San Pedro (Trichocereus/Echinopsis pachanoi) is a thin, columnar cactus native to the Andes in South America. It is much faster-growing than peyote, shooting up 12 inches or more in a year and occasionally producing large, white, night-blooming flowers.
Like peyote (and Peruvian torch, among other cacti), San Pedro contains mescaline—one of the longest-studied psychedelics in the world and the first to which that term was applied. Its effects have been described as empathogenic, (similar to MDMA) and potentially life-changing, promoting radical introspection, healing, and a sense of wonder and awe.
Traditionally, as today, San Pedro may be consumed either on its own or with other plants in a ceremonial brew called cimora. While its use as a psychedelic is technically illegal in the US, specimens are widely available for “ornamental purposes.” It can also be found in abundance at the witches’ markets of Peru (as San Pedro or Huachuma), Bolivia (as Achuma), and Ecuador (as Aguacolla or Gigantón).
Disclaimer: Mescaline-containing cacti, while often legal to grow, are widely banned from human consumption. We do not encourage or condone the use of this plant where it is against the law. However, we accept that illegal drug use occurs and believe that offering responsible harm reduction information is imperative to keeping people safe. For that reason, this guide is designed to ensure the safety of those who decide to use San Pedro cactus as an entheogen or psychedelic.