PEYOTE: HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, CARE, USES - BIOLOGY - 2025

The peyote (peyote) is a species of cactus belonging to the family Cactaceae, which contains the alkaloid called mescaline. It is a small spherical green-gray cactus with a large conical root, devoid of thorns. Their areolas are covered by a whitish fluff.

It is an endemic plant of northeastern Mexico and the southwestern region of Texas. It is located mainly in the Chihuahuan desert and in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

Peyote (Lophophora williamsii). Source: The original uploader was Lophophora at German Wikipedia.

It is a plant known for its psychoactive alkaloids. Among them is mescaline, the substance mainly responsible for its psychedelic effects. In fact, the dry crown contains the highest concentration of mescaline, a structure that is chewed and moistened to obtain the hallucinogenic effect.

Peyote has a long ancestral tradition for its medicinal and ritual use in the ceremonies of the native Mesoamericans. In addition, its application is widespread as an entheogen due to its psychotropic properties, being used for psychotherapy and meditation.

Although peyote is not considered a drug, it is a federal crime to extract or transport it outside of its place of origin. This species is in danger of extinction, and only the native Huichols are authorized to cultivate it, transport it and consume it.

History

The species Lophophora williamsii, known in Mesoamerica as peyote (from Nahuatl peyotl), is a cactus native to Mexico and southwestern Texas. Since ancient times it has played a major role in the culture and religion of the natives of Central America.

Evidence has been found that peyote was used in religious ceremonies by the Mexica and Huichol in Mexico. Likewise, it was a plant revered by the traditional spirituality of the Navajo Indians in the southwestern United States.

Ceremonial hut (tipi) for the consumption of peyote by the natives of the southern US Source: Haiduc

Archaeological images preserved from Mesoamerican cultures show that peyote was used in religious ceremonies 3,000 years ago. Its form of traditional and ceremonial use by pre-Hispanic American groups has been based on its medicinal, therapeutic and hallucinogenic properties.

After the Spanish conquest, the first reference to peyote was made by the Franciscan missionary Bernardino de Sahagún in the 16th century. In his writings, he points out that the Chichimecas discovered and used peyote in a ceremonial way for its hallucinogenic effects.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the use of peyote as a medicinal and therapeutic plant spread throughout the states of the American South. Being promoted by the rebirth of a new native spirituality, used as "medicine" to heal alcoholism and so-called social illnesses.

Today, peyote is sacred to various indigenous Mexican peoples, such as the Huichols and the Tarahumara. The Huichols practice and preserve their ancestral ceremonies, it is a particular culture that is considered not colonized by Hispanics.

For the Huichols, the use of peyote is common among its inhabitants, both medicinally and ceremonially. In Mexico, this plant is marketed in an artisanal way as an analgesic and antibacterial, as well as to heal infections, heart problems and for the treatment of neurasthenia.

General characteristics

Morphology

- Species: Lophophora williamsii (Lem. Ex Salm-Dyck) JMCoult. 1894.

Etymology

The word peyote comes from Nahuatl peyotl, which means silky or cocoon, alluding to the fluff that grows on the cactus. However, the Aztec origin of the term peyote has the meaning "stimulation" or "disturbance."

The name of the genus Lophophora derives from the Greek terms λόφος = lophos (plume or crest) and Φόρους = phoros (carrying). This refers to the fact that the plant does not have thorns, but rather hairy areoles in the appearance of plumes or ridges.

Phytochemistry

In its composition, peyote has various alkaloids (6%), the main active compound being mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxy-β-phenylethylamine), a substance with hallucinogenic and psychoactive properties. In addition, it contains analonidine, analaninin, hordenine, lopoporin, n-acetyl mescaline, n-methyl mescaline, o-methylalonidine, peyotin and tyramine.

Habitat and distribution

The Lophophora williamsii species is an endemic cactus of the Chihuahuan desert, from Querétaro to the north of Chihuahua and Coahuila. Its distribution includes the states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas in Mexico, and southern Texas in the United States.

Peyote is located on limestone soils in xerophilic and desert scrub. Being common in thorny bushes, where it has been effectively associated in order to avoid the presence of predators.

