About PEYOTE CACTUS.
ABOUT PEYOTE CACTUS.
Mescaline—Metabolism, Clinical Reactions and Signalling
Peyote cactus is either eaten or drunk as an infusion (tea). An average intake of 3 to 6 of the cactus buds (approx. 10 to 20 g dry weight) contains a dose of mescaline equivalent to 200–400 mg mescaline sulphate [33] or 178–356 mg mescaline hydrochloride. The physical responses to mescaline (mescaline hydrochloride: 2.5 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg) in 10 formerly morphine-dependent subjects were increased body temperature, higher systolic blood pressure and pupil diameter, and a lower knee pain threshold. Furthermore, this study described altered visual, temporal and sensory perception after the consumption of mescaline
Conclusions
In short, for the molecular aspects of mescaline, the way it exerts its action in the cells, the signalling pathways that are involved and the effects it elicits in the human body, much has been published since the first description of its use in 1569. Its hallucinogenic effects are mainly due to its binding to the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor.
The highest proportion of mescaline is found in the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), which in dried form contains 3–6% of the alkaloid mescaline. The ingestion of this cactus is part of a special (healing) ritual of indigenous peoples in specific parts of Mexico and Northern America. Peyote is classified as a hard drug and its use and possession is illegal (except for the members of the NAC). However, in the last two decades, the interest in the medical use of psychedelics has risen, along with the increasing numbers of complex health challenges we face, as humanity.
In this overview, we looked at the application and the hallucinogenic effects of peyote and its major alkaloid mescaline. Although mescaline and its analogues have advantages (such as more precise dosing and possibly faster hallucinogenic effects), they lack the more sustainable effects of what is reported during peyote rituals. Thus, we think that peyote and its ceremonies serve as an example for a nature-embedded and ritual-enriched way of providing a possible treatment for mental health challenges. Thus, we could search for ways to combine this ancient knowledge with our present highly innovative Western medicine, to be able to develop a more sustainable healthcare system that can be of benefit globally.