Mescaline
Overview
Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a naturally occurring
psychedelic
alkaloid
of the phenethylamine
class used mainly as an entheogen
.
It occurs naturally in the peyote
cactus (Lophophora williamsii), and the Peruvian Torch cactus
(Echinopsis peruviana), and in a number of other members of the Cactaceae plant family. It is also found in small amounts in certain members of the Fabaceae
(bean) family, including Acacia berlandieri
.
Natural product
A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism - found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design...
psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
of the phenethylamine
Substituted phenethylamine
The substituted phenethylamines are chemical compounds with the 2-phenethylamine chemical structure modified at the phenyl ring, sidechain, and/or amino group. Some of them are psychoactive drugs, including stimulants, psychedelics, opioids, and entactogens, which exert their effects primarily...
class used mainly as an entheogen
Entheogen
An entheogen , in the strict sense, is a psychoactive substance used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Historically, entheogens were mostly derived from plant sources and have been used in a variety of traditional religious contexts...
.
It occurs naturally in the peyote
Peyote
Lophophora williamsii , better known by its common name Peyote , is a small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline.It is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico...
cactus (Lophophora williamsii), and the Peruvian Torch cactus
Peruvian Torch cactus
Peruvian Torch cactus is a fast-growing columnar cactus native to the western slope of the Andes in Peru, between about 2000-3000 meters above sea level.-Description:...
(Echinopsis peruviana), and in a number of other members of the Cactaceae plant family. It is also found in small amounts in certain members of the Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
(bean) family, including Acacia berlandieri
Acacia berlandieri
Acacia berlandieri is a shrub native to the Southwestern United States and northeast Mexico that belongs to the subfamily Mimosoideae of Fabaceae . It grows tall, with blossoms that are spherical and white, occurring from February through April...
.
Unanswered Questions
