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    Mescaline molecular structure

    Mescaline Stats & Data

    Psychedelic
    San Mesc Peyote Cactus Buttons san-pedro
    NPS DataHub
    MW211.26
    FormulaC11H17NO3
    CAS54-04-6
    LD50800 mg/kg (Maus; IGS-Public)
    IUPAC2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine
    SMILESNCCc1cc(OC)c(OC)c(OC)c1
    InChIKeyRHCSKNNOAZULRK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
    Phenethylamines; 2020/1. Von 2-Phenethylamin abgeleitete Verbindungen; 2021/1. Von 2-Phenethylamin abgeleitete Verbindungen; 2022/1. Von 2-Phenethylamin abgeleitete Verbindungen
    Chemical Class Phenethylamine
    Psychoactive Class Psychedelic
    Half-Life ~6 hours (older human PK data; substantial fraction excreted unchanged)

    Pharmacology

    DrugBank

    Mechanism of Action

    Hallucinogens, including mescaline, psilocybin, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), profoundly affect perception, cognition, and mood. All known drugs of this class are 5-HT(2A) receptor (2AR) agonists, yet closely related 2AR agonists such as lisuride lack comparable psychoactive properties. Why only certain 2AR agonists are hallucinogens and which neural circuits mediate their effects are poorly understood. By genetically expressing 2AR only in cortex, we show that 2AR-regulated pathways on

    Metabolism

    It is metabolized in the liver by mescaline oxidase into numerous inactive metabolites. These include 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacetic acid; 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid; 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-phenyl-lacetyl glutamine; 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethoxyphenylethylamine; N-acetylmescaline; and N-acetyl-3,4-dimethoxy-5-hydroxyphenylethylamine.

    Receptor Profile

    Receptor Actions

    Agonists
    5-HT2A receptor agonist (partial)
    5-HT2C receptor agonist

    History & Culture

    4000 BCE–present

    Archaeological evidence from sites across the United States, Mexico, and Peru demonstrates that mescaline-containing cacti have been used in ceremonial and spiritual contexts for over 6,000 years. The San Pedro cactus has been in continuous spiritual and medicinal use in Peru for more than 3,000 years, a tradition that persisted even through post-Spanish Conquest attempts at suppression. Upon early contact with the Huichol people in Mexico, Europeans documented the use of peyote in Native American religious ceremonies. At the time of the Spanish conquest, religious and ceremonial peyote use was widespread throughout the Aztec Empire and northern Mexico. However, religious persecution by colonial authorities confined its use primarily to areas near the Pacific coast and into southwest Texas. By 1880, peyote practices began spreading northward, with the Kiowa and Comanche peoples inaugurating a new form of peyote ceremony. These religious traditions were legally incorporated in the United States in 1920 as the Native American Church and have since spread across North America as far as Saskatchewan, Canada.

    1840–1919

    Botanical investigations of peyote commenced in the 1840s, and the drug was subsequently listed in the Mexican pharmacopeia. The first publication documenting the use of mescal buttons appeared in 1887, authored by John Raleigh Briggs. That same year, German pharmacologist Louis Lewin obtained his first sample of the peyote cactus, identified numerous previously unknown alkaloids within it, and later published the first methodical pharmacological analysis of the plant. In 1897, German chemist Arthur Heffter achieved the isolation and identification of mescaline, demonstrating that this compound was exclusively responsible for the psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects of peyote. Subsequent research would reveal that other peyote constituents such as hordenine, pellotine, and anhalinine also possess pharmacological activity. The complete synthesis of mescaline was first accomplished by Ernst Späth in 1919.

    1950–present

    Investigations into the potential therapeutic applications of mescaline commenced during the 1950s. In 1955, English politician Christopher Mayhew participated in an experimental session for the BBC's Panorama program, ingesting 400 mg of mescaline under the supervision of psychiatrist Humphry Osmond. Although the footage was ultimately deemed too controversial for broadcast, Mayhew described the experience as "the most interesting thing I ever did." Mescaline has influenced numerous artists and writers throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Salvador Dalí experimented with the substance believing it would enable access to his subconscious for artistic purposes. Allen Ginsberg's peyote vision in San Francisco inspired Part II of his seminal poem "Howl," while Ken Kesey consumed peyote prior to writing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Hunter S. Thompson documented his first mescaline experience in "First Visit with Mescalito," published in Songs of the Doomed, and the substance features prominently in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Philip K. Dick was inspired to write Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said after his own mescaline experience.

