San Pedro Cactus Recipe

I got a small San Pedro Cactus on eBay.  I liked it so much, I bought a larger one at the Cactus Jungle. I found a recipe online for making the juice. I had seen a movie, when I was a student a SF State which confirms how to make it. It is easy to make. You cut off an arm about the size of your forearm, and you remove the spines and the skin. Then you pull out the green part inside, and cook that down. You can blend in a blender or you can cook it until the juice is has all come out.  You have to boil it a long time. Maybe as long as a day or two. This is what the Native tribes did. You need an empty stomach. You drink it, then it last for 16 hours, so you can’t go to work or do anything. You need a clear schedule. I don’t know anyone who has tired it. I heard people try, and it does not work, but maybe they did not boil it long enough or strain it enough or something else? It is not illegal to buy a San Pedro Cactus, but it is illegal to buy a small peyote cactus. If it really worked well, I guess it would be illegal to make buy a San Pedro. I have not tired it, because I hate to cut off an arm, when the plant is not very big. I tried to create a new one from planting an arm years ago, but it would not take. I don’t know why. I may have over or under watered it.  It was unhealthy to begin with. These not are the easiest plants to grow well. They will survive in bad shape, but look sickly. I think they may need heat in order to be healthy, as least in the summer. San Pedro won’t like coastal conditions with dampness, fog or cool breezes. But, they grow in the Andes, so I believe it is best to create the native conditions of the plant you are trying to grow as much as possible. I assume they would like the Desert Southwest. I would check to see how much rainfall they get in the native environment, and use that as a guide.

Note: I had read to remove the skin, but I also read to keep the skin on, so I don’t know which one you want to go with. Taking off the skin would take hours. Why would you want to take it off? The part you want is the green part, and not the white part. I don’t know what these part are. I had piece once I was growing, but it did not take. I can confirm inside are mostly white parts, and very little of the green parts. The waxy coating you want to remove? Why are why not? The hassle and work is just too much. No one, but the most serious stoner would bother with this plant.

What I am suggesting is the growing condition of the plant may affect the amount of mescaline. A plant grown at your house, may not have the same conditions as the native plants, and this could mean that plant is less potent or it could mean that the ones we buy are less potent or non potent?

Updated: I did not want to sacrifice an arm of my San Pedro, but I had a small one that came down with fungus, so I decided to try it. I had only a small amount of arm (about 3.5 inches) which is much longer then the suggested amount. I cut the spines out. That was the hardest part. I decide the white part should be removed. I read some people keep the white part in and then drain it out after cooking. But I think it is better to cut out the white part. Prep time was 45 minutes just for this small piece. I cooked it in a tiny pot on the stove on a low heat, never allowing it to boil. When I decided it was done, I strained out the pulp and I had about half a cup of liquid. I took one drink from the cup consuming about only a 1/4 of the liquid. I did feel something after half an hour, but it was not good. I felt that if I drank more, I would only feel similar effects, but it would be worse. I don’t have the courage to try a full dose, but from what I can say, it a much waste of time to do and not entertaining. What the Native Shaman’s mix up has other secret ingredients that they don’t reveal. Many of those are either illegal or hard to get and need a very warm climate to succeed. I am willing to try things, but there is no need to be careless and risky.

Cooking Notes: I don’t know why some say to boil it twice. I did not think that was necessary.  In traditional use they boil it many hours. If someone wants to explain the pro and cons of longing cooking and twice boiling leave a comment.