Mescaline
2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)ethan-1-amine
Overview
Mescaline belongs to Psychedelics / Phenethylamines.
Effects
Subjective effects vary. What a substance feels like depends on dose, individual physiology,
mindset, and setting. The points below describe commonly reported effects, not guaranteed, uniform, or
desirable outcomes.
- A classic, long-lasting visual psychedelic: vivid colour and pattern enhancement, altered perception of time, space and self, synaesthesia, and emotional or spiritual experiences.
- Often described as gentler and 'less threatening' than LSD, with less ego-dissolution at moderate doses and a notably warm, empathogenic quality.
- Produces more nausea and vomiting than LSD or psilocybin: a common, dose-limiting feature, especially with whole-cactus preparations.
- Slow onset (about 1–2 hours) and a long duration of roughly 10–14 hours at full doses.
Dosing & duration
Harm-reduction note: These are commonly cited reference ranges, not a recommendation or a
“safe” dose. Potency, purity, body chemistry, tolerance, and drug combinations vary widely. Start
low, go slow, wait for full effects before redosing, and never assume an unknown product matches these
figures. Missing data is not evidence of safety.
Oral. Not a recommendation. Mescaline is long-acting (roughly 10–14 h) with prominent nausea, and is taken either as a salt (hydrochloride or sulfate: the two differ in mass per dose) or as peyote, San Pedro or Peruvian torch cactus, whose mescaline content varies enormously (an average peyote button holds only ~25 mg, and San Pedro preparations are frequently sub-threshold). The figures below are for the hydrochloride salt.
Dose ranges
Threshold
≈100–200 mg (HCl)
Moderate
≈178–356 mg (HCl)
Full / strong
≈300–800 mg (HCl), ~500 mg ≈ 100 µg LSD or 20 mg psilocybin
Duration
onset
≈1–2 h
peak
≈2–4 h
total
≈10–14 h (dose-dependent)
Chemical & Physical Properties
| Formula | C11H17NO3 |
| Molar mass | 211.26 g/mol |
| State | Solid |
| Melting point | 35–36 °C |
| Boiling point | 180 °C at 12 mmHg |
| Density | ≈1.07 g/cm³ (predicted) |
| Vapor pressure | Not reported |
| pKa | 9.56 |
| LogP | 0.78 |
| Solubility | Moderately soluble in water. Soluble in chloroform, benzene. Practically insoluble in ether, petroleum ether., Soluble in ethanol. Slightly soluble in lignin |
| Refractive index | Not reported |
Identifiers & Synonyms
| CAS | 54-04-6 |
| CAS (enantiomer) | |
| PubChem CID | 4076 |
| InChIKey | RHCSKNNOAZULRK-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| InChI | InChI=1S/C11H17NO3/c1-13-9-6-8(4-5-12)7-10(14-2)11(9)15-3/h6-7H,4-5,12H2,1-3H3 |
| SMILES | COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC)OC)CCN |
Synonyms
- 3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenethylamine
- Mescaline
- Peyote alkaloid
- Mesc
- Buttons
Pharmacodynamics & Biochemistry
Mescaline is the prototypical mescaline-type phenethylamine psychedelic and a partial agonist at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors: the action responsible for its psychedelic effects, which are blocked by the 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin. It is a low-potency, low-efficacy 5-HT2A ligand (Kᵢ in the high-nanomolar to micromolar range) and penetrates the brain poorly, which together explain why the active oral dose is so large (hundreds of milligrams) compared with LSD or psilocybin. It also activates 5-HT2C (with functional selectivity / biased agonism) and 5-HT2B receptors and has weaker affinity for 5-HT1A and α2-adrenergic receptors. It has essentially no activity at the serotonin, noradrenaline or dopamine transporters and no meaningful dopamine-receptor activity, consistent with its lack of stimulant-type reinforcement. In controlled studies a 500 mg dose of mescaline hydrochloride produced subjective effects comparable to 100 µg LSD or 20 mg psilocybin. Full psychedelic experiences typically require roughly 300–800 mg.
Biological targets
- 5-HT2A
- 5-HT2C
- 5-HT2B
- 5-HT1A
- TAAR1
Binding & functional measurements
| Target | Measurement | Species |
|---|---|---|
| 5-HT2A receptor | Ki 6,300 ± 1,800 nM | Human |
| α2-adrenoceptor | Ki 8,930 nM | Human |
| 5-HT2B receptor | Ki 793 nM | Human |
| 5-HT1A receptor | Ki 4,600 ± 400 nM | Human |
| I1 imidazoline site | Ki 2,678 nM | Human |
| TAAR1 | Ki 3,300 nM | Rat |
| 5-HT1E receptor | Ki 5,205 nM | Human |
| α2C-adrenoceptor | Ki 745 nM | Human |
Pharmacokinetics
| Bioavailability | ≥53% oral (≈50% first-pass) |
| Tmax | ≈1.6–2.3 h |
| Half-life | ≈3.6 h (2.6–5.3 h) |
| Vd | Not reported |
| Protein binding | Not reported |
| Metabolism | Oxidative deamination to 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacetic acid (enzyme debated: MAO/SSAO/DAO). Metabolites are inactive |
| Excretion | Largely renal: ~87–92% recovered in urine within 24–48 h, roughly half as unchanged mescaline |
Toxicology & Safety
Harm-reduction note: Toxicity and risk depend on dose, route, purity, combinations, setting, and individual
health factors. Missing harms should never be interpreted as evidence of safety.
