Entourage effect of Peyote

The entourage effect is a phenomenon that has been gaining traction in psychedelic research. What at first was thought to be a phenomenon observed solemnly in the cannabis community and the entourage effect between THC and other phytocannabinoids turns out to be much more extensive than what we thought to be and to influence several species such as the Psilocybe genus. One specific study highlighted the significance of this phenomenon by demonstrating the superior therapeutic accuracy of psilocybin extracts compared to synthetic psilocybin.

However, there is a species that hasn’t been spoken of enough when mentioning the entourage effect. Lophophora Williamsii (Peyote). As far as we know, the Lophophora genus divides into four main subspecies:

 

• • Lophophora Alberto Vojtechii

• • Lophophora Diffusa

• • Lophophora Fricii

• • Lophophora Williamsii

 

 

 

If we scout the internet, various books, forums, and people, we’ll see that the opinion is unanimous. You might have tried synthetic Mescaline, or you might have tried San Pedro or other Echinopsis/Trichocereus (or other mescaline-containing cacti). But Peyote is a different experience.

Even if we typically vouch for picking a synthetic alternative whenever we mention endangered species, after speaking to people from several Native American tribes and hearing their experiences, how the ceremonies are conducted, how everyone has their specific role, the music played during the ceremonies, the folk story behind how the cactus became intertwined with Native American history, this species seems to be carrying too much to be a simple cactus that holds Mescaline in its composition. Instead, the whole experience merges into a concept I would like to name Entheogenic Synergy (but we will get into that in a future article.)

To understand the potential entourage effect of Peyote in a chemical sense, we first must check the morphological composition of the compounds that form the cactus. This information is interchangeable between where the cactus was collected as certain types of soil can increase the percentage of the alkaloids, and there are techniques such as purposely stressing the specimens to increase the yield of its alkaloids.

Each main branch of the Lophophora sp. is known to have a different chemical composition.

 

Lophophora Alberto Vojtechii

• • Little to nothing is known about the chemical composition of Lophophora Alberto Vojtechii due to its size and slow growth, making it difficult to obtain samples for chemical analysis. For this reason, the species remains a chemical mystery.

 

Lophophora Diffusa

• • It contains no trace quantities of Mescaline. Instead, this species has Pellotine as its main alkaloid. Pellotine has slight narcotic effects. It is known to cause convulsions in frogs and to induce drowsiness and a lack of desire to exert any physical or mental effort due to its hypnotic effect. For this reason, it has been used by Native Americans as a component of peyote for sacramental purposes.

 

Lophophora Fricii

• • It has a high percentage of the alkaloid Pellotine and the natural alkaloid Anhalonidine, a compound structurally related to Mescaline, as well as low amounts of Mescaline.

 

Lophophora Williamsii

• • Peyote is mainly known for simply having Mescaline. However, once we dive into the chemical composition of the cactus, we understand that the alkaloid list of the species is extensive.

 

List of Lophophora Williamsii alkaloids:

Mescaline: 6% (30% of total alkaloid content.) Anonymous 1959).

Pellotine: (peyotline) 0.74% (17% of total alkaloid content.) Heffter 1894b [This may have been from L. Diffusa.]

Anhalonidine: 5% (14% of total alkaloid content.) Heffter 1896a).

Anhalamine: 0.1% (8% of total alkaloid content.) Heffter 1901). (Späth & Becke 1935b also reported 0.1%.).

Lophophorine: 0.5% (5% of total alkaloid content.) Heffter 1896a).

Anhalonine: 3% (3% of total alkaloid content.) Heffter 1896a).

Anhalinine: 0.01% (0.5% of total alkaloid content.) Späth & Becke 1935a & 1935b.

Anhalidine: 0.001% (2% of total alkaloid content.) Späth & Becke 1935a & 1935b).

Hordenine: 0.004% (8% of total alkaloid content.).

