Can Peyote help Alcoholism on Native American reservations?

    We all know that alcoholism is a recurring problem on Native American reservations. Indigenous people were first introduced to alcohol by the Europeans, then they had their land stolen, their population was decimated and as a result they ended up losing a big part of their culture. This led to Indigenous people drinking alcohol as a coping mechanism for their generational trauma. As alcohol addiction started to rise on Native American reservations, they used a spiritual medicine to heal from their addiction, called peyote, also a hallucinogen. The active ingredient in peyote is called mescaline, but how do Native Americans use it to treat their alcoholism? Many Native Americans use this plant in traditional meetings to help treat their addiction to alcohol. In these religious ceremonies, peyote is not viewed as a drug but is viewed as medicine for healing. Although it was mostly used for healing purposes, some started to experience negative effects. Others also started to depend on peyote and eventually became addicted to it.(in text citation) Peyote can be a resource to help treat alcoholism and break generational trauma, but that doesn’t mean it can be used as a coping strategy.

 

                                    

                                                                        Compounds of Peyote

You may be asking yourself, what is peyote and what is it made of? Peyote comes in the form of a small and spineless cactus; it can be blue-green or gray-green. Peyote was introduced by Indigenous peoples to northern Mexico and the southwest of the US as a sacred custom. The active ingredient in peyote is a hallucinogenic drug called mescaline, a Schedule 1 substance in the United States, illegal to ingest or sell. (Peyote and Mescaline) However, the law exempts the Native American communities, who use it as medicine. (Horgan) Many who ingest peyote can have different experiences depending on the person. It can have a variety of effects depending on a person’s size, weight, tolerance, the strength of the drug, environment, and overall health. Many people who have taken peyote have experienced a sense of euphoria, increased energy, perceptual distortion, and increased body temperature; others can also experience intense nausea and vomiting. (What is Mescaline?) According to “What is Mescaline?”, the effects can take up to forty-five to ninety minutes to feel, and the experience can last up to nine to fourteen hours. There have also been no reports of fatal overdoses with the use of this drug. (What is Mescaline?) Mescaline, or peyote, can have many different effects, but the Native American communities use it to help treat their alcohol addiction.
    
                                                

Peyote is used in traditional ceremonies for healing and religious purposes. In “Tripping on Peyote in the Navajo Nation”, Horgan experienced one of these traditional meetings firsthand. He reportedly took several tablespoons of peyote. One would ingest it by either eating the ground-ups or buttons of a peyote cactus or drinking peyote-infused tea. For ten hours, they sang chants and smoked corn husks, while rhythmically pounding a drum. As the meeting went on, two people vomited and then started to confess their fears and their troubles. The others in the meeting would listen, offer advice, or relate to them about their troubles. As the sun started approaching, everyone embraced and hugged each other, grateful to have their families and their loved ones with them. This article reported that peyote also helps the Native American Church keep their mind and body healthy in order to stay sober. The Na'nizhoozhi Center’s staff members, a substance-abuse clinic in Gallup, tell their patients to try regular peyote ceremonies because they don’t offer peyote onsite. Their records show that those who participate in the ceremonies do better than those who are in Alcoholics Anonymous. (Horgan) According to a study in “Classic Psychedelics”, LSD, Psilocybin, Ayahuasca, and Mescaline, all showed that 83% of 343 people did not have an alcohol use disorder after psychedelic use. (Calleja-Conde, et al) Other than the hallucinogenic substance in peyote, it also contains a biochemical alkaloid called phenylethylamine. It is a compound that can naturally be found in the body. It is classified as a natural monoamine alkaloid that makes certain chemicals that can help mood stabilization. This alkaloid has been shown to boost dopamine and serotonin; it can be used to help treat depression, ADHD, PTSD, and addictions to substances. Levy also reports, “People who have low levels of this chemical may be prone to experiencing depression, poor attention span, and other psychiatric conditions.” (Levy) Peyote has been shown to help addictions and other issues, but there also has been some reported negative side effects.

