Peyote

Peyote, common name for a small, spineless, turnip-shaped cactus, native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. The grayish, mushroom-shaped tops, called peyote or mescal buttons, yield nine alkaloids, of which mescaline is the principal active agent. The dried buttons are eaten, brewed into a tea, or powdered and packaged in capsules. The mescaline in these preparations alters perception, producing vivid color hallucinations, inaccurate estimation of time, and a feeling of anxiety. It is not known to be habit-forming, but use of impure or large doses can have toxic effects, such as nausea and depressed breathing. Peyote has been used since pre-Columbian times by Native Americans in their religious rites; the practice has been incorporated into their modern Christian ceremonies. See Peyotism. Mescaline has been used experimentally in investigations of schizophrenia and other psychoses.

Peyote and mescaline have become drugs of abuse in recent years. See Drug Dependence.

Scientific classification: Peyote belongs to the family Cactaceae. It is classified as Lophophora williamsii.