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Peyote is a small cactus plant that contains the psychoactive hallucinogenic known as mescaline.
The peyote cactus, also known as Lophophora williamsii, can be found in the southwestern US and North America and is used by Native Americans, including the Huichol and Navajo tribes, for religious purposes.
However, in other contexts it is considered illegal because of its hallucinogenic properties.
Peyote produces effects similar to those of LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), and PCP.
Teens and young adults are often under the impression that the use of psychedelics like peyote is safe since it is something grown naturally.
When peyote is abused, an individual may take it to achieve a sense of “euphoria.”
It is important to understand the risks of peyote use, especially for young people whose brains are more vulnerable to adverse effects from hallucinogen abuse.
Common street names for peyote can include:
The buttons of the peyote plant are ingested by chewing, smoking, or soaking in water to produce a liquid.
They may also be ground into a powder that is put inside gelatin capsules to be consumed or smoked with cannabis or tobacco. After the mescaline is consumed, its hallucinogenic effects start to emerge.
Due to peyote being a cactus and something grown naturally, mixed with the knowledge of a culture that uses it legally, teens and young adults often feel that it must be a safe substance.
They may abuse peyote in rave settings for its hallucinogenic properties.
Peyote contains a large range of phenylethylamine alkaloids. The active ingredient in peyote is the hallucinogen mescaline.
Peyote is a soft, spineless cactus. Peyote plants may vary in color from blue to green, yellow, and red.
It is mostly only found on limestone soils of the Chihuahuan desert of southern Texas and northern Mexico.
Peyote buttons are disc-shaped and cut from the roots, and dried. Sometimes, the peyote plant will grow pink flowers with berries.
Peyote buttons are the small, disc-like tops of the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), which are harvested and used for their psychoactive properties.
Peyote buttons are usually small, round, and greenish, often with tufts of white hair.
They are typically about 2-5 cm in diameter. Sometimes, the peyote plant will grow pink flowers with berries.
Mescaline is a naturally occurring hallucinogenic drug. When a person takes mescaline, they can experience effects such as:
Other effects of mescaline can involve vomiting, headaches, and anxiety. Mescaline can be naturally extracted from peyote or made synthetically.
The original uses of peyote are believed to go back as far as 20,000 years by some indigenous people in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States as a part of native religion.
Native Americans, including the Huichol and Navajo tribes, have used peyote as part of religious ceremonies for decades. In this setting, peyote is not considered a drug but rather a medicine used for healing.
As a ceremonious instrument, the US government does not have a ban on peyote used within the Native American Church; however, someone who is using it recreationally, outside the church, would be doing so illegally.
The 1994 amendment to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act legalized the use of peyote for these religious purposes.
Mescaline is legally used by the Native American Church during religious ceremonies and is often referred to as the “divine” or “sacred” cactus.
Some people who use peyote may be trying to communicate with a higher power and trying to transcend the limits of the earth, time, and space into another world.
Although not confirmed by institutions like the Federal Drug Administration, the indigenous belief is that peyote is beneficial for pain during childbirth, fever, joint pain, and skin wounds.
According to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, American Indians use peyote as part of religious and spiritual ceremonies.
For American Indians, the ingestion of peyote is a religious sacrament that is used during prayer ceremonies.
According to Current Molecular Pharmacology, Native American tribes may also use peyote with the belief that it may help with:
Peyote’s hallucinogenic effects are similar to those of LSD or psychedelic mushrooms.
There is no guarantee that someone will experience certain effects consistently each time, with a large degree of variance possible depending on the current mood of the user and the quality of the drug.
Some of the general effects that can be expected are listed below.
The effects of peyote typically last between 8 to 12 hours, but the duration can vary depending on several factors.
Here are some key points about the duration and experience of peyote:
Yes. People who use peyote are often trying to achieve its “euphoric” effects. However, in some cases, a person may experience a “bad trip.”
During a bad trip they may experience horrifying thoughts and emotions such as anxiety or fear of control, madness, or death.
Peyote can strongly affect the body, causing numerous negative effects such as vomiting, headaches, excessive sweating, muscle stiffness, impaired coordination, loss of appetite, and sleep difficulties.
Peyote’s effects may begin within 20 to 90 minutes after ingesting and can last up to 12 hours. Using hallucinogens can be highly unpredictable as it is hard to tell how an individual’s body and brain will react.
The effects of peyote can largely depend on several different factors, such as the potency and amount ingested and a person’s mood, expectations, surroundings, and mental health history.
Additionally, when combined with other substances like alcohol or stimulants, the effects of peyote can become intensified and harm a person’s mental health.