    Subjective Effect Notes

    physical: The physical effects of mescaline can be broken down into several components which progressively intensify proportional to dosage.

    cognitive: The cognitive effects of mescaline can be broken down into several components which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. In comparison to other psychedelics such as Psilocin, LSA and ayahuasca, mescaline is significantly more stimulating and fast-paced in terms of the specific style of thought stream produced and contains a large number of potential effects.

    Effect Profile

    Curated + 597 Reports
    Psychedelic 8.8

    Strong visuals, headspace, auditory effects, and body load

    Visual Intensity×3
    10102.8
    Headspace Depth×3
    107.83.6
    Auditory Effects×1
    10101.0
    Body Load / Somatic Effects×1
    10105.8
    Catalog Erowid BlueLight
    Based on reports from:
    PiHKAL PiHKAL #96: M Bluelight Big & Dandy Thread Erowid Experience Reports PsychonautWiki Mescaline

    Duration Timeline

    Bluelight
    Onset Comeup Peak Offset After Effects
    Oral
    45 minutes - 1.5 hours
    1-2 hours
    4-6 hours
    2-3 hours
    6-36 hours
    Total: 8-12 hours
    Dried
    1.0-2.0 hours
    4.0-8.0 hours
    6.0-8.0 hours
    Total: 6-12 hours
    Fresh
    1.0-2.0 hours
    4.0-8.0 hours
    6.0-8.0 hours
    Total: 6-12 hours

    Empirical Duration

    Erowid Reports
    Onset Come Up Peak Offset
    Oral (84 reports)

    Community Effects

    TripSit
    Positive
    visual enhancement euphoria introspection color enhancement music enhancement
    Negative
    nausea vomiting body load anxiety

    Tolerance & Pharmacokinetics

    drugs.wiki
    Half-Life
    ~6 hours (older human PK data; substantial fraction excreted unchanged)
    Addiction Potential
    Not considered addictive; lacks compulsive use pattern. Rapid tolerance develops after a single session and declines over days. Physiological dependence is not expected.

    Tolerance Decay

    Full tolerance 1d Half tolerance 3d Baseline ~7d

    Classic psychedelic cross-tolerance pattern inferred from user reports and HR references; magnitude varies. Data quality: mixed formal/anecdotal.

    Cross-Tolerances

    LSD
    60% ●●○
    Psilocin/psilocybin
    60% ●●○
    2C-x phenethylamines
    50% ●○○

    Experience Report Analysis

    Erowid BlueLight
    520 Reports
    1993–2025 Date Range
    214 With Age Data
    32 Effects Detected

    Demographics

    Gender Distribution

    Age Distribution

    Reports Over Time

    Effect Analysis

    Erowid + Bluelight

    Effects aggregated from 570 experience reports (520 Erowid + 77 Bluelight)

    570 Reports
    144 Effects Detected
    78 Positive
    42 Adverse
    24 Neutral

    Effect Sentiment Distribution

    Confidence Distribution

    Positive Effects 78

    Color Enhancement 50.3% 88%
    Euphoria 42.2% 89%
    Stimulation 42.0% 82%
    Awe 42.0% 83%
    Music Enhancement 41.9% 87%
    Tactile Enhancement 41.4% 79%
    Empathy 39.6% 84%
    Introspection 28.1% 84%
    Joy 28.0% 86%
    Surface Breathing 26.0% 84%
    Focus Enhancement 25.6% 82%
    Oneness 22.0% 86%
    Visual Trails 22.0% 87%
    Peace 22.0% 85%
    Insight 20.0% 84%
    Morphing 20.0% 87%
    Body High 19.6% 86%
    Tingling 18.0% 83%
    Mystical Quality 18.0% 81%
    Geometric Imagery 16.0% 90%

    Adverse Effects 42

    Nausea 58.1% 85%
    Anxiety 43.9% 75%
    Confusion 28.0% 77%
    Vomiting 24.0% 85%
    Restlessness 12.0% 81%
    Muscle Tension 11.0% 75%
    Pupil Dilation 9.3% 88%
    Memory Suppression 8.3% 70%
    Fear 8.0% 85%
    Dizziness 8.0% 80%
    Thought Disorganization 8.0% 85%
    Stomach Cramps 8.0% 81%
    Motor Impairment 6.4% 89%
    Headache 6.3% 90%
    Insomnia 6.0% 80%
    Sadness 6.0% 81%
    Focus Suppression 6.0% 75%
    Increased Heart Rate 5.2% 70%
    Sweating 4.7% 81%
    Jaw Clenching 4.5% 85%

