Peyote is an ancient Indigenous sacrament with significant cultural, religious, and historical importance. It contains mescaline and produces long lasting visual, emotional, and spiritual effects. Outside specific religious exemptions, peyote remains illegal and ecologically vulnerable. Engagement with peyote requires respect for Native traditions, adherence to legal boundaries, and consideration for conservation.
Peyote was intentionally excluded from Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act because the state sought to protect Indigenous ceremonial use and to avoid contributing to the ongoing ecological depletion of peyote. Colorado law explicitly notes the potential for “further depletion of peyote due to peyote being a source of mescaline” and therefore defines mescaline as excluding peyote to prevent cultural harm and conservation threats.
Peyote Research