Overview

Peyote is a small, spineless cactus. The active ingredient in peyote is the hallucinogen mescaline.

1. What are the street names?

   Buttons, Cactus, Mesc, Peyoto

2. What does this drug look like?

   The top of the peyote cactus is referred to as the “crown” and consists of disc-shaped buttons that are cut off.

3. How is this drug abused?

   The fresh or dried buttons are chewed or soaked in water to produce an intoxicating liquid. Peyote buttons may also be ground into a powder that can be placed inside gelatin capsules to be swallowed, or smoked with a leaf material such as cannabis or tobacco.

4. How does this drug affect the mind?

   Abuse of peyote and mescaline will cause varying degrees of: illusions, hallucinations, altered perception of space and time, and altered body image. Users may also experience euphoria, which is sometimes followed by feelings of anxiety.

5. How does this drug affect the body?

   Following the consumption of peyote and mescaline, users may experience: intense nausea, vomiting, dilation of the pupils, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, a rise in body temperature that causes heavy perspiration, headaches, muscle weakness, and impaired motor coordination.

6. What drugs cause similar effects?

   Other hallucinogens like LSD, psilocycbin (mushrooms), and PCP.

7. What are the overdose effects?

8. What is the legal status in the United States?

   Peyote and mescaline are Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that they have a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.

9. What are the common places of origin?

   From earliest recorded time, peyote has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States as a part of their religious rites. Mescaline can be extracted from peyote or produced synthetically.