It is generally located at altitude levels between 100 and 1,500 meters above sea level, its presence being particular in the Chihuahuan desert at 1,900 meters above sea level. Likewise, it is located in zones of temperate climate characteristic of the state of Tamaulipas.

Peyote in its natural habitat. Source: No machine-readable author provided. Kauderwelsch assumed (based on copyright claims).

Care

Peyote is a cactus that grows and develops in hot climates, with full sun exposure, high temperatures and dry environments. It does not tolerate frost or temperatures below 3º C, high rainfall or compact soils that tend to accumulate water or flood.

As an ornamental crop, peyote is sown on a well-drained substrate, elaborated by a mixture of equal parts of sand, peat and decomposed leaves. The transplant is carried out from the cutting or cutting of the crown with enough roots during the spring, trying to water only when the substrate is dry.

This species is very resistant to drought and water scarcity, so it is recommended to reduce watering in mid-autumn and during winter. In fact, it does not require special fertilization or fertilization, nor training or maintenance pruning.

It is a rustic and very resistant plant, little affected by pests and diseases if the humidity conditions are controlled. In fact, it can be sown in gardens or rocky areas, provided the environmental conditions are suitable.

They are slow growing, but easy to grow species that can be planted in deep pots due to their large conical or napiform root. In addition, they are propagated from seeds, by separating suckers or cuttings from the crown and root.

In pots, small cacti can be affected by fungi in the soil that cause root rots. In this case, the plant can be uprooted, a fungicide applied and the waterings spaced to avoid waterlogging.

Peyote root lacks mescaline, but it is an excellent means of propagating the plant. When the cactus is harvested, a cut is made at the neck level, trying to leave enough plant tissue that favors the proliferation of shoots or new crowns.

Peyote cultivation. Source: Peter A. Mansfeld

Plagues and diseases

Peyote is a rustic plant that in its natural habitat has a low incidence of pests and diseases. As an ornamental, grown in pots in extremely dry environments, it is attacked by the cottony scale (Planococcus sp.), Being easily controlled by physical means.

In conditions of high environmental humidity or excess irrigation, the attack of phytopathogenic fungi of the genus Phytophthora can occur, causing root rot.

At the first symptoms of softening, the crown is cut from the healthy part and sprayed with systemic fungicide. This new cutting is allowed to dry for a few days and is planted on a substrate with high sand content.

Applications

Since ancient times, peyote has been used by Mesoamerican cultures for medicinal and ritual purposes. Indeed, the chronicles of the Indies describe how the natives idolized peyote plants with offerings of incense, tobacco, and corn.

Its medicinal applications are varied. Consumed fresh or dry, it is an effective reliever against constipation. Macerated in alcohol, it is a powerful tonic with analgesic action, being used to combat rheumatic pain, bruises, contusions, and even arthritis.

As a traditional medicine it has been widely used by indigenous communities for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, hypertension and pneumonia. Likewise, it has also been used as an analgesic to calm labor pains, relieve stomach pains, increase libido and cure influenza.

Peyote-based creams. Source: US Customs and Border Protection

In the treatment of psychological illnesses, peyote is administered under medical prescription with very good results. It is a powerful antibacterial, which has the property of destroying penicillin resistant strains. It is also an effective antivenom against the venom of scorpions or vipers.

However, its use by the Huichol people communities (Jalisco, Nayarit and Zacatecas) in their religious ceremonies is the most widespread. The natives of this ethnic group practice an ancestral pilgrimage to the Wirikuta desert in Real de Catorce every year for the ritual collection of peyote.

This ritual is preceded by a shaman or mara'akame, in charge of preparing the plants, telling stories, and presiding over the initiation of new shamans and marriages. In these ceremonies it is necessary to perform purification rites before consuming the peyote or spirit of hikuri, such as fasting, ritual baths and confessions.

Each participant ingests an average of three to ten buttons, experiencing the first psychoactive effects after 40 minutes, which last for more than 10 hours. The symptoms are accompanied by vomiting –purging–, hyperthermia, dilation of the pupils and increased physical power.

