due to the more than fifty alkaloids present in peyote. Most of these alkaloids do not have psychoactive effects by themselves. When combined with mescaline, the effect of this chemical is altered. Hordenine and Tyramine, both found in peyote, have been discovered to have antibiotic effects. This would describe some users' beliefs that the drug is a healer (Gottlieb 1997).
             Peyote is considered by the DEA Drug Schedule to be a Schedule I hallucinogen. Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high abuse potential, lack of established safety even under medical supervision, and has no known use in medical treatment (DEA 2005). Peyote is illegal in the United States under federal law, but there is an exception to the law. Peyote's use is legal by the members of the Native American Church in the religious ceremonies carried out in the name of the faith (Erowid 2005).
             About five grams of peyote is required to get the 350mg of mescaline needed to induce a "trip." No scientific evidence has been presented to show that peyote has harmful psychological or physical effects on a user. Also, no withdrawal symptoms or addiction to peyote have ever been seen by scientific observers (Slotkin 1956; 50-51).
             According to Rouhier, the growth of peyote in 1926 was in a small portion of southern New Mexico, in southwest Texas, and a large portion of northern
             Mexico seen as the quadrilateral in Figure II. A more up-to-date mapping of peyote growing in the wild is given to the reader by Anderson in 1969. The area that he mapped is the shaded region in Figure II. The most common natural growth of peyote is under shrubs, but it has been found to grow in the open with no protection from the sun. Also, it can grow in silty mud flats or in crevices on steep limestone cliffs (Stewart 1987; 8-11).
             The most common forms of consumption of peyote are eating fresh or dried buttons. Most people cannot deal with the bitter taste of peyo...