Mescaline

Mescaline is an alkaloid found in cacti (mescal buttons), that is, the dry upper part of the Mexican cactus species Lophophora williamsii. When mescaline is ingested by a person, it causes intoxication and bright colored hallucinations.

Mescaline was first isolated and identified in 1897 by German chemist Arthur Heffter. It is a psychedelic alkaloid that affects serotonin receptors in the brain and causes altered states of consciousness.

Indigenous peoples of Mexico, such as the Huichol Indians, have used mescaline for ritual and medicinal purposes for thousands of years. In the 20th century, mescaline attracted the attention of psychiatrists and psychologists who studied its effects on consciousness and perception.

Currently, mescaline is classified as a narcotic drug in most countries of the world. Unauthorized use of mescaline is considered illegal. However, research into the psychedelic properties of this alkaloid isolated from cacti continues to this day.

Mescaline, discovered in 1915 by the Spanish naturalist Alberto García Barbiro and the chemist Ricardo J. Pintada Gallo (leaders of the expedition to Mexico), is a powdery white, white porous powder that is almost odorless and has a bitter taste.