Description

Peyote is a curious succulent revered by Native Americans for its mystical powers and its ability to heal wounded souls. This cactus is rich in the psychoactive substance mescaline.

Known scientifically as Lophophora williamsii, peyote is a spineless, blue-green cactus. The Bundt-shaped plant is adorned with disc-shaped “buttons” that contain the hallucinogen mescaline. It grows throughout northern Mexico as well as in two small regions of southern Texas, near Laredo.

The cultivation of peyote and use of mescaline is largely illegal in the United States, but it is recognized as a sacrament in the Native American Church of North America. As such, it is exempt for Native American religious ceremonies under the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

In June 2019, Oakland, California’s city council voted unanimously to decriminalize peyote along with psilocybin. As such, the city’s law enforcement will no longer investigate and prosecute individuals for using or possessing or growing drugs sourced from plants, cacti or fungi.