Michelle Muscat MD MRCS(Ed) MSc, PG Dip, FRCPath, PhD

The naturally occurring psychedelic mescaline has been around for a very long time (1). It is part of the family of compounds collectively termed phenethylamines. The alkaloid is mostly, but not exclusively, obtained from the Peyote and San Pedro cacti. Ancient ceremonies (2) regarded the cactus as sacred. It is potentially hallucinogenic (3, 4) and thought to enhance introspective states. Intoxication alters perceptions and feelings, having the potential to induce euphoria and altered consciousness states. Cassels and Saez-Briones described it as a ‘dark classic in chemical neuroscience’ (5). Notably Aldous Huxley authored ‘The Doors of Perception’, which details his mescaline experience. ‘Crystal Fairy & The Magical Cactus’ is a movie that centers on the quest for the mescaline experience derived from the San Pedro cactus. Experiments were conducted in the past on mescaline intoxicated human subjects (6). Havelock Ellis described … a ‘saturnalia of the senses’.

Effects include behavioral disinhibition (7), nervousness, tachycardia, hallucinations, paranoia and mydriasis. Carstairs et al. did not report life threatening toxicity (8) in a case series of mescaline intoxications mined from a poison center database. Some other potential side-effects of the drug include dizziness, headaches, profuse sweating, nausea, vomiting, accidental injuries and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. It is thought addiction and dependence are highly unlikely (9), however tolerance may occur with repeat usage. An isolated report of a mescaline related death is presented by Reynolds et al. (10). There has also been synthesis of mescaline analogues (11). Validated laboratory methods (12, 13) are used to detect mescaline. This drug has been tested on rats with respect to memory and learning (14) and it accelerated memory decay (15). Rats showed motor impairment on mescaline (16).

References
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  2. Carod-Artal FJ, Vazquez-Cabrera CB. [Mescaline and the San Pedro cactus ritual: archaeological and ethnographic evidence in northern Peru]. Revista de neurologia. 2006;42(8):489-98.
  3. Thale T, Gabrio BW, Salomon K. Hallucination and imagery induced by mescaline. The American journal of psychiatry. 1950;106(9):686-91.
  4. Hoshikawa E. [Pharmacological studies on hallucinogens. I. 2. Investigation of the general pharmacological action of mescaline]. Nihon yakurigaku zasshi Folia pharmacologica Japonica. 1962;58:261-74.
  5. Cassels BK, Saez-Briones P. Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Mescaline. ACS chemical neuroscience. 2018;9(10):2448-58.
  6. Delay J, Gerard HP. [Experimental intoxication by mescaline. 1948]. L’Encephale. 2007;33 Spec No 2:S455-79.
  7. Carder B, Cheng RS. Behavioral disinhibition by mescaline. Life sciences. 1976;18(6):585-91.
  8. Carstairs SD, Cantrell FL. Peyote and mescaline exposures: a 12-year review of a statewide poison center database. Clinical toxicology. 2010;48(4):350-3.
  9. Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Pereira CL, da Silva DD. Pharmacokinetic And Pharmacodynamic Aspects Of Peyote And Mescaline: Clinical And Forensic Repercussions. Current molecular pharmacology. 2018.
  10. Reynolds PC, Jindrich EJ. A mescaline associated fatality. Journal of analytical toxicology. 1985;9(4):183-4.
  11. Ahrendt KA, Bergman RG, Ellman JA. Synthesis of a tricyclic mescaline analogue by catalytic C-H bond activation. Organic letters. 2003;5(8):1301-3.
  12. Battal D, Barnes AJ, Castaneto MS, Martin TM, Klette KL, Huestis MA. Urine Mescaline Screening With a Biochip Array Immunoassay and Quantification by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Therapeutic drug monitoring. 2015;37(6):805-11.
  13. Bjornstad K, Helander A, Beck O. Development and clinical application of an LC-MS-MS method for mescaline in urine. Journal of analytical toxicology. 2008;32(3):227-31.
  14. Koupilova M, Herink J, Hrdina V. The effect of local mescaline application on learning and memory in rats. Homeostasis in health and disease : international journal devoted to integrative brain functions and homeostatic systems. 1991;33(3):136-40.
  15. Molinengo L, Cassone MC, Baroli A, Orsetti M. Mescaline action on “memory decay” and “problem solving” behavior in the rat. Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry. 1986;10(6):709-15.
  16. Sykes EA. Mescaline-induced motor impairment in rats, assessed by two different methods. Life sciences. 1986;39(12):1051-8.