N-Methyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenethylamine: (<0.5% of total alkaloid content.).

N, N-Dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenethylamine: (0.5-2% of total alkaloid content.).

3-Demethylmescaline: (1-5% of total alkaloid content was found in fresh material by Lundström & Agurell 1971).

N, N-Dimethyl-3-demethylmescaline: (0.5% of total alkaloid content.).

N-Methylmescaline: 0.002% (3% of total alkaloid content.).

O-Methylanhalonidine: (<0.5% of total alkaloid content.).

Isopellotine: (0.5% of total alkaloid content.).

Peyophorine: (0.5% of total alkaloid content.)

Isoanhalamine: (trace)

Tyramine: (trace)

N-Methyltyramine: (trace)

Epinine: (trace)

3,4-Dimethoxyphenethylamine: (trace)

3,4-Dihydroxy-5-methoxy-phenethylamine: (trace)

N-methyl-3-demethylmescaline: (trace)

 

 

 

Although the list is extensive, there are certain alkaloids that we can rule off. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t interact in the entourage effect.

For now, we will focus on:

 

• • Anhalamine

• • Anhalonidine

• • Hordenine

• • N-Methyltyramine

• • Pellotine

If we look through times, we’ll see that Native communities, when Peyote wasn’t available, would use what they’d call False Peyote.

These False Peyotes were Lophophora Diffusa, Lophophora Fricii, and Ariocarpus Fissuratus. Those invested in the species Lophophora know that it would be rather hard to differentiate between the subspecies of cacti. However, it’s easy to recognize the differences between an Ariocarpus and a Lophophora.

 

So why would Native Americans even call these cacti a False Peyote?

The answer to this lies within the psychoactive effects of the Ariocarpus Fissuratus, and if we check the composition of the species, we can see that they contain  N-methyltyramine, N-Methyl-3,4-Dimethoxy-β-Phenethylamin, and hordenine, two of these compounds are present in the alkaloids of Peyote, and if we look even closer between the Fricii and Diffusa spp. We’ll witness that Anhalamine, Anhalonidine (both substances chemically similar to mescaline), and Pellotine are present in both cacti, known as False Peyote due to their hallucinogen effects.

 

Anhalamine & Anhalonidine – There isn’t much data regarding the effects of these compounds in humans. But considering their structures, there is a high chance that they may have a similar effect to those present in mescaline or at least work in synergy with mescaline.

 

N-methyltyramine – Acts as a stimulant, speeding up the nervous system and causing a jittery feeling and rapid heartbeat. 

 

Hordenine– Some research shows it might stimulate the central nervous system and increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. 

 

Pellotine– When injected subcutaneously into humans, participants have reported drowsiness and a desire not to exert any physical or mental effort, with one study reporting it to have hypnotic effects. It is also reported to lower blood pressure and heart rate.

 

The pharmacological effects present in those mentioned above are equally present in the experience of Peyote and likely potentiate the overall mescaline experience, as these effects are typically not experienced in synthetic mescaline.

Nonetheless, further research is needed to make a complete assessment of the veracity of these claims. But as of now, the entourage effect of the species seems to be possible.

 

The issue:

One main issue with claiming that the Peyote experience differs from synthetic mescaline will allude to one believing that they must try Peyote, as we are currently witnessing with the Bufo Alvarius toad (Incillius Alvarius) situation. The species became endangered upon the popularization of the species.

The same issue arises with Peyote, as the cactus is already considered endangered in its habitat due to slow growth, taking up to 10 years to fully mature in the wild, destruction of habitat to build supermarkets and expand cities, poaching, and many other reasons.

For this reason, we strongly advise against poaching these species and recommend cultivating them instead. If you happen to find the cactus in the wild, try to collect the seeds from the cactus.

You can learn everything about Peyote, its chemistry, differences between subspecies, how to harvest seeds, historical use, and the importance of Peyote to the Native American Church in our E-Book.