Symptoms of mescaline poisoning can include:
If you or a loved one feel ill or out of control after taking peyote, call 911 and seek medical advice immediately.
When a person uses peyote, they may experience effects that include:
Individuals who engage in hallucinogen use are at risk of developing long-term psychosis.
Persistent psychosis is characterized by disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that can make it difficult to understand what is real and what is not.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, persistent psychosis can involve visual disturbances, disorganized thinking, paranoia, flashbacks, and mood disturbances.
Another risk for those who use peyote is developing hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD). HPPD is a long-lasting condition that is characterized by recurring visual disturbances.
A person who develops HPPD may experience visions of geometric shapes, objects in the peripheral vision, flashes of colors, intense colors, trailing perception of moving objects, and afterimages.
HPPD can last for years following substance use.
Both persistent psychosis and HPPD are more likely to develop in people who have a history of mental illness. However, they can occur in anyone.
More research is needed to understand the long-term effects peyote can have on the brain and body.
Hallucinogens, or psychedelics, are believed to cause altered perception by acting on the brain’s neural circuits that involve the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Most of the effects of psychedelics occur in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for important functions like mood, cognition, and perception.
Ingesting psychedelic drugs can cause a person to see images, hear sounds, and feel things that seem real but are not.
Hallucinogens can affect how a person perceives reality and their ability to think rationally and communicate with others.
Unfortunately, very little is known about the long-term effects of peyote on the brain.
What we do know is that, as with other hallucinogens, there is a possibility of developing persistent psychosis.
This condition is characterized by symptoms of continuing mood swings, visual disturbances, paranoia, and disorganized thought long after the substance has been ingested.
Peyote is not typically considered highly addictive. However, it has a high potential for abuse.
A person who uses peyote can develop a tolerance to it, meaning they need to take more and more of it to achieve the same effects.
Peyote is a Schedule I substance, because of its high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in the United States, with exemption to the Native American Church.
Two signs a person is addicted to peyote can include:
Other signs that a person may have developed a problem with hallucinogen use can include the following:
While peyote does not typically become physically addictive, the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among people ages 12 and older, that about 372,000 people had a hallucinogen use disorder in the past 12 months.
A person may engage in peyote abuse because they want to experiment without realizing the serious negative effects substances like peyote can have on one’s health.
One important way to prevent and avoid substance use is by understanding and educating yourself on its effects.
Some people may also abuse peyote as a way to self-medicate.
Many people, especially teens and young adults, struggle with mental health conditions and turn to substances as a way to cope.
However, doing so can worsen the physical and mental health of an individual and lead to an unhealthy cycle of trying to “numb” the pain.
If you believe you or a loved one may be struggling with peyote abuse, it is important to reach out to a healthcare provider or medical professional who can give a proper diagnosis.
An addiction diagnosis is made through thorough evaluation and assessment by healthcare experts.
Treatment for peyote use can be done in either an inpatient or outpatient setting, depending on the needs of the individual.
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is a common approach for those struggling with hallucinogen addiction and use.
Psychotherapy can help a person understand the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and learn how to restructure them, and build healthy coping mechanisms.
Some people who take peyote and other psychedelics may experience negative effects on their mental health from substance use.
Sometimes, these effects can cause terrifying thoughts and feelings of anxiety that last even after substance use has stopped.
Psychotherapy can help individuals cope and navigate difficult thoughts and feelings that may come from the use of hallucinogens.
Behavioral therapy approaches that may be used for treating peyote use can include:
Therapy can help families better understand one another, support each other, and learn healthy skills and coping mechanisms.
Support groups can also be an important part of the treatment and recovery process for peyote use. When an individual struggles with substance use or addiction, it can become very isolating.
Many times a person is not sure who to go to or if anyone would understand what they are going through. Through support groups, individuals can relate to one another and learn from each other’s experiences.
If you or a loved one is struggling with peyote abuse, reach out for professional help. It is also important to learn more and research peyote use and addiction so you can better understand how to provide support.
Connecting someone to professional resources is one of the first steps they need to take to heal. Throughout the treatment and recovery process, it can make a difference for them to know that you are there to support them if they need you.
When a person struggles with substance use, it can be hard for them and the people around them. Their loved ones need to take care of themselves, too, and get help if they need it.
Detox is usually given to any individual who has developed a drug dependence that enters treatment.
Through a medically-supervised detox, a person can safely manage withdrawal symptoms that may come from quitting substance use.
More research is needed on whether or not peyote use can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Detox is one of the first steps in healing your body and brain from hallucinogen abuse.
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