Consumption

Generally, peyote is consumed directly - fresh or dry - by chewing the pulp of the cactus. In this way, mescaline penetrates the body through the oral mucosa, this being an unpleasant form due to its bitter taste.

Due to this, it is common to accompany the intake of peyote with pineapple juice, to reduce its bitter taste somewhat, but it is still unpleasant. A convenient way to ingest peyote is through capsules filled with dried and ground peyote.

It is recommended not to consume food six hours before ingesting the peyote, since you may feel nausea and dizzy when the hallucinogen takes effect. This feeling of nausea is reduced by taking an antiemetic such as ginger or snorting cannabis.

Fresh peyote. Source: Frank Vincentz

With peyote you can make a decoction or tea mixed with other herbs, such as Brugmansia suaveolens -floripondium- or Coleus blumei -coleos, cretonne-. In fact, this drink is consumed by shamans when they go into ecstasy when performing religious rituals.

The intake is carried out slowly, prolonging its consumption for an hour or more, to avoid a violent reaction in the body. The mescaline dose for each peyote cactus depends on the age, size and environmental conditions.

At greater age and size, the mescaline content increases in each cactus. 6-15 2 g cactus are required to supply an average dose of 120-300 mg of mescaline.

In this regard, an average dose of mescaline is 100 mg, but for a more intense trip, 350 mg are required. Its power has a wide range of variability. In general, the hallucinogenic experience can last between 6-12 hours, depending on the dose, strength or sensitivity of the organism.

Effects on the body

Peyote contains hallucinogenic substances that cause effects in the body similar to those caused by LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). In effect, it is a psychedelic substance, which similar to lyseride or acid is not addictive, since it does not produce compulsive behavior.

Its consumption is relatively safe, as long as the recommended dosages are respected. However, it is often difficult to determine the appropriate dose, so it is recommended to consume peyote in parts, always accompanied by a person who is not taking it.

The amount of mescaline in each cactus is variable, and depends on the size, age, and environmental conditions. In this regard, an approximate average of 25-30 g of dry peyote contains 250-300 mg of mescaline, the recommended dose being 100-150 mg.

Psychological effects

The psychological effects that a person experiences when consuming peyote depend on the dose, as well as the physical and mental state of the patient. Among other things, the ingestion of the psychotropic mushroom, even in low doses, can cause alterations in the sensory system.

Thus, the person experiences total depersonalization, auditory, taste and visual hallucinations, deterioration of temporal perception and disappearance of individual consciousness. On some occasions, the person suffers from the so-called “bad trip”, which can lead to all kinds of unpleasant experiences and even put the individual's life at risk.

The experience that each individual perceives is related to their personal state of mind, life in general and with nature. The consumption of peyote allows the healing of psychic wounds, childhood traumas and favors the improvement of post-traumatic stress.

Physical effects

Peyote has various metabolites that act as anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and analgesics, which allow scars, bumps and bruises to heal effectively. Likewise, topical applications of the cactus macerate are used in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatic pain.

Peyote creams, ointments, or salves mixed with marijuana are effective in healing skin problems, such as acne. Topical applications, as well as infusions or tea, can relieve muscle, bone and joint pain.

Detail of the areolas. Source: CT Johansson

Effects on the Central Nervous System

The effects that peyote causes in the central nervous system stand out from 30 minutes after consumption. These effects last for more than 12 hours, causing sensory alterations, particularly in the sense of sight.

The effects are characterized by the vision of interlocking geometric shapes, with an infinity of lines and dots, with flashing lights and vivid colors. At the same time, cognitive alterations occur, with mystical experiences, hallucinations, relaxation and inner peace being the main effects.

Contraindications

Peyote tastes bitter and has emetic effects, inducing vomiting and nausea before promoting psychoactive effects. When hallucinations occur, the individual perceives the increase in body temperature, the heart rate accelerates, and perspiration increases.

The presence of various psychoactive metabolites causes different hallucinations, which in many cases cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting and headache. It can also cause anxiety, paranoia, palpitations, sweating, salivation, tremors, blurred vision and loss of sensory and motor coordination.