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                    A Tipi (left) and a Hogan (right), where Native Americans commonly hold their ceremonies.

Although peyote has helped many Native Americans on reservations, it has also given some of them negative short-term side effects, and they can form a dependency on peyote. Peyote can have different side effects on the brain and body. Some of these effects can include altered perception of space and time, anxiety or panic, paranoia, altered sense of self, or temporary psychosis(extremely rare). Different effects on the body can be flushed skin, headaches, increased body temperature, increased blood pressure, nausea/vomiting, or sleep difficulties. (Miller) As the alkaloids and the hallucinogens start to affect the neurotransmitters traveling from the brain to the spinal cord, they affect different processes like sleep and muscle control. It can also cause a person to alter their mood and perceptions. Although peyote isn't physically addictive or has any physical symptoms of withdrawal, people can start to form a biological dependence on mescaline or peyote. (Berzrutcyzk) Once a person develops a tolerance, they use greater doses to feel the effects of peyote. As a person starts to enjoy the experience of peyote and their mood changes, it can cause them to become addicted to or abuse peyote. (Guarnotta) Using peyote in a traditional and religious sense can help treat addiction in Native Americans, but it can also have disadvantages if not used properly.

Many Native Americans use peyote in ceremonies to help with different life issues, concerns, or addictions. Some Native Americans who ingest peyote in traditional ceremonies have reported that their alcohol use has gone down since they started using peyote, and they no longer identify as an alcoholic. There have also been many reports about the different types of experiences or sensations that people have felt. People have experienced hallucinations, lucid dreams, tingly, sharpness, and awareness. The elemental compounds in peyote and mescaline have been proven to improve moods, ADHD, and addictions. People can have a spiritual or enlightening experience with peyote to help better their livelihoods. If peyote is so great, why doesn't everyone use it? Well, if one takes peyote while not in the right mental space, it can cause different short-term effects on the mind and body, which can cause extreme discomfort. If used improperly or recreationally, people can start to get addicted to the “mood-improving” feeling of peyote and can develop a psychological dependence on it. People who use peyote recreationally may try to pass it off for religious or traditional purposes. It may be a great way to help treat alcoholism or even help generational trauma in Native American communities. However, if people start to depend on it, it will just be replaced as another coping mechanism.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7gR5oXARII - video link that describes why peyote is important to Native Americans in traditional ceremonies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_ysA4gDGwE - video link about the history of peyote

References cited:

Bezrutczyk, Destiny. “Mescaline Detox and Withdrawal.” Rehab Spot, 8 May 2023,                                        www.rehabspot.com/drugs/hallucinogens/mescaline/detox-withdrawal/.

Calleja-Conde, J, et al. . Classic psychedelics and Alcohol Use Disorders: A systematic review of                     human and Animal Studies. Addiction biology.November 2022 ,                                                                https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9541961/

Guarnotta, Emily. “Peyote Drug Addiction: Mescaline Drug Abuse & Addiction.” DrugAbuse.Com, 21         Sept. 2023, drugabuse.com/drugs/hallucinogens/peyote/.

Horgan, J. . Tripping on peyote in the Navajo nation. Scientific American Blog Network. 5, July 2017)           https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/tripping-on-peyote-in-navajo-nation/

Levy, Jillian. “A Little-Known Supplement That Could Help Your Brain.” Dr. Axe, 25 Apr. 2022,                   draxe.com/nutrition/phenylethylamine/#:~:text=It%27s%20classified%20as%20a%20natural,a%20        role%20in%20mood%20stabilization.

“Mescaline.” Mescaline - Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 8 Nov. 2022, adf.org.au/drug-facts/mescaline/.

Miller , Leah. “Effects of Peyote Abuse: Signs & Symptoms of Mescaline Use.” DrugAbuse.Com, 21           Sept. 2023, drugabuse.com/drugs/hallucinogens/peyote/effects-use/.

Peyote & Mescaline - dea.gov. Drug Fact Sheet: Peyote & Mescaline. (202AD, April).                                     https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Peyote%20and%20Mescaline-2020_0.pdf