because it binds to the 5HT2A serotonin receptor.
By purchasing land in Texas, they restore growing areas and uphold traditional harvesting methods. While rare, repeated use of psychedelics can lead to lasting perceptual changes. Researchers studying these phenomena underscore the importance of careful, respectful use. After harvest, peyote needs ample time—anywhere from 8 to 10 years—to fully recover.
- In many ways, peyote remains a living testament to Indigenous resilience.
- Connecting someone to professional resources is one of the first steps they need to take to heal.
- A person may use peyote because they want to experiment without realizing the serious negative effects that hallucinogenic drugs can have on their health.
- Tyrosine and phenylalanine serve as metabolic precursors towards the synthesis of mescaline.
- However, in some cases, a person may experience a “bad trip” that can have lasting effects on their mental and emotional health.
Mescaline Abuse Treatment Options
It has been used for centuries in Native American spiritual and ceremonial practices. Addiction often accompanies anxiety, depression, or trauma-related disorders, creating a challenging cycle that exacerbates both issues. Untreated mental health conditions increase the risk of relapse and hinder addiction treatment effectiveness. Some people who take peyote and other psychedelics may experience negative effects on their mental health from substance use. Addiction Resource is an educational platform for sharing and disseminating information about addiction and substance abuse recovery centers.
Physical health risks
Taking mescaline in the form of peyote constitutes the main sacrament of the Native American Church. Native Americans are the only people allowed to use peyote–otherwise, it is a Schedule I drug with no approved medical uses. But, weak as it may be in comparison, mescaline is still capable of producing changes in your moods, thoughts, and perceptions.
DMT Addictiveness, Risks, and Treatment
The length of time mescaline takes to kick in and how long the psychedelic high from the drug lasts can vary from person to person, as can the detection rate of the substance. These psychological changes form the basis of the spiritual experience of the Native American Church. Mescaline has likely been used in religious ceremonies by Native Americans dating back 5700 years.
Mescaline is also known to bind to and activate the is mescaline dangerous serotonin 5-HT2C receptor 12, 5. Taking Mescaline most likely will negatively affect anyone who has a history of having anxiety. Understanding the possible side effects—both physical and emotional—is essential for anyone considering its use.
While psychedelics are not physically addictive, users can form mental dependencies on them. Using them in unsafe environments, such as while operating a motor vehicle, could cause serious injuries to yourself and others. Mescaline belongs to a family of compounds known as phenethylamines, making it quite distinct from the other major psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin, which belong to the indole family. Many synthetic ‘designer’ psychedelics, such as ecstasy (MDMA) and 2C-B, are phenethylamines, and are related to the chemistry of mescaline. The chemical structure of mescaline is very similar to that of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, thus the drug can interfere with their actions in the brain 7, 8.
Although initially met with skepticism, peyote has become a cornerstone of Navajo ceremonial life. He interprets visions, leads prayers, and ensures the gathering’s spiritual integrity. Wixarika ceremonies blend offerings to sacred figures and communal consumption of peyote in carefully guided rituals. The plant’s visionary effects are seen as a vital channel for guidance and communal harmony. Throughout history, peyote has held profound spiritual importance across various Indigenous cultures.
Common mental health ailments like depression, PTSD, addictive behaviors, and anxiety disorders are all potentially treatable with these psychedelics. Synthesized mescaline is not a prolific substance among people who use psychedelics, but people who microdose mescaline might use synthetics. There are potentially lethal novel psychedelic substances derived from mescaline called NBOMes (N-Benzylphenethylamine). These synthetics share the same unique classification of drugs called phenethylamines and may produce similar effects but carry a much higher risk of fatality. Illegally and synthetically produced mescaline poses risks not necessarily seen in mescaline derived from the peyote cactus. Synthetically produced drugs are often contaminated with other substances, such as fentanyl, which poses a high risk of overdose and death, explains the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Sounds may appear more resonant, layered, or even synesthetic—where auditory stimuli evoke visual sensations. Research in Neuropharmacology (2020) suggests mescaline disrupts normal thalamocortical processing, leading to cross-modal sensory experiences. Some describe hearing music as having a tangible texture or perceiving environmental noises as rhythmic patterns. These alterations can be immersive but may also contribute to confusion or overstimulation. In general, even where it’s legal to grow San Pedro, peyote, and other mescaline-containing plants, it is illegal to consume them and especially to extract the mescaline.
Mescaline is the active hallucinogenic ingredient in peyote, a small cactus. For centuries, peyote has been consumed by indigenous tribes in northern Mexico, as well as in the southwestern United States, as an important part of religious ceremonies. It alters people’s sense of time, space, and themselves, and it can cause illusions and hallucinations.
Of course, we cannot generalize current usage statistics from such limited data, but it does give us some idea of its popularity relative to other substances. Unfortunately, precise usage statistics for mescaline aren’t available because surveys tend to lump it together with other substances like LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA. Mescaline could also help reduce suicidal thoughts, according to researchers at the University of Alabama. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the researchers found that people who have used a psychedelic drug at least once in their life show lower rates of suicidal thinking. In another study, researchers found that mescaline helped goldfish learn to avoid a shock more quickly.