Mescaline Definition, Effects, & Facts

‘Peyote buttons’ are most often chewed but they can also be mixed with water and swallowed. Sometimes mescaline is made into a powder and put into capsules and swallowed 1. The top of the peyote cactus is referred to as the ‘crown’ and consists of disc-shaped buttons that are cut off 2. Mescaline has a bitter taste so some people grind ‘Peyote buttons’ into an off-white powder that is put into capsules 1.

According to the study, peyote users reported better psychological well-being and more positive emotions 45. Another key difference between the two is that mescaline has not been reported to produce “flashbacks,” also known as hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Flashbacks occur when visual and auditory disturbances previously experienced during a trip reappear when not using the drug 42, 43, 44, 45. Mescaline is a hallucinogenic chemical compound which originates naturally in peyote (Lophophora williamsii), a species of cactus which is native to Mexico and Texas. While mescaline most often comes from peyote, it can also come from certain species of cacti in Peru.

Mescaline – also known as buttons, cactus, mesc, peyote buttons – can be detected for a shorter time with some tests, but can be ‘visible’ for up to three months in other tests. Mescaline is seen as less addictive than some hallucinogens because it works for a short time and has low abuse potential. However, users may still feel compelled to use it and have mild withdrawal symptoms when they stop.

History and use

• It can also cause physical sensations such as nausea, vomiting, and sweating.
• Research suggests that the effects of both compounds can last up to 12 hours with higher doses, however, mescaline tends to last slightly longer 24, 37, 38.
• It was first isolated from the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) in 1897 by German chemist Arthur Heffter and has since been found in various other cacti, such as the San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus pachanoi).
• Cross-tolerance may also occur with other drugs including LSD and psilocybin.
• However, different doses can affect people in various ways, and doses extracted from plants can vary widely.
• In its natural form, mescaline is found in traces within numerous species of cacti, particularly those belonging to the genera Lophophora and Trichocereus.

Despite the increase in symptoms, the experience has been described as potentially useful in some patients. The 5-HT2A receptor is thought to play a key role in the development of schizophrenia and psychosis. By activating this receptor, mescaline can produce temporary changes in the brain that mimics those seen in psychotic episodes caused by schizophrenia 58, 59, 60, 23, 24. The long-term risks of mescaline are unknown since proper clinical data are lacking.

Mescaline origins

The hallucinogenic effects of mescaline will last longer for some people than others. Depending on a person’s height, weight, mental state, previous drug use, mescaline can last between 10 and 20 hours. The effects of mescaline can last between 10 to 12 hours, and the intensity of these effects depends on the dosage you take. A study of 61 Native American Church members claimed that peyote use had no negative effects on mental function or psychology. Another study of 130k people did not find an association between mescaline or peyote use and rates of mental health issues. One study looked at the mental health of 61 long-term peyote users in the Native American Church compared to 79 members of the Navajo tribe with no or little history of drug use.

We believe that the most accurate information is found directly in the scientific source. It is possible that because mescaline looks like a naturally green button-shaped ‘seeds’, rather than a white power, it is probably more likely for mescaline to be faked rather than cut with anything 1. Like drinking and driving, driving whilst impaired due to use of drugs is illegal – and you could still be unfit to drive the day after using mescaline. You can get a heavy fine, be disqualified from driving or even go to prison 1.

Duration of effects

“Trips”, the intense psychedelic experience for the user, may be pleasurable and enlightening or anxiety-producing and unpleasant (known as a “bad trip”). There is no way to know how a user’s mescaline experience may ultimately play out. Your resource for psychedelic & alternative treatments~Connecting individuals with innovative treatment clinics. Today, while mescaline is still not widely used, it remains a fascinating topic of scientific and cultural interest. Its rich history and significance in indigenous cultures are an important reminder of the diverse ways humans have sought to connect with the divine. Archeological evidence for the ritualistic use of mescaline-containing cacti dates back to over 5000 years..

Treatment options

These ‘peyote buttons’ are dried or mixed with water to make a hallucinogenic drink. Mescaline is taken in a variety of ways spending on what form of the drug is being used. Traditional peyote is taken by chewing, smoking, or eating specific parts of the plant. These parts of the plant, commonly referred to as buttons, are extracted from the roots. Mescaline is a psychedelic hallucinogen obtained from the small, spineless cactus Peyote (Lophophora williamsi), the San Pedro cactus, Peruvian torch cactus, and other mescaline-containing cacti.

• After 1962, when the Federal Drug Administration tightenedits guidelines on psychedelic research, there were few plausible reasons forworking with mescaline and LSD came to dominate what was by now a shrinkingfield.
• The enzyme responsible for the deamination of mescaline to the aldehyde derivative is still a controversial issue among the scientific community.
• This may include strategies such as identifying triggers for drug use, avoiding high-risk situations or people, and having a plan for handling cravings.
• From the earliest recorded time, peyote has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it grows, as a part of traditional religious rites.
• TMPA is afterward metabolized to 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenylacetic acid or 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (3,4,5-TMBA).
• 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 2.
• The top of the above-ground part of the cactus, the crown, consists of disc-shaped buttons.

What Is Peyote Used For?

Allegedly, they considered it to be a divine substance with healing properties 7, 8, 1. Our goal is to not have a single piece of inaccurate information on this website. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please leave a comment or contact us at Being in a good state of mind, with trusted friends and a safe environment before taking mescaline reduces the risk of having a ‘bad’ trip.

An unusual but unique characteristic of mescaline use is the “geometrization” of three-dimensional objects. The object can appear flattened and distorted, similar to the presentation of a Cubist painting 92. The user often feels like “an alien in entirely new surroundings, and may feel as if he or she is floating or weighted down by some strange gravitational force” 3. It is common for the individual to believe that is communicating with God or other deities, and is able mesculan drug to transcend the limits of earth, time and space to another world. It is for this reason that mescaline is often used during religious ceremonies, particularly by Native Americans, and that peyote is called the “divine” or “sacred” cactus 3.

The hallucinogenic experience typically begins in 60 minutes after consumption and lasts about 8 to 12 hours. However, different doses can affect people in various ways, and doses extracted from plants can vary widely. The top of the cactus above ground, or the crown, consists of disc-shaped buttons that are cut from the roots and dried. These buttons are generally chewed or soaked in water to produce an intoxicating tea.

These create dopamine, which then experiences methylation by a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) by an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent mechanism. The resulting intermediate is then oxidized again by a hydroxylase enzyme, likely monophenol hydroxylase again, at carbon 5, and methylated by COMT. The product, methylated at the two meta positions with respect to the alkyl substituent, experiences a final methylation at the 4 carbon by a guaiacol-O-methyltransferase, which also operates by a SAM-dependent mechanism. Calls to numbers marked with (I) symbols will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed in our Terms and Conditions, each of which is a paid advertiser. Is a licensed and practicing pharmacist and medical writer who specializes in different substances, the effects of substance abuse, and substance use disorder. Mescaline has a rich historical background, with its cultural and indigenous use in rituals and ceremonies.