    Dose-Response Correlation

    How effect frequency changes across dose levels

    View data table
    Effect Common (n=19) Strong (n=15) Heavy (n=110)
    Visual Distortions 94.7% 60.0% 82.7%
    Anxiety 63.2% 73.3% 47.3%
    Empathy 68.4% 33.3% 42.7%
    Nausea 68.4% 66.7% 68.2%
    Color Enhancement 52.6% 66.7% 58.2%
    Focus Enhancement 63.2% 13.3% 36.4%
    Stimulation 57.9% 60.0% 50.0%
    Music Enhancement 42.1% 60.0% 53.6%
    Euphoria 57.9% 53.3% 50.9%
    Tactile Enhancement 42.1% 13.3% 51.8%
    Introspection 47.4% 33.3% 28.2%
    Confusion 42.1% 46.7% 31.8%
    Closed-Eye Visuals 36.8% 46.7% 31.8%
    Sedation 36.8% 40.0% 36.4%
    Auditory Effects 31.6% 26.7% 29.1%

    Subjective Effect Ontology

    Experience Reports

    Structured effect tags extracted from 597 Erowid & Bluelight experience reports using a controlled vocabulary of 220+ canonical effects across 15 domains.

    Auditory

    music enhancement 239 40.7%

    Cognitive

    confusion 160 27.7% introspection 160 29.2% focus enhancement 146 24.6%

    Emotional

    anxiety 250 43.0% euphoria 241 42.7% empathy 226 38.6%

    Gastrointestinal

    nausea 331 58.1%

    Motor

    stimulation 239 42.4% sedation 144 24.6%

    Somatic

    body high 112 21.2%

    Tactile

    tactile enhancement 236 40.1%

    Visual

    visual distortions 371 62.9% color enhancement 287 49.7% closed eye visuals 166 29.6%

    15 unique effects extracted · Derived from Erowid & Bluelight reports

    Dose–Effect Mapping

    Experience Reports

    How reported effects shift across dose tiers, based on 520 experience reports.

    Oral dose range: 700.0–40000.0 mg (median 25000.0 mg)
    Effect Common (n=19) Strong (n=15) Heavy (n=110)
    visual distortions
    95%
    60%
    83%
    		→
    anxiety
    63%
    73%
    47%
    		↓
    empathy
    68%
    33%
    43%
    		↓
    nausea
    68%
    67%
    68%
    		→
    color enhancement
    53%
    67%
    58%
    		→
    focus enhancement
    63%
    13%
    36%
    		↓
    stimulation
    58%
    60%
    50%
    		→
    music enhancement
    42%
    60%
    54%
    		↑
    euphoria
    58%
    53%
    51%
    		→
    tactile enhancement
    42%
    13%
    52%
    		↑
    introspection
    47%
    33%
    28%
    		↓
    confusion
    42%
    47%
    32%
    		↓
    closed-eye visuals
    37%
    47%
    32%
    		→
    sedation
    37%
    40%
    36%
    		→
    auditory effects
    32%
    27%
    29%
    		→
    dissociation
    32%
    27%
    19%
    		↓
    ego dissolution
    32%
    		—
    6%
    		↓
    body high
    21%
    13%
    26%
    		↑
    muscle tension
    26%
    		—
    24%
    		→
    open-eye visuals —
    20%
    21%
    		→

    Showing top 20 of 34 effects

    Risk Escalation

    Sentiment Analysis

    Average frequency of positive vs adverse effects across dose tiers

    Common n=19
    10 positive 46.9% 4 adverse 50.0%
    Strong n=15
    9 positive 38.5% 6 adverse 41.1%
    Heavy n=110
    11 positive 37.1% 14 adverse 18.4%
    View effect breakdown

    Adverse Effects

    Effect Common (n=19) Strong (n=15) Heavy (n=110) Change
    Anxiety
    63%
    73%
    47%
    		-25%
    Nausea
    68%
    67%
    68%
    		0%
    Confusion
    42%
    47%
    32%
    		-24%
    Muscle Tension
    26%
    		—
    24%
    		-6%
    Memory Suppression —
    20%
    13%
    		-36%
    Sweating —
    20%
    7%
    		-63%
    Increased Heart Rate —
    20%
    6%
    		-68%
    Pupil Dilation — —
    16%
    		0%
    Headache — —
    16%
    		0%
    Motor Impairment — —
    11%
    		0%
    Jaw Clenching — —
    8%
    		0%
    Thought Loops — —
    4%
    		0%
    Psychosis — —
    4%
    		0%
    Appetite Suppression — —
    3%
    		0%

