What is peyote and what effects does it have?

What is Peyote? 

Peyote is one of the best-known drugs in the world for its high content of psychoactive alkaloids. This plant of natural origin has the scientific name Lophora Williamsii and is a Mexican cactus that belongs to the Cactaceae family. Although peyote is a resistant plant, it needs certain climates and soils to grow strong and healthy. Therefore, it can only be found in some specific regions of Mexico.

History of Peyote

In pre-Columbian times, the Mesoamerican Indians were the ones who used this drug for both medicinal and recreational purposes. There are images from more than 3000 years ago that show rituals and ceremonies where peyote was the main guest.

This plant is connected with native spirituality in the late nineteenth century and begins to have a rather medicinal purpose that is specifically used to treat addictions or diseases.

Peyote appearance

As we said before, the Lophora Williamsii is a Mexican cactus, however, its shape is not similar to the typical desert cactus since it is rather small. The color is between blue and green and measures 2 to 5 cm in diameter and 5 in height. When it blooms, we can see light pink flowers, and its body is divided into segments.

How to consume Peyote? 

The best-known way to consume peyote is by chewing the plant to absorb its juice, which is where the highest concentration of psychoactive alkaloids is found. You can also ingest capsules filled with dried peyote heads or infuse like with tea.

Recommended dosage

Generally, when we define a dose of peyote we are talking about 100 mg. Of course, this will always vary between the consumer, the amount consumed, and whether they are looking for a powerful experience or something rather subtle.

However, it is always best to start small and gradually increase the dose. Each organism works differently and only one can know what amounts are adequate for itself. 

What are the effects of Peyote? 

The effect of peyote is similar to consuming LSD or mushrooms. This means that the user’s trip will be psychedelic and very powerful. The effects take a while to kick, but once they do they are intense and long-lasting. A higher intensity in the effects will depend on the dose consumed and the consumer’s body.

The journey when consuming peyote is often expressed as a sensorial experience. It is often accompanied by hallucinations. While the high can be pleasant, some users have experienced paranoia.

Duration of effects

Once the peyote has been ingested, you have to wait approximately an hour to feel its full effects. After the initial trip and after some hours, the effects are reduced and little by little the control over consciousness becomes stable again. The next day of consumption, the body tends to feel relaxed as well as the mind.

Conclusions

In the United States, during the 1950s and 1960s, psychedelics were intensively researched for medical use, but no solid conclusion was reached.

It is likely that in the coming years research will continue to help us understand psychedelics and their effects in a better way.