Grofian Peyotists

Why Peyotists?

by C. Fisher Being the only legally sanctioned entheogen in the United States, peyote remains the most promising candidate as a bonafide religious sacrament -- particurlarly in an age of draconian drug laws featuring cruel and unusual mandatory sentencing. By contrast, its rarity and high toxicity compared to the cubensis mushroom betrays, even more so, the true impetus behind its preferred status for religious use, at least by those outside of the mainstream (or neo) Native American tradition. Unfortunately, the prospects for "sacred mushrooms" being legally reintroduced -- for any purpose other than limited medical research -- are dim, at best. The table below indicates the legal status of five entheogen candidates: ------- : -- a/E -- : -- F/E - : -- F/J -- : -- S/E -- : -- S/J -- : ------------- 1 --------- 2 --------- 3 --------- 4 --------- 5 ----------- P----- : -- n/a -- : --- Y --- : --- Y --- : --- Y --- : -- n/a -- : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A----- : -- n/a -- : --- N --- : --- Y --- : --- N --- : --- N --- : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- S----- : --- N --- : -- n/a -- : -- n/a -- : -- n/a -- : -- n/a -- : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- T----- : -- n/a -- : --- N --- : --- N --- : --- N --- : --- N --- : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- C----- : -- n/a -- : --- N --- : --- N --- : --- N --- : --- Y --- : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMBOLS: [Y] - yes; [N] - no; [n/a] - not applicable Law: [1, a/E] - Analogue Act exemption; [2, F/E] - federal exemption (Controlled Substances Act); [3, F/J] - federal judicial precedent; [4, S/E] - state exemption; [5, S/J] - state judicial precedent Entheogens: [P] - Peyote; [A] - Ayahuasca; [S] - Salvia D.; [T] - Trichocereus P.; [C] - P. Cubensis . . . Notes: PEYOTE P2 - federal exemption (Controlled Substances Act): The federal exemption for peyote is limited to participation in religious ceremonies of the Native American Church (NAC). This is clearly unconstitutional if applied exclusivey to members of the NAC (endorsement of religion) or when restricted to citizens of Native American descent (civil rights violation). However, the federal government has, in the past, characterized the exemption as a treaty between sovereign nations and therefore does not apply to U.S. citizens per se, nor is it subject to constitutional arguments. In fact, this "treaty" was nearly revoked during the Reagan/Bush era when the "priviledge" of the peyote ritual was threatened by the U.S. Congress over the prospect of non-Native American participation in NAC ceremonies.