Mescaline was first synthesised in the laboratory in 1919, and then from 1920, mescaline sulphate was available as a pure drug from European pharmacy suppliers such as Merck. Psychologists and neurologists, particularly in Germany, gave mescaline to dozens of subjects, generating hundreds of pages of reports documenting their visions and revelations. By the 1950s, when psychiatry embraced the biomedical approach, mescaline was widely used in schizophrenia research.
LSD already existed by this time (the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann synthesised it in 1943). Eventually, psychiatrists and pharmacologists agreed that mescaline and LSD intoxication were very similar. However, Jay notes [25]:
“The most significant difference was the dose. LSD was massively more potent: a gram of mescaline was around three doses, but a gram of LSD was thousands. This made LSD more intriguing to the mind scientists since it was obviously working with far greater precision on whatever brain mechanisms these drugs were activating. It was also, of course, much more economical.”
So, we begin with the fact that mescaline is more expensive to produce. Doses of pure, synthetic psilocybin are likewise much lower than those of mescaline (25 mg and 500 mg, respectively, for a strong experience). The typical doses of mescaline also explain why clandestine chemists don’t bother to make it, as it’s not as profitable as producing psychedelics such as LSD or 2CB. Synthetic mescaline is, therefore, very rare to find, although some vendors have been known to sell it on the dark web.
Researchers may also overlook mescaline in favour of other psychedelics because of its long duration (which would also make mescaline-assisted psychotherapy more expensive than the psilocybin variety, due to the greater amount of time involved). It is not unheard of for a high-dose mescaline trip to last 16+ hours. In comparison, a psilocybin experience lasts around six hours, while an LSD experience tends to last 12 hours (sometimes longer).
Having said that, the subjective effects of mescaline can last around the same amount of time as those of LSD for many people. Furthermore, ibogaine-assisted therapy is being researched, with treatment centres operating in several countries, and these involve journeys lasting 24 hours or longer.
Another possible reason why there is less of a push for mescaline-assisted psychotherapy could be due to nausea. Mescaline is known to lead to more nausea and vomiting than psilocybin. Even in its synthetic form, this compound can be hard on the stomach, especially in high doses (which would be used in psychedelic therapy).
Researchers from one of the 2021 mescaline studies, nonetheless, state that nausea and vomiting are more frequently linked to consuming peyote than other methods of mescaline ingestion. It has been suggested that this is due to its bitter taste, as well as other chemicals found in the plant, rather than just mescaline. It should be emphasised, however, that San Pedro can still produce noticeable and prolonged nausea.
When it comes to synthetic mescaline, volunteers in a 1992 study who took this form of the drug did not report nausea or vomiting [26]. This doesn’t mean the pure, synthetic version won’t induce such effects, of course, as many people (including Jay) have experienced nausea from it. The overall likelihood, though, is that such physical effects will be less likely or not as intense compared to consuming peyote or San Pedro. For example, James, who was eager to have a mystical experience from peyote, instead had a day of vomiting and diarrhoea.
Despite the potential for mescaline to have more (initially) unpleasant physical effects than psilocybin or LSD, many people are willing to accept this price for the rewards of the experience. Patients wanting to sign up for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy should likewise have this option.
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Mescaline extracted from the San Pedro cactus was the first extraction i ever did. The simple act of ordering dried cactus slices then performing a simple stovetop extraction blew my mind. No longer did i have to buy drugs from rip offs and losers i became the source. If you love music learn how to play, art become the artist. Mescaline for me was a smooth take off sometimes a hairy flight , almost always a smooth landing. Mental clarity in the days that followed. While under her spell mescaline gave me original ideas and realistic objectives. i have very fond memories of her and the time we spent. I hate to sound like a dick but the Huxley books i belieive were propaganda, foretelling of a world that man is completely controlled by drugs, i saw it as what modern day pharmacology wanted to become.
To me, Mescaline is way more harmonic and “meaningful” than the Tryptamines. Main characteristic is not just “tripping”, but a deep level of connection and sense, where other psychedelics sometimes feel just random and confused. This is no party drug. This is serious, in a very beautiful way. It may be rough on the body (at first), but very gentle to the soul. A therapeutic setting would have to give room to all that and provide access to nature. Being just indoors is not a good idea. All this makes “quick wins and fixes” in a clinical approach unlikely. Due to it’s low availabilty, this is a hidden gem. Synthetic Mescaline is very hard to get because it’s expensive to produce and involves handling a larger volume/weight as other psychedelics, which makes it unattractive for the illegal drug trade. So you would need enthusiasts of some sort to provide – quite unlikely to find them in the dark web. If one was to go for the natural source, PLEASE do not buy wild harvested peyote, as it is endangered. It takes many years for a button to grow to a reasonable size. Look into the active Trichocereus/Echinopsis species which is relatively fast growing and can be bought and cultivated legally in many countries. Make yourself familiar with recipies and work your way up to an effective dose. Reward will yours.
Really interesting article, I would love to experiment with mescaline one day
mescaline seems one of the more interesting substances because of it’s cultural significance, I’m yet to try it though
This is one of the few substances I have yet to research m, thank for the insight hopeful I’ll get to find out first hand the benefits of it
I love mescaline, the doors of perception is a great book about it too. Y’all are the future CC!
Muy interesante, nunca he probado la mezcalina, pero conozco a gente que le ha aportado experiencias sanadoras del alma. Hace falta que los psicodélicos dejen de ser un tema tabú y se investigue más sobre ellos.
Thanks for shading light on this topic Sam. I was also reading some articles regarding the benefits of microdosing with mescaline and some people report a greater benefit than of LSD or mushrooms.
Resources:
https://thethirdwave.co/microdosing/mescaline/