Here is an extract from the Psychonaut Wiki. I have put the relevant paragraph in bold:
Mescaline was first isolated from peyote in 1897 by the German chemist
Arthur Heffter.
[5] The ritual use of the peyote cactus has occurred for at least 5700 years by Native Americans in Mexico and other mescaline-containing cacti such as the San Pedro have a long history of use in the South American continent, from Peru to Ecuador.
[6] Mescaline is an important part of the life's work of the American chemist
Alexander Shulgin, who used it as a starting point for synthesizing dozens of novel psychedelic compounds that are documented in his 1991 book
PiHKAL ("Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved").
[7]
Subjective effects include open and closed-eye visuals, time distortion, enhanced introspection, conceptual thinking, euphoria, and ego loss. Mescaline is generally considered to be one of the most gentle, insightful, and euphoric psychedelics. It is known for placing greater emphasis on bodily and tactile sensations (sometimes compared to MDMA) than psychedelic tryptamines like psilocybin or DMT, which tend to have a more frenetic headspace and dynamic visual geometry. It is considered to be one of the best agents for psychedelic therapy due to its mellow, organic, yet complex character. Synthetic mescaline is highly sought after by connoisseurs and is typically produced in limited batches, owing to its low potency and relatively high production cost.
Unlike other highly prohibited substances, mescaline has not been proven to be physiologically toxic or addictive.
[8] Nevertheless, adverse psychological reactions such as
anxiety,
paranoia,
delusions, and
psychosis can still always occur, particularly among those predisposed to mental disorders.
[9] Additionally, it should be noted that in street markets terms like "mescaline" or "synthetic mescaline" are commonly used as deceptive labels for other psychedelics (e.g.
2C-x,
DOx, or
25x-NBOMe) that are typically more dangerous.[
citation needed] It is highly advised to use
harm reduction practices if using this substance.