Psychoactive cactus
Many cacti are known to be psychoactive, containing phenethylamine alkaloids such as mescaline.[1] However, the two main ritualistic (folkloric) genera are Echinopsis, of which the most psychoactive species is the San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi, syn. Trichocereus pachanoi), and Lophophora, with peyote (Lophophora williamsii) being the most psychoactive species. Several other species pertaining to other genera are also psychoactive, though not always used with a ritualistic intent.[2][3][4]
Species
Globular cacti
- Lophophora williamsii (peyote)

Other "peyotes"
- Ariocarpus fissuratus
- Coryphantha compacta (syn. C. palmeri)
- Pelecyphora aselliformis
- Pelecyphora strobiliformis
- Lophophora diffusa
- Ariocarpus retusus
- Ariocarpus agavoides; kotschoubeyanus; and other species
- Astrophytum asterias; capricorne; myriostigma; and other species
- Aztekium ritteri; and other species
- Coryphantha elephantidens; macromeris (var. runyonii); palmeri; and other species
- Echinocactus grandis; grusonii; platyacanthus; visnaga; and other species
- Epithelantha micromeris; and other species
- Leuchtenbergia principis'; and other species
- Lophophora species
- Mammillaria craigii; grahamii (var. oliviae); heyderi; (Dolichothele) longimamma; (Solisia) pectinifera; (Mamillopsis) senilis; sonorensis; and other species
- Obregonia denegrii
- Strombocactus disciformis
- Turbinicarpus laui; lophophoroides; jauernigii; (Pelecyphora) pseudopectinatus; schmiedickeanus; and other species
Other
Other North American psychoactive and/or medicinal cacti.
- Carnegiea gigantea
- Echinocereus salm-dyckianus (var. scheeri); triglochidiatus; and other species
- Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum; pringlei
Echinopsis
- Echinopsis lageniformis (syn. Trichocereus bridgesii) (Bolivian torch cactus)
- Echinopsis macrogona (syn. Trichocereus macrogonus), > 0.01-0.05% Mescaline[5]
- Echinopsis pasacana ssp. atacamensis
- Echinopsis pachanoi (syn. Trichocereus pachanoi) (San Pedro cactus)
- Echinopsis peruviana (syn. Trichocereus peruvianus) (Peruvian torch cactus)
- Echinopsis scopulicola (syn. Trichocereus scopulicolus), 0.82% mescaline by dry weight in the outer green layer.[6]
- Echinopsis spachiana (syn. Trichocereus spachianus), Mescaline;[7] Mescaline[7]
- Echinopsis tacaquirensis subsp. taquimbalensis (syn. Trichocereus taquimbalensis),[8] > 0.005-0.025% mescaline[5]
- Echinopsis terscheckii (syn. Trichocereus terscheckii, Trichocereus werdemannianus)[9] > 0.005-0.025% Mescaline;[5] mescaline 0.01%-2.375%[10]
- Echinopsis valida (syn. E. validus), 0.025% mescaline[11]
- Echinopsis werdermannianus

Other
Other South American psychoactive and/or medicinal cacti
- Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica (syn. Opuntia cylindrica),[12] Mescaline[7]
- Armatocereus laetus
- Browningia spp.
- Cylindropuntia echinocarpa (syn. Opuntia echinocarpa), Mescaline 0.01%, DMPEA 0.01%, 4-hydroxy-3-5-dimethoxyphenethylamine 0.01%[7]
- Cylindropuntia spinosior (syn. Opuntia spinosior),[13] Mescaline 0.00004%, 3-methoxytyramine 0.001%, tyramine 0.002%, 3-4-dimethoxyphenethylamine.[7]
- Epostoa lanata
- Matucana madisoniorum
- Neoraimondia macrostibas
- Opuntia acanthocarpa Mescaline[14]
- Opuntia basilaris Mescaline 0.01%, plus 4-hydroxy-3-5-dimethoxyphenethylamine[7]
- Selenicereus grandiflorus
- Stetsonia coryne
See also
Ethnic Use
Several world regions have historically used psychoactive cacti for their properties, particularly Indigenous peoples from North America and South America, such as in Mexico and the Andes region. For this purpose (which includes commercial harvesting) cacti plants are specifically grown in the millions.[15] Lophophora williamsii (peyote) is used by the Native American Church (aka Peyotism).
Legality
References/Sources
- Bruhn, Jan G.; Hesham R. EI-Seedi; Nikolai Stephanson (2008). "Ecstasy Analogues Found in Cacti". Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 40 (2): 219–222. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.689.4014. doi:10.1080/02791072.2008.10400635. PMID 18720674. S2CID 11251286.
- Bruhn, Jan G. (1973). "Ethnobotanical Search for Hallucinogenic Cacti1". Planta Med. 24 (8): 315–319. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1099504. PMID 4789553.
- Bruhn, Jan G.; Catarina Bruhn (1973). "Alkaloids and ethnobotany of Mexican peyote cacti and related species". Economic Botany. 27 (2): 241–251. doi:10.1007/BF02872994. S2CID 36480873.
- Pummangura, S.; J. L. McLaughlin; R. C. Schifferdecker (September 1981). "Cactus Alkaloids. XLVII. β-Phenethylamines From the "Missouri Pincushion", Coryphantha (Neobessya) missouriensis". J. Nat. Prod. 44 (5): 614–616. doi:10.1021/np50017a022.
- "Partial List of Alkaloids in Trichocereus Cacti". Thennok.org. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- Ogunbodede, Olabode; McCombs, Douglas; Trout, Keeper; Daley, Paul; Terry, Martin (September 2010). "New mescaline concentrations from 14 taxa/cultivars of Echinopsis spp. (Cactaceae) ("San Pedro") and their relevance to shamanic practice". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 131 (2): 356–362. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.07.021. PMID 20637277.
- "Descriptions of psychoactive Cacti". Users.lycaeum.org. Archived from the original on 15 July 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- "Echinopsis tacaquirensis ssp. taquimbalensis". Desert-tropicals.com. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- "Cardon Grande (Echinopsis terscheckii)". Desert-tropicals.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- Forbidden Fruit Archives Archived 2005-11-28 at the Wayback Machine
- "Erowid Cacti Vaults : Visionary Cactus Guide - Mescaline from Sawdust". Erowid.org. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- "Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica". Desert-tropicals.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- "Cane Cholla (Cylindropuntia spinosior )". Desert-tropicals.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- "Archived copy". users.lycaeum.org. Archived from the original on 8 March 2001. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Gottlieb, Adam (1997). Peyote and Other Psychoactive Cacti. Ronin Publishing. p. 96.
External links
Media related to Psychoactive cacti at Wikimedia Commons
- www.cactus-mall.com