PEYOTE

1. “The Divine Cactus” PEYOTE -Kelsey Brown

3. Peyote’s botanical name is LophophoraWilliamsii Common street names include “buttons,” “cactus,” or “mesc” Small, spineless cactus that grows mostly below ground. Peyote is a hallucinogen. It is used for religious ceremonies and rites of passage. Peyote is cut up into little V shaped pieces called “buttons” The “buttons” are either set in the sun to dry out and ingested orally, or soaked in a liquid to drink. peyote

4. The main ingredient in peyote is the hallucinogen molecule, mescaline. The general effective dose would be about 200mg of mescaline, which is equivalent to about 5 “buttons.” The mescaline molecule resembles the molecule for serotonin and norepinephrine. It attaches to the serotonin 2A receptors in the brain. How it works on the brain

5. Peyote is classified as a Schedule I Drug by the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention Control Act. This means it has a high potential for abuse and that there is no medicinal use accepted for it yet. Classification

6. Some short-term effects would be increased blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. A loss of appetite is also common, as is a feeling of weakness. The effects are said to last up to twelve hours commonly. “On some trips, users experience sensations that are enjoyable. Others can include terrifying thoughts and anxiety, fear of insanity, fear of death, or fear of losing control.” There are some long term effects from taking peyote. Some users have flashbacks of their hallucinations after long periods of time without ingesting the drug. The reason for this is unknown, as it does not happen to all users. Side effects

7. The legend goes that a grandmother and her grandchild were on a vision quest to find help for their sick tribe. They had been wandering for two days without food and water and had become weak and lost. They decided to rest on top of a hill one evening to try to figure out what to do next when a vision of a figure floating in the sky appeared to them. This was Grandfather Peyote. He told them to eat from the peyote cactus that grew near where they rested. He told them that the peyote cactus would make them stronger. The grandmother and grandchild did as they were told, and immediately felt better. Grandfather Peyote also told them to take the peyote plant back to their people and feed it to them to heal their sickness. The legend of Grandfather peyote

8. Again, the grandmother and grandchild did as they were told. But they were lost and could not find their way back to their tribe. They prayed to Grandfather Peyote to help them find their way. He appeared yet again and pointed them in the direction of their home. When they returned, they found many people had died. They called for a gathering in a teepee and had the people of the tribe eat the peyote plant to cure their illness. They immediately felt better. This is how the peyote ritual began. The legend of grandfather peyote

10. There are many different ways to worship the peyote plant. A few of the most common religious ceremonies are: • Vision Quests • This is where you wander alone in the desert with no food or water, just peyote, in search of the meaning of life, to speak with the deceased, or to find out what you should do with your life. It is common for people on vision quests to be accompanied by an animal guide or protector. • Teepee ceremonies • These are held in a teepee and represent the first peyote ceremony. They usually last all night and are celebrated in the form of a prayer circle. There are drums and dances, and it is lead by a “Road Chief” • Annual pilgrimages • This form is the typical form for the Huichol tribe. This is where you are lead by a group leader to harvest the peyote plant. It is similar to a vision quest because you are searching for the meaning of life, but you are in a large group. Religious ceremonies

11. In the year 1521, Spanish conquers and European explorers discovered the peyote culture for themselves while in Mexico. During these times intoxication from anything “non-alcohol” was forbidden by the Catholics and Europeans that came to Mexico. They thought of the cactus to be a plant of “satanic trickery” and considered its use as bad as cannibalism; therefore, they tried to stamp it out of the culture. Their efforts, of course, were unsuccessful because it was so firmly engrained into the religious culture. It did, however, force the use of the cactus to become more secretive and hidden even to this day. Peyote history

12. Peyote grows naturally in Mexico and the southern states of the U.S such as Texas. • It is available to purchase online on various websites in either seed or root form. • It is a slow growing cactus and can take up to four years for the seedling to grow to even the size of a dime. Random facts about peyote

13. Levinthal, Charles F. Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. 2010 • Sixth Edition. Pg. 154-155 • 2. “Peyote.” Drug Guide. February 28, 2011. <http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/peyote> • 3. Leo Mercado. “Peyote FAQ.” Erowid. September 1, 2009. March 29, 2011 • <http://www.erowid.org/plants/peyote/peyote_faq.shtml> • 4. Black Elk. “Vision Quest.” Crystal Links. March 30, 2011 • <http://www.crystalinks.com/visionquest.html> • 5. Leonard Crow Dog. “How Grandfather Peyote Came to the Indian People.” American • Indian Myths and Legends. March 28, 2009. March 30, 2011 • < http://www.hoboes.com/Politics/Prohibition/Notes/Indian_Myths/ > • 6.“A History of Peyote.” The Shaman’s Well. February 26, 2011. • <http://www.shamanswell.org/shaman/history> Bibliography