    Positive Effects

    Effect Common (n=19) Strong (n=15) Heavy (n=110) Change
    Empathy
    68%
    33%
    43%
    		-37%
    Color Enhancement
    53%
    67%
    58%
    		10%
    Focus Enhancement
    63%
    13%
    36%
    		-42%
    Stimulation
    58%
    60%
    50%
    		-13%
    Music Enhancement
    42%
    60%
    54%
    		+27%
    Euphoria
    58%
    53%
    51%
    		-12%
    Tactile Enhancement
    42%
    13%
    52%
    		+23%
    Introspection
    47%
    33%
    28%
    		-40%
    Body High
    21%
    13%
    26%
    		+25%
    Creativity Enhancement
    16%
    		—
    7%
    		-53%
    Pain Relief — —
    3%
    		0%

    Dosage Distribution

    Dose distribution from experience reports

    Median: 25000.0 mg IQR: 700.0–40000.0 mg n=148

    Real-World Dose Distribution

    62K Doses

    From 572 individual dose entries

    Oral (n=222)

    Median: 9000.0mg 25th: 301.0mg 75th: 28000.0mg 90th: 40000.0mg
    mg/kg median: 94.92 mg/kg 75th: 359.034

    Common Combinations

    Most co-occurring substances in experience reports

    Form / Preparation

    Most common forms and preparations reported

    Body-Weight Dosing

    Dose relative to body weight from reports with weight data

    Median: 275.482 mg/kg IQR: 8.621–518.807 mg/kg n=152

    Redose Patterns

    Redosing behavior across 466 reports

    11.2% Redosed
    1.1 Avg Doses
    40m Median Interval
    Read full reports on Erowid →

    Legal Status

    UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971
    Country Status Notes
    Australia Schedule 9 Listed as a Schedule 9 substance under the Poisons Standard, defined as a substance with high potential for causing harm requiring special precautions during handling. Possession, supply, and use are restricted to specialized or authorized users with appropriate skills and permissions.
    Canada Schedule III (CDSA) Mescaline is classified under Schedule III of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. However, the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) is specifically exempt from scheduling, as are living Echinopsis pachanoi and Echinopsis peruviana specimens. Raw mescaline and dried cactus preparations remain prohibited.
    France Controlled substance Mescaline in raw form and dried mescaline-containing cacti are classified as illegal drugs. However, living peyote and Echinopsis cacti may be cultivated without restriction due to specific legislative exemptions.
    Germany Controlled substance Mescaline in raw form and dried mescaline-containing cacti are controlled under German narcotics law. Living peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and Echinopsis cacti are specifically exempt from legislation and may be cultivated.
    Netherlands Controlled substance Mescaline in raw form and dried mescaline-containing cacti are prohibited under drug control legislation. Living specimens of peyote and Echinopsis species are exempt and may be grown without legal restriction.
    Russia Schedule I Mescaline, its derivatives, and all mescaline-containing plants are banned as narcotic drugs under Schedule I of Russian drug control legislation. Unlike some other jurisdictions, no exemption exists for living cacti.
    United Kingdom Class A Purified mescaline powder is controlled as a Class A substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, carrying the most severe penalties. However, dried mescaline-containing cacti can be legally purchased and sold.
    United States Schedule I Classified as a Schedule I hallucinogen under the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Religious exemptions exist for groups such as the Native American Church under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, and many states permit peyote use with sincere religious intent. Colorado decriminalized synthetic mescaline (but not cactus-derived mescaline) via Proposition 122 in November 2022. Echinopsis cacti remain technically controlled but are commonly sold as ornamental plants.

    Harm Reduction

    drugs.wiki

    Long onset and long duration increase the risk of impatience-redosing; wait at least 3 hours before considering any change. Many users find cactus teas/extracts cause significant nausea and vomiting; purified salts tend to be gentler but GI upset is still common. Cardiovascular stimulation (increased heart rate and blood pressure) occurs; people with cardiac or hypertension issues should avoid or seek medical clearance. Supply is often misrepresented: pressed “mescaline pills” and microdots are almost never true mescaline and are frequently LSD/DOx/2C-x/MDxx—use reagent testing and, when possible, a lab drug-checking service. Dose by weight with a calibrated mg scale and know the salt form (HCl vs sulfate/citrate) before comparing numbers. Combining with MAOIs (irreversible) or lithium has a poor safety record and should be avoided; RIMAs markedly potentiate and alter character and nausea. Set, setting, and sitter matter: plan 12–16+ hours of downtime, hydrate, avoid heat stress, and have a calm space prepared. Tolerance to classic psychedelics develops quickly and crosses between mescaline, LSD, and psilocin; spacing sessions by 1–2+ weeks helps restore sensitivity. Avoid driving, swimming, or hazardous activities until fully baseline the next day. For severe anxiety or dysphoria, reduce stimulation (lights/sounds), breathe slowly, change environment, and seek support; medical management may involve benzodiazepines but that should be clinician-guided.

    References

    Data Sources

    Cited References

    Drugs.wiki References

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