Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum can be found in many nurseries. It is a most interesting cactus, without mescaline. The book 'Plants of the Gods' describes that a hallucinogenic drink is prepared from Cawe:
A multi-purpose plant from which the juice of the young branches is employed by the Tarahumara to make the narcotic beverage "cawe," "chawe," or "wichowaka" (insanity). The beverage causes dizziness and visual hallucinations. It is also used for purely medicinal purposes.
Cawe has been used as an peyote substitute. A rather common, huge, short-spined organ-pipe cactus that can grow to over 10 meters tall. Bears beautiful white blooms with purple edges and has globus fruit densely covered in yellow wool and bristles. The Tarahumara Indians of Mexico use the young branches to make a sacred narcotic drink. It is also known as Wichowaka, which means insanity. Causes dizziness and visual hallucinations.
This study is about the alkaloids in Cawe:
Strömbom J, Bruhn JG. Alkaloids of Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum, a Mexican cactus of ethnopharmacologic interest. Acta Pharm Suec. 1978;15(2):127–132. [
PubMed]
If anyone can get his/her hands on this document, please forward it to me or post it here.
Alkaloids include: 3,4-dimethoxyphenetylamine, Salsolidine, 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenethylamine, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenethylamine, Arizonine, Carnegine, Heliamine, Isosolsoline & Solsoline
So we have a very promising
legal psychedelic, which has a long history of being used as an peyote substitute, but is virtually unknown as a modern ethnobotanical. It is widely available. Let's compile a sources list in the sources forum.
Does anyone have experience with this one?
More information would be most welcome. Especially about dosage & duration.