Pharmacology
Mescaline is a 5-HT2A agonist from the phenethylamine family, with a notably long duration and comparatively gradual onset.
Phenethylamine · Classic psychedelic
Mescaline
The principal psychoactive alkaloid of peyote, San Pedro, and related cacti — the first psychedelic isolated and characterized by Western science.
History & context
Peyote holds sacramental status in Indigenous traditions and within the Native American Church. Conservation of wild peyote populations is an active ethical concern in contemporary discussion.
Research landscape
Modern controlled research is limited; most contemporary data come from surveys, historical studies, and pharmacological analogues.
Risks
Nausea and vomiting are common early effects. As with other classic psychedelics, psychological risk outweighs physiological toxicity.
Educational reference only. Nothing here is medical advice or a recommendation to use any substance.
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