Translated from our German original by AI. The German text was researched, written, and edited by the Psychedelia Foundation team and remains the authoritative version.
Mescaline, the main psychoactive compound in the peyote and San Pedro cacti, has been used in traditional healing practices for centuries and is drawing growing scientific interest in connection with possible psychiatric applications. A recent systematic review titled “The Ethnopharmacological Use of Mescaline for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review” has assessed the literature available so far on the therapeutic effects and possible risks of mescaline. The result: the current evidence is too limited and too inconsistent to allow reliable statements about benefit and safety.
The researchers examined what scientific evidence exists on the use of mescaline in psychiatric complaints. To that end they assessed publications from the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Of 2770 references found in total, 66 papers met the basic inclusion criteria. Because of the quality of the available data, however, only 10 studies were suitable for closer analysis.
The studies assessed reported possible therapeutic effects of mescaline, among them improvements in depression scores, greater well-being, and possible positive changes in connection with nicotine dependence, alcohol consumption, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Given the small number of suitable studies and the substantial differences between them, however, no firm conclusions about clinical efficacy can be drawn.
Alongside possible positive effects, the review also looked at adverse physical reactions. The Bayesian analysis showed that certain effects were described repeatedly in the available reports, among them hypertension or a rise in blood pressure, headache, nausea, and vomiting. The authors point out, however, that the existing data do not allow a reliable estimate of how often these psychological or physical effects actually occur.
The researchers rate the current evidence on mescaline as limited overall and of highly variable quality. What is missing above all are standardized clinical trials that systematically examine possible therapeutic applications, safety, dosing, and long-term effects.
Given the long-standing use of peyote within the Native American Church, the authors recommend cooperation between the community, regional hospitals, and poison control centers. A standardized registry could help to capture clinically relevant data on the effects of mescaline in frequently affected populations in a structured way.
In sum, the research so far indicates that mescaline may have relevant psychological effects and could be of interest for certain psychiatric applications. The current scientific evidence is not sufficient, however, to confirm therapeutic efficacy or a comprehensive safety profile. Further high-quality clinical trials are needed to judge the medical potential and the risks of mescaline more accurately.
