Peyote

The peyote, scientific name Lophophora williamsii, is a small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. Peyote is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl, meaning “caterpillar cocoon”, from a root peyōni, “to glisten”. Peyote is native to Mexico and southwestern Texas. It is found primarily in the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Chihuahuan Desert and in the states of Nayarit, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosí among scrub. It flowers from March to May, and sometimes as late as September. The flowers are pink, with thigmotactic anthers (like Opuntia).

Peyote is extremely slow growing. Cultivated specimens grow considerably faster, sometimes taking less than three years to go from seedling to mature flowering adult. More rapid growth can be achieved by grafting peyote onto mature San Pedro root stock. The top of the above-ground part of the cactus, the crown, consists of disc-shaped buttons. These are cut above the roots and sometimes dried. When done properly, the top of the root forms a callus and the root does not rot. When poor harvesting techniques are used, however, the entire plant dies.

Currently in South Texas, peyote grows naturally but has been over-harvested, to the point that the state has listed it as an endangered species. The buttons are generally chewed, or boiled in water to produce a psychoactive tea. Peyote is extremely bitter and most people are nauseated before they feel the onset of the psychoactive effects. Most side effects don’t set in until 2-3 hours after taken.

Psychoactive and medicinal uses – Buy Peyote Online 

In addition to psychoactive use, some Native American tribes use the plant in the belief it may have curative properties. They employ peyote for such varied ailments as toothache, pain in childbirth, fever, breast pain, skin diseases, rheumatism, diabetes, colds, and blindness. Although uncommon, use of peyote and mescaline has been associated with clinically significant effects requiring treatment.

What Does Peyote Do?

Peyote is a hallucinogen, meaning it can cause profound distortions in a person’s perceptions of reality (known as hallucinations), including seeing, hearing, and feeling things that seem real but are not.

Hallucinogens are thought to affect neural circuits in the brain involving the neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays a role in mood, sensory perception, sleep, hunger, body temperature, sexual behavior, and muscle control.4

The effects of peyote (which can range from a deeply mystical transcendental state to a “bad trip” and dysphoric symptoms) will depend on the potency and amount that is ingested, as well as the user’s expectations, mood, surroundings, and mental health history. Many users describe the high as dream-like.5

The effects are often intensified when the drug is combined with substances like alcohol or stimulants, which can potentially harm a person’s mental health.

Common Adverse Effects

However, the amount of mescaline needed to produce hallucinations is very small—usually 0.3 to 0.5 grams. The effects can last up to 12 hours but will depend on a user’s size, metabolism, and how much is ingested.

The physical effects of peyote are similar to those of LSD and may include:

• Appetite loss
• Difficulty sleeping
• Flushing
• Increased blood pressure
• Profound sweating
• Increased body temperature
• Increased heart rate
• Numbness
• Severe nausea and vomiting
• Uncoordinated movements
• Weakness

Possible mental effects can include:

• Altered awareness
• Anxiety
• Altered feelings and perceptions
• Altered sense of time (i.e., it passes slowly or quickly)
• Euphoria
• Hallucinations
• Inability to focus or concentrate
• Panic
• Paranoia
• Sense of relaxation