Peyote Statement
We at Decriminalize Maine recognize peyote's special place in the cultures of Indigenous peoples and will not support any policy with respect to the legal status of peyote that is opposed by Indigenous people or that would promote exploitation or unsustainable harvest.
Meet the Plants and Fungi
Plants containing DMT and other tryptamine compounds
N,N-dimethlytryptamine (N,N-DMT) is an indole alkaloid that is found in many plant genera, including Phalaris, Delosperma, Acacia, Desmodium, Mimosa, Virola, and Psychotria.
A commonly known DMT-containing brew is ayahuasca, which is a tea made from two plants: a leaf (typically Psychotria viridis) that contains N,N-DMT, and a vine (typically Banisteriopsis Caapi). Both of these plants are native to the Amazon basin.
Ayahuasca, also known as natema, hoasca, daime, yagé, or yajé, has been used as a sacrament in many healing ceremonies and is considered a traditional medicine by indigenous cultures and mestizo populations in the Amazon.
Plants containing Ibogaine and other tryptamine compounds
Within the plant family Apocynaceae, three closely related species contain ibogaine: Tabernanthe iboga, Voacanga africana, and Tabernaemontana undulata.
Ibogaine is an indole alkaloid, 12-methoxyibogamine, that was first isolated from the Central African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, a plant also known simply as iboga. Iboga root has been used for centuries as a medicine and sacrament by indigenous tribes in the Congo Basin, particularly those practicing the Bwiti spiritual discipline, such as the Fang, Punu, and Mitsogo peoples.
Voacanga africana contains not only ibogaine but also the psychoactive compounds voacangine and voacamine, which have similar properties to ibogaine.
Tabernaemontana undulata, known as Becchete or Sananga, has been used traditionally by Peruvian and Brazilian indigenous tribes to enhance vision for hunting and to produce hallucinogenic visions.
Fungi containing Psilocybin and other tryptamine compounds
Fungi containing psychoactive alkaloids, such as psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin, and norbaeocystin, are found in the commonly known genera of Psilocybe and Panaeolus, which include some but not all of the more than 180 species of psychoactive mushrooms.
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms have been used as a sacrament by indigenous groups for centuries and potentially by pre-historic peoples for millennia. Mayans and Aztecs referred to mushrooms as teonanácatl, or “flesh of the gods”
Mexican ethnic groups, such as the Mazatec and Zapotec, have used and continue to use psilocybin mushrooms ceremonially.
Cacti containing Mescaline and other phenethlyamine compounds
Commonly known psychoactive cacti genera are Echinopsis and Lophophora, which include the cacti Peyote, San Pedro, Bolivian Torch, and Peruvian Torch, all of which contain the phenethylamine mescaline.
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) has been used by indigenous North Americans for millennia. Please see Decriminalize Maine’s Peyote Resolution for our stance on the inclusion of Peyote in the Decriminalize movement.
San Pedro (Echinopsis pachanoi) is native to the Andes Mountains of South America and has been used for thousands of years in traditional healing practices by native peoples.