Peyote
Lophophora williamsiiCactaceae // crown/buttons
Also known as: peyotl, mescal buttons
Preparation
Overview
Plant parts
crown/buttons
Known constituents
mescaline, minor phenethylamine alkaloids
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- Principal reported constituents include mescaline, minor phenethylamine alkaloids; broad class: serotonergic psychedelic phenethylamine.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
No traditional-use records in this corpus.
Modern evidence
Confused with L. diffusa and several 'false peyote' cacti; conservation and provenance matter.
MODERATE · The Cactus and the Anthropologist: The Evolution of Cultural Expertise on the Entheogenic Use of Peyote in the United States
Identity/attribution caution.
Safety
Human
- High risk
Safety severity is HIGH: prolonged autonomic and psychological effects; vomiting; accident risk
Intrinsic toxicity · HIGH · Drugs of Abuse: A DEA Resource Guide, 2024 Edition
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
Safety severity is HIGH: prolonged autonomic and psychological effects; vomiting; accident risk
HIGH · Drugs of Abuse: A DEA Resource Guide, 2024 Edition
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Related, not interchangeableFalse peyote
Lophophora diffusa is a close morphological relative sometimes called false peyote.
MODERATE · The Alkaloids from Lophophora diffusa and Other 'False Peyotes'
- Synonym
GBIF lists Anhalonium lewinii Henn. as a taxonomic synonym of Lophophora williamsii.
HIGH · GBIF Species Synonyms API
Common name
peyotl, mescal buttons
Traditions
Native American Church and multiple Indigenous North American traditions
Mexico and United States // precolonial archaeological/historical evidence; living ceremonial use // living tradition
Ethnobotanical
Peyote is documented in Native American Church and multiple Indigenous North American traditions in Mexico and United States for all-night prayer, healing and communal ceremony.
HIGH · The Cactus and the Anthropologist: The Evolution of Cultural Expertise on the Entheogenic Use of Peyote in the United States
Ritual
Documented functions include healing, visionary, initiatory, social; these functions are tradition-specific and should not be generalized across cultures.
HIGH · The Cactus and the Anthropologist: The Evolution of Cultural Expertise on the Entheogenic Use of Peyote in the United States
Legal
Legal status changes over time and by jurisdiction — this is a dated snapshot, not current law.
International · Checked 2026-08-09
Varies substantially by country; constituent controls and plant-specific controls are not uniform.
State / municipal · Checked 2026-08-09
Material state and municipal variation may apply; verify jurisdiction at time of use.
US Federal · Checked 2026-08-09
Peyote and mescaline are Schedule I; 21 CFR 1307.31 provides a limited Native American Church exemption subject to its terms.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
peer-reviewed article
government/regulatory source
- 21 CFR 1308.11 — Schedule I1 claim
government/regulatory source
- GBIF Species Synonyms API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database
peer-reviewed phytochemistry paper