Is Mescaline Legal?
Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychedelic hallucinogen found in a species of cacti called Peyote. It is a rare type of cactus native to South America in Peru and some parts of North America in Mexico and Texas. Mescaline has been used for hundreds of years among native and indigenous peoples as a part of religious ceremonies dating back to the Aztec population. Today, mescaline is labeled as a Schedule I controlled substance and is considered illegal with no medical benefits. However, there are exceptions for when it is used by indigenous people for religious ceremonies and rituals.
Mescaline, like other hallucinogenic substances, is not considered an addictive drug. But with increased use, it can cause health risks and complications to the user. Recreational users take the drug to experience euphoria, hallucinations, and an altered state of being. Some people use it to enhance their meditation or as a supplement to cognitive and behavioral therapies. During this altered state of mind, users are at high risk of engaging in dangerous and life-threatening behaviors.
What is Mescaline?
Mescaline is a psychedelic protoalkaloid hallucinogen found in the rare cactus plant called Peyote. Mescaline can also be produced in a lab, but the most prevalent source of the substance is derived from the Peyote cactus. Because the plant is so rare, the substance mescaline is also a rare type of hallucinogen compared to other psychedelic drugs such as LSD or magic mushrooms. The Peyote cactus is a small and spineless cactus. The button-shaped seeds of the plant are where mescaline is extracted from. It is small and round with no thorns. It is a resilient plant and is able to regenerate and regrow new buttons if and when it is cut off.
Despite its resilience, the population of the rare and wild species of cacti is slowly declining. According to reports from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there is an estimated 30% decline of the plant in the past 20 years.
Common street names for mescaline include Buttons, Cactus, Mesc and Peyoto.
Mescaline can be taken in powder, tablet, capsule or liquid form. Chewing on the button of the plant, which is extracted from the roots, can produce hallucinogenic effects. Fresh or dried buttons can be chewed on. The plant is known to have a bitter taste. The Peyote buttons can also be soaked in water to produce a liquid form. They can also be ground into a powder that can be turned into capsules or inhaled by smoking. Some can also consume the substance in brewed tea.
The onset of effects from mescaline can occur within 1-2 hours after consumption. On average, the effects can last from 10-20 hours. Most users experience hallucinogenic effects and euphoria for between 12-18 hours. Overall, the effects of the substance and how long it lasts will vary between each individual and other underlying factors.
Effects of Mescaline
Mescaline produces similar effects to other hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin.
- Intense nausea and vomiting
- Headache and dizziness
- Anxiety
- Increased heart rate and increased blood pressure
- Diarrhea
- Dilation of pupils
- Increased body temperature
- Muscle weakness
- Impaired motor coordination
- Reduced appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
Psychedelic effects of Mescaline
- Altered state of consciousness resulting in altered thinking, changes in time and perception and feeling like you are in a dream-like state of mind
- Feelings of altered perspectives
- Positive feelings and heightened emotional state of mind
- Changes in visual perceptions with intense visual distortions that can occur when the eyes are open or closed
- Euphoria
- Increased energy
- Distortions of space, time and body image
- Illusions and hallucinations that distort reality
- Synesthesia, a mixed sense in which users can see sound or hear colors
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Is Mescaline a legal substance?
Mescaline is a Schedule I controlled substance. It poses no medical benefits and has a high potential for health risks. Because of its illegal status, there has been some controversy surrounding the use of the Peyote plant and the mescaline substance. Most mescaline is derived naturally from the Peyote plant. Some mescaline is synthetically created. This type is illegal without any exceptions.
It is a crime to possess or distribute peyote products or mescaline. However, there are some exemptions to this policy due to the fact that mescaline has been used in religious ceremonies and rituals for thousands of years among the indigenous population.
When it is being used for religious purposes, mescaline is exempt from drug classification according to the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act. This federal law protects indigenous people’s rights to use and possess Peyote in traditional ceremonies or rituals.
State laws regarding Peyote and mescaline also vary between different places. Selling and distributing mescaline is illegal in every state except for Texas, where it is grown and is native to some parts of the state. Peyote sellers in Texas are required to register with the US Drug Enforcement Administration as well as with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Individuals must report how much Peyote they harvest from the wild and they must renew their license for selling and distributing every year. There are currently only four licensed Peyote distributors in all of Texas. The state of Colorado is the only state that decriminalized certain types of mescaline use.
Is Mescaline Addictive?
Like most hallucinogenic and psychedelic drugs, mescaline is not known to have any long term physical effects on the brain. It generally does not cause dependence or addiction. However, when used recreationally or used in excess, a tolerance to the drug can develop and a psychological dependence can develop. This means eventually, you can become more tolerant of the drug and will need more of it in order to feel and experience its full effects.
Hallucinogenic drugs affect people very differently depending on various factors. Factors such as size of dose, whether or not the person has used drugs in the past and the person’s emotional state of mind prior to taking the substance. It is recommended that users maintain a neutral or positive state of mind when taking mescaline. If you are in a bad mood, feeling depressed or worried, it can lead to having a bad trip on mescaline.
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Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
Mescaline is not a new drug. It has been used in religious ceremonies by indigenous people for hundreds of years. Mescaline belongs in a class of drugs called hallucinogens, which also include substances such as 2C-B, Ayahuasca, DMT, LSD and Psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Mescaline is primarily extracted from the Peyote cactus plant native to regions in North and South America. It is a Schedule I controlled substance with exceptions for use in religious events. Synthetically made mescaline is illegal on all fronts without exceptions. The drug produces a sense of euphoria and hallucinations. Although not considered an additive drug, when used with other substances, it can cause the development of a substance use disorder.
Behavioral health programs such as Hotel California by the Sea provide treatment for a wide variety of substance use disorders. Our levels of treatment include detox, residential, PHP and IOP. We utilize evidence-based methods such as CBT, DBT and EMDR therapy. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals of sobriety and overcome their addiction.
References:
https://recovered.org/hallucinogens/mescaline
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Peyote%20and%20Mescaline-2020_0.pdf
https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/mescaline
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/hallucinogens/mescaline-peyote
https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/peyote-and-mescaline-laws.html