The Trouble With Psychedelic Cacti: Conflicting Meanings of San Pedro and Peyote
Contemporary Drug Problems February 10, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/00914509251318751 (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Autoethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mescaline |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Powers of medicine and prohibition dominate among San Pedro and Peyote stakeholders, but are also met with resistance. |
Abstract
Using autoethnography, this article considers conflict surrounding the psychedelic, mescaline cacti, San Pedro, and Peyote. We reflect on themes emergent in the lead authors’ lived experiences with growing, researching and working with mescaline cacti; Indigenous culture, psychopharmacotherapy research, psychedelic markets and ecology. These themes are considered relative to varied San Pedro and Peyote stakeholders. Among these stakeholders, powers of medicine and prohibition dominate, but are also met with resistance.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peyote as Earth Medicine: Examining How Symbolic Meanings Shape Experiences With Psychedelics People who use peyote in religious ceremonies | 2023 | Photo-ethnography | |
| The Use of Peyote as Treatment for Alcoholism within the NAC Community: Reflections on a Study | 2011 | Interview | |
| Psychedelic trip sitting, dosages and intensities: Supplementing clinical studies with anecdotal reports Posts from online psychedelic forums (The Shroomery and DMT Nexus) on trip sitting | 2024 | Qualitative study with Delphi-style expert panel review | n = 660 |
| Hitting the Reset Button: Ceremonial Use of Peyote and Experiences of Personal Change People who attended peyote ceremonies in rural Northcentral Alabama | 2024 | Photo-ethnography | |
| The San Pedro Cactus (Equinopsis pachanoi): Ancestral and Modern Therapeutic Uses in Peru Curanderos in the Túcume district of northern Peru | 2025 | Qualitative study |
Citations in the library
Cites 14
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Single-dose psilocybin for a treatment-resistant episode of major depression: Impact on patient-reported depression severity, anxiety, function, and quality of life Journal of Affective Disorders February 3, 2023
- Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness Journal of Psychopharmacology June 20, 2017
- Comparative acute effects of mescaline, lysergic acid diethylamide, and psilocybin in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study in healthy participants. Neuropsychopharmacology October 1, 2023
- Ethical principles of traditional Indigenous medicine to guide western psychedelic research and practice. Lancet Regional Health. Americas February 1, 2023
and 9 more in the library