Mescaline hallucinogen Uses, Effects & Hazards 

Peyote extracts also demonstrated antibiotic properties against various strains of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus probably due to the presence of hordenine 105. Lumholtz 106 described its use in the treatment of snakebites, burns, wounds and rheumatism. During the last few years, as ancient tradition seems to suggest, the interest in the beneficial therapeutic applications of hallucinogens have resurged 5, 107, renovating the attention paid to the class 108. In spite of the increasing number of relevant recent publications, most of the existing information is yet ancient and limited, urging systematic studies on this topic, both in vitro and in vivo. Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a naturally-occurring alkaloid that has been used for millennia in religious rituals due to its psychedelic properties, and for medicinal purposes by the North American natives as far as 5700 years ago 6, 7. Currently, mescaline continues to be legally used with apparent safety by the Native American Church during religious ceremonies, which are traditionally held at night and last for approximately 12 hours 7-9.

Risks of Mescaline Addiction

These N-acetylated derivatives represented about 30% of the total amount eliminated through urine. Upon treatment with iproniazid (i.e., an inhibitor of deamination metabolism), the excretion of N-acetylate metabolites increased, reinforcing the importance of this metabolic route to the metabolism of mescaline 83. The N-acetylation has also been observed in humans by Charalampous et al. 68, who measured N-acetylated metabolites in urine. Studies carried out in the brain with deamination inhibitors showed no significant changes in the metabolites mesculan drug formed, leading authors to believe that the N-acetylation is the main central nervous system route of detoxification of mescaline. In contrast, deamination appears to be relevant in the liver, suggesting that different organs metabolize mescaline through different routes 74.

Effects

However, the taste of the cactus is bitter and most people are nauseated before they feel the onset of the psychoactive effects. Therefore, contemporary users often grind it into a powder and pour it into capsules to avoid the taste. People have used hallucinogens for hundreds of year, mostly for religious rituals or ceremonies. From the earliest recorded time, peyote has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it grows, as a part of traditional religious rites. It has an effect that is similar to LSD or psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and other hallucinogenic drugs.

What is the history of mescaline?

An unusual but unique characteristic of mescaline use is the “geometrization” of three-dimensional objects. The object can appear flattened and distorted, similar to the presentation of a Cubist painting 92. The user often feels like “an alien in entirely new surroundings, and may feel as if he or she is floating or weighted down by some strange gravitational force” 3. It is common for the individual to believe that is communicating with God or other deities, and is able to transcend the limits of earth, time and space to another world. It is for this reason that mescaline is often used during religious ceremonies, particularly by Native Americans, and that peyote is called the “divine” or “sacred” cactus 3.

Emotional and Psychological Effects

• Some scientists hypothesize that this may affect creativity and focus and possibly underlie the changes in self-identity 23, 24, 25.
• Interestingly, these kinds of changes have also been scientifically studied.
• In contrast, deamination appears to be relevant in the liver, suggesting that different organs metabolize mescaline through different routes 74.
• This “cocktail of compounds” may enhance mescaline effects, although some of these, when taken alone, are devoid of pharmacological activity.
• Holistic approaches to recovery, such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, or art therapy, may also be beneficial in treating mescaline addiction.
• Additionally, some research indicates that prolonged drug use can lead to deficits in learning and recall.

Mescaline is a hallucinogenic compound with a long history of traditional use. Mescaline produces similar changes in perception as LSD, but not quite in the same way. Read more to learn about the potential dangers of mescaline and discover its possible effects on the body and mind. Mescaline and peyote are Schedule I controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that the United States federal government regards them as high-risk drugs with no legitimate medical purpose.

Nevertheless, the formation of this metabolite has not yet been detected in animal or human models 76. Minor routes of mescaline metabolism include its demethylation, through the O-demethylase, to 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenethylamine and 3,4-dimethoxy-5-hydroxy-
phenethylamine with production of formaldehyde. Indeed, the incubation of mescaline with microsomal enzymes obtained from rabbit liver led to the formation of these metabolites 72, 84, and Friedhoff and Hollister 85 also identified the demethylated metabolites in human urine. Mescaline demethylation does not seem to be dependent on metabolism by CYP2D6 86. The N-methylation of mescaline has also been observed in rabbit lung, but the amount of N-methyl-mescaline was not properly representative and its formation in vivo has not been described yet 76. TMPA is afterward metabolized to 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenylacetic acid or 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (3,4,5-TMBA).

• Mescaline-containing cacti can induce severe vomiting and nausea, which is an important part to traditional Native-American or Shaman ceremonies and is considered a cleansing ritual and a spiritual aid.
• Scientific interest in peyote took off at the end of the 19th century after American newspaper reports of the ritualistic use of peyote by Native American tribes.
• According to one unverified theory, this may explain why some users become more sensitive to what’s happening in their environment and why “set and setting” is considered to be crucial during the psychedelic experience 26, 27.
• Blood sugar may also rise rapidly for the first hour and then possibly return to normal over the course of the following couple hours 17, 57.
• It is an alkaloid in the phenethylamine class of compounds, which includes other hallucinogens as well as various stimulants, decongestants, and antidepressants.
• Yes, mescaline addiction can lead to long-term mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
• They can be tracked using a specific questionnaire (the Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) questionnaire) 32, 33.

This article attempted to fully review pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of mescaline, focusing in its potential therapeutic application, as hallucinogens appear to present favorable toxicological profiles for this purpose. Mescaline acts similarly to other psychedelic agents; it binds to and activates mainly the serotonin 5-HT2c receptor with a high affinity 56, 57. In comparison with LSD, binding affinities to the 5-HT2A receptor were lower for all of the tryptamines, including psilocin and DMT, mescaline being the least potent psychedelic 109. Investigators also observed inhibition of serotonin (SERT), noradrenaline (NAT) or dopamine (DAT) transporters for all tested substances, with the exception of mescaline and LSD 109. Most peyote intoxications appear to be mild in nature and are unlikely to produce life-threatening symptoms.

Auditory effects

Despite the increase in symptoms, the experience has been described as potentially useful in some patients. The 5-HT2A receptor is thought to play a key role in the development of schizophrenia and psychosis. By activating this receptor, mescaline can produce temporary changes in the brain that mimics those seen in psychotic episodes caused by schizophrenia 58, 59, 60, 23, 24. The long-term risks of mescaline are unknown since proper clinical data are lacking.