Mescaline Location
Where is mescaline found?
Peyote is primarily found in the regions of Southern Texas and in the valley of the Rio Grande in Mexico. Mescaline is achieved by extraction from primarily the peyote cactus, but can also be extracted from San Pedro and Peruvian Torch cacti, and can be found in numerous places in the United States. Like other illegal narcotics, mescaline is often sold on the street. However, it is often not pure mescaline that is being sold. Many times, the 'mescaline' that is available on the streets are other drugs such as LSD (acid) or PCP. One study that was carried out showed that, out of all of the mescaline sold on the street, only seventeen percent of these samples actually contained mescaline and not some other drug that was to be passed off as mescaline.
How is mescaline obtained?
Mescaline can be obtained one of two ways. Mescaline can achieved by either being extracted by drying the tops of the peyote cactus, which can then be ingested, or by artificial synthesis in a laboratory.
The laboratory synthesis of mescaline, as written by Alexander Shulgin (http://www.mescaline.com/synth/):
SYNTHESIS: A solution of 20 g 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde, 40 mL nitromethane, and 20 mL cyclohexylamine in 200 mL of acetic acid was heated on the steam bath for 1 h. The reaction mixture was then diluted slowly and with good stirring, with 400 mL H2O, which allowed the formation of a heavy yellow crystalline mass. This was removed by filtration, washed with H2O, and sucked as dry as possible. Recrystallization from boiling MeOH (15 mL/g) yielded, after filtration and air drying, beta-nitro-3,4,5-trimethoxystyrene as bright yellow crystals weighing 18.5 g. An alternate synthesis was effective, using an excess of nitromethane as solvent as well as reagent, if the amount of ammonium acetate catalysis was kept small. A solution of 20 g 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde in 40 mL nitromethane containing 1 g anhydrous ammonium acetate was heated on the steam bath for 4 h. The solvent was stripped under vacuum and the residual yellow oil was dissolved in two volumes of hot MeOH, decanted from some insolubles, and allowed to cool. The crystals formed are removed by filtration, washed with MeOH and air dried yielding 14.2 g. of bright yellow crystals of beta-nitro-3,4,5-trimethoxystyrene. The use of these proportions but with 3.5 g ammonium acetate gave extensive side-reaction products even when worked up after only 1.5 h heating. The yield of nitrostyrene was, in this latter case, unsatisfactory.
To a gently refluxing suspension of 2 g LAH in 200 mL Et2O, there was added 2.4 g beta-nitro-3,4,5-trimethoxystyrene as a saturated Et2O solution by use of a Soxhlet extraction condenser modified to allow the continuous return of condensed solvent through the thimble. After the addition was complete, the refluxing conditions were maintained for another 48 h. After cooling the reaction mixture, a total of 150 mL of 1.5 N H2SO4 was cautiously added, destroying the excess hydride and ultimately providing two clear phases. These were separated, and the aqueous phase was washed once with 50 mL Et2O. There was then added 50 g potassium sodium tartrate, followed by sufficient NaOH to bring the pH >9. This was then extracted with 3x75 mL CH2Cl2, and the solvent from the pooled extracts was removed under vacuum. The residue was distilled at 120-130 °C at 0.3 mm/Hg giving a white oil that was dissolved in 10 mL IPA and neutralized with concentrated HCl. The white crystals that formed were diluted with 25 mL Et2O, removed by filtration, and air dried to provide 2.1 g 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine hydrochloride (M) as glistening white crystals. The sulfate salt formed spectacular crystals from water, but had a broad and uncharacteristic mp. An alternate synthesis can employ 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacetonitrile, as described under beta-D.
What is mescaline's natural abundance?
Mescaline doesn't have an actual natural abundance due to the fact that, in its pure form, it has to be synthetically produced in a lab. When physically extracted from the peyote cactus, mescaline is typically found in hot and dry regions such as the southern part of North America, and in Central and South America.