Consuming peyote in high doses can be as dangerous as Jimson weed (Datura stramonium), which is a psychoactive plant. Likewise, like belladonna (Atropa belladonna), it contains a high content of toxic alkaloids due to its anticholinergic properties.

On the other hand, the psychotropic activity of peyote can cause mental disorders in people with psychological or mental disorders. Its ritual use has not reported long-term cognitive alterations, but nevertheless, it has been observed that some people suffer psychotic episodes after consuming it.

The consumption of peyote is not recommended in people with hypertensive or hypotensive disorders. In this case, this is due to the ability of mescaline to alter blood pressure values.

In addition, the use of peyote by pregnant or lactating women is not commendable, since mescaline is a hallucinogenic substance that can cause congenital malformations, affecting the fetus through the placenta or the infant through the breastmilk.

Interactions with other substances

The metabolites present in peyote are chemically similar to the alkaloids dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, derived from neuroamine. These derivatives of neuroamines are neurotransmitters in the central nervous system that act when alcohol intoxication occurs.

For this reason, it is recommended to avoid alcohol consumption when ingesting the peyote cactus. In the same way, the bioactive principle of the plant can alter the functions of any medicine that is ingested to control blood pressure; its consumption is restricted in these patients.

The intake of peyote is conditioned when a treatment based on immunomodulators or regulators of the immune system is maintained. In fact, peyote stimulates white blood cells and lymphocytes, which can have a cumulative effect.

Neuroleptic drugs with antipsychotic effect such as chlorpromazine affect the disposition of mescaline, damaging the liver and brain of the mother or child. For this reason, the consumption of peyote is limited in people who consume the phenothiazine drug used to treat mental disorders.

Finally, peyote increases the drowsiness caused by some type of neurological medications. Its psychotropic properties can cause cumulative effects with other medications, so it is recommended to restrict its use in mental patients.

Interactions with other plants

The psychoactive effects of peyote in combination with other herbs or hallucinogenic substances can cause additive effects. In this regard, moderation is recommended in people with mental or mental disorders.

People who ingest some type of herb to regulate blood pressure or control heart disorders should limit their consumption of peyote. In fact, peyote acts on the heart system and blood pressure, causing an antagonistic effect with some medications.

In some cases, the side effects of peyote are acceptable if the person has a positive hallucinogenic experience. However, it is necessary to determine the exact dose of mescaline that you want to consume, since an overdose can increase the heart rate, and even cause cardiac arrest.

Peyote cultured specimen. Source: Peter A. Mansfeld

Legality

First of all, one must be aware of the action to be taken when deciding to consume peyote. Peyote is a slow growing plant, which is currently in danger of extinction; and its consumption is illegal in many countries.

Today its use is authorized only for some native tribes in the southern United States and in some states of Mexico. However, this plant can be used ornamentally without restrictions.

At the international level, the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances establishes in its 32nd article the legality of the consumption of certain traditional substances. This resolution currently applies only to some chemical compounds, peyote and other hallucinogenic plants being outside this resolution.

In Mexico, the government has granted special permits to Huichol communities in order to regulate their consumption in their ancestral ceremonies. Likewise, they have established international agreements in order to preserve the customs and traditions of the Mesoamerican natives.

Currently there is a State Law that recognizes peyote as a sacred plant used by indigenous communities. This Law for the Development of Indigenous Communities and Peoples limits the cultivation, transportation and use of peyote.

In the US Federal Laws approve the use of peyote only for members of the Native American Church. Indeed, for those affiliated with the Native American Church, its use is not conditioned and is legal.

Mescaline is considered a controlled-use substance in Canada, and is under restriction under the federal substance and drug statute. However, peyote as an ornamental cactus is exempt from these restrictions.

References

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3. García Naranjo Ortíz de la Huerta, A., & Mandujano, MDC (2010). Spatial distribution pattern and nodricism of peyote (Lophophora williamsii) in Cuatrociénegas, Mexico. Cactaceae and Mexican Succulents, 55 (2), 56-64.
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