Not reported
Mescaline has low physiological toxicity and no meaningful dependence liability, so its main risks are psychological and behavioural: a difficult or overwhelming experience is more likely given the very long duration (roughly 10–14 hours) and the slow build-up. Prominent nausea and vomiting are near-universal, especially from whole-cactus preparations, and it produces mild sympathomimetic effects (raised heart rate and blood pressure). As with other serotonergic psychedelics, people with a personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder, or significant cardiovascular disease, are at higher risk. Peyote is a slow-growing, conservation-threatened cactus, and its use is legally protected for the Native American Church in the US. Limited data must never be read as evidence of safety.[3][5]
Legal Status
Legal note: Legal status can change over time and may vary by country, region, formulation, analogue status,
prescription context, and enforcement practice. Always confirm with current official sources before relying on this section.
US: Schedule I. UK: Class A. DE: BtMG Anlage I
Interactions & Contraindications
Drug interactions
MAOIs Inhibit mescaline's oxidative deamination and add serotonergic load, effects can be intensified and prolonged with a risk of serotonin toxicity.[3]
SSRIs, SNRIs, Other serotonergic drugs Additive serotonergic effect and serotonin-toxicity risk. Chronic SSRI use may also blunt the subjective effects.[3]
Stimulants (amphetamines, cocaine) Additive cardiovascular strain (raised heart rate and blood pressure).
Contraindications
Personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder[5]
Cardiovascular disease, hypertension or arrhythmia significant disease or uncontrolled hypertension.[3]
Concurrent MAOI, SSRI/SNRI or other serotonergic medication concurrent MAOI or other serotonergic medication.[3]
Pregnancy or breastfeeding
No interactions or contraindications listed.
Usage & Context
- Long-standing sacramental and healing use of peyote (Lophophora williamsii) by Indigenous peoples of Mexico and North America, and of San Pedro (Echinopsis pachanoi) in the Andes. Protected for the Native American Church in the US.
- Contemporary recreational and self-exploratory use, usually as dried cactus or extracted mescaline.
- A renewed subject of controlled clinical research into serotonergic psychedelics.
Sources & Evidence
- PubChem: Mescaline (CID 4076) — identifiers & experimental properties
- Wikipedia: Mescaline — pharmacology, effects, dosing & occurrence CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Pereira CL, da Silva DD (2019). Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Aspects of Peyote and Mescaline: Clinical and Forensic Repercussions. Curr Mol Pharmacol 12:184-194.
PMID 30318013 · doi:10.2174/1874467211666181010154139
- Holze F, Singh N, Liechti ME, et al. (2024). Serotonergic Psychedelics: A Comparative Review of Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Binding Profile. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 9:472-489.
PMID 38301886 · doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.01.007
- Klaiber A, Schmid Y, Becker AM, et al. (2024). Acute dose-dependent effects of mescaline in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects. Transl Psychiatry 14:395.
PMID 39349427 · doi:10.1038/s41398-024-03116-2
- Mueller L, Klaiber A, Ley L, et al. (2025). Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Urinary Recovery of Oral Mescaline Hydrochloride in Healthy Participants. Clin Pharmacokinet 64:1495-1506.
PMID 40658345 · doi:10.1007/s40262-025-01544-x
- Ray TS (2010). Psychedelics and the human receptorome. PLoS One 5:e9019.
PMID 20126400 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009019
- Moya PR, Berg KA, Gutiérrez-Hernandez MA, et al. (2007). Functional selectivity of hallucinogenic phenethylamine and phenylisopropylamine derivatives at human 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2A and 5-HT2C receptors. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 321:1054-61.
PMID 17337633 · doi:10.1124/jpet.106.117507
- DEA Diversion Control Division: Controlled Substance Schedules (mescaline — Schedule I, US, peyote NAC exemption)
- GOV.UK: Controlled drugs list — mescaline is Class A (UK) OGL v3.0
- Rickli A, Luethi D, Reinisch J, et al. (2015). Receptor interaction profiles of novel N-2-methoxybenzyl (NBOMe) derivatives of 2,5-dimethoxy-substituted phenethylamines (2C drugs). Neuropharmacology 99:546-53.
PMID 26318099 · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.08.034