Extraction of Mescaline

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Extraction of mescaline from Trichocereus

panchanoi

by

David Barlow

Introduction

San Pedro (Trichocereus orEchinopsis panchanoi)is a fast-growing columnar cactus native

to the Andes of Peru and Ecuador. Peruvian Torch (Trichocereusperuvianus orEchinopsis

peruviana) is a similar species with longer spines. They can be grown indoors in the UK and

are also available in powdered form. Estimates of mescaline content vary but most contain

around 0.5% by dry weight (cacti are at least 90% water). Eating the raw cactus is very

nauseating and delays the onset of effects, while aqueous extractions are inefficient and give

poor yields. Chemical methods however are highly efficient and even crude extractions

reduce the amount of material consumed to minuscule proportions.

Theory

Traditionally an acid-base extraction is used, although acidification is not strictly necessary.

After removing the spines the cactus is chopped up and pureed in a blender with deionised

water. It is then basified with sodium hydroxide and extracted with a non-polar solvent,

usually at least three times - shaken, not stirred! The mescaline freebase is highly soluble in

the non-polar but virtually insoluble in the aqueous phase, so the non-polar is separated off

and evaporated to give a crude extract. The preferred choice of non-polar for this application

is xylene, as freebase mescaline is virtually insoluble in the more readily available naphtha

(lighter fluid). Toluene can be used as a less smelly alternative to xylene but forms an

emulsion after shaking and can't be fully separated with a pipette from dilute acid. Mescalinewill remain in solution when xylene is placed in a freezer, so this is a convenient method for

separating the phases and reduces fumes. Mescaline salts can be produced, if required, by

shaking the extracted non-polar solvent with a solution of a volatile or non-volatile acid. A

pH meter can be used to determine when the extraction is complete, as the reading should not

increase after shaking with the non-polar and separating off. (Ensure that the meter is dried

thoroughly after use as any residual xylene will attack the plastic casing.) Citric acid is safest

to use, although non-volatile, so any excess acid will be present in the end product.

Hydrochloric acid is volatile and should be evaporated off in a fume cupboard ideally, as the

fumes are extremely hazardous. Acetic acid (distilled vinegar) also creates highly acidic

fumes when concentrated but is less suitable as the resulting salt absorbs moisture from the

atmosphere.

Chemicals and Equipment

Deionised Water (from any car accessory shop)

Search the Web

action of mescaline from Trichocereus panchanoi http://www.mescaline.20m.com

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Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda - for unblocking drains from DIY stores)

Xylene (xylene paint thinners) or Toluene (less smelly but forms emulsions)

Hydrochloric Acid (optional)

Acetone (optional)

Safety goggles and rubber glovesPreserving jar or bottleFunnel

Rectangular Pyrex dishCloth to cover dishSingle edged razor bladeScalpelFume mask when using xylene

Cactus Powder Chemicals

Method

SAFETY GOGGLES AND RUBBER GLOVES MUST BE WORN AT ALL

TIMES

WHEN HANDLING CAUSTIC SODA AND HYDROCHLORIC ACID

1. Add 500 ml deionised water to a preserving jar or bottle. Then add 25 g of caustic soda

while wearing protective goggles and gloves. Allow enough space for shaking. Once the

caustic soda is dissolved, add 50 gpowdered San Pedro - a large bore funnel is useful if usinga bottle. Initially the powder will form into a solid lump. Leave the basified cacti for a few

days to thin out.

2. Add at least 10% xylene to the volume, recap the jar or bottle and warm to hand hot in a

water bath (around 50 C). Remember that xylene fumes are flammable. (Storing xylene in a

freezer will reduce the fumes or wear a mask with a charcoal filter.) Loosen and retighten the

lid to release any pressure. (If necessary, wrap PTFE plumbing tape around a plastic wine

cork to get a tight fit, but ensure that it is held firmly during agitation.) Care is required if

using plastic screw cap bottles as they can deform and leak when heated excessively. The

bottle must now be shaken vigorously for at least a minute while wearing protective goggles

and gloves - the mescaline shuffle! Vigorous agitation will create an emulsion but gives amuch greater yield than gentle agitation. Heat will not clear the emulsion but it should resolve

gradually by repeatedly freezing and thawing. Once frozen there should be a clear partition

between the solid caustic soda solution and the (now green) xylene floating on top, which can

be poured in another sealed container. A number of freezing and thawing cycles are required


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to remove all the xylene - avoid hot water with frozen glass bottles as they may crack. The lid

should be tight, although it may need hot water to unfreeze it, as xylene vapour will taint any

food in the freezer. If the lid is left loose then secure Clingfilm over the opening with an

elastic band or use plumbing tape to prevent fumes.

3. Pour the collected xylene into a rectangular Pyrex dish. Cover the dish with a cloth to keep

out dust and insects and leave in a well ventilated area until all the xylene has evaporated

(preferably outdoors in a garage or shed). Remember that xylene fumes are flammable. You

should be left with waxy deposits with tiny crystals which can be scraped up with a singleedged razor blade. The extract can be scraped off the razor with a scalpel into a Rizla paper -

keep the scalpel blade in a wine cork when not in use. The process should be repeated at least

once. The most active extract is dark in colour, while later extractions will consist of green

waxy material.

If hydrochloric acid is available a hydrochloride salt can be produced which makes

measurement of dosage more accurate and enables the xylene to be reused. To create pure

white crystals hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled through the non-polar solvent. Aqueous

extractions will produce a brown powder which although less attractive is perfectly adequate

and far less hazardous to produce. Ten drops of 10% HCl solution by volume (v/v) are added

to deionised water and shaken in a sealed container with the collected xylene, after warmingto hand hot in a water bath. The phases are separated by freezing. Pour the xylene back into

the basified cactus container and thaw the aqueous phase - avoid hot water with frozen glass

bottles as they may crack. The liquid is then evaporated in a rectangular Pyrex dish on a

hotplate outdoors or in a well ventilated area, away from people or animals. The resulting

extract can be rinsed in acetone to remove the sticky green material, making handling easier.

Scrape all the extract into one corner of the rectangular Pyrex dish, tilt and add acetone with

a pipette (as it is difficult to pour). Mix the extract thoroughly in the acetone, allow to settle,

then slowly tip the acetone out of the opposite corner of the dish, removing any residue with

a tissue. Repeat if necessary. Dry the dish on a hotplate, then powder the extract by chopping

with a single edged razor blade. The (now yellow) xylene should be reused to extract the

remaining mescaline from the basified cactus powder.

For health and safety reasons the amount of HCl used should be minimal and safety goggles

and rubber gloves must be worn at all times.

Mescaline freebase is C11H17NO3, molar mass 211 g/mol. HCl has molar mass 36.5 g/mol.

(H=1, C=12, N=14, O=16, Cl=35.5)

50 g of dried San Pedro might contain at most 1% mescaline = 0.5 g.

This would be neutralised with a solution of deionised water containing 86.5 mg HCl

(36.5/211 x 500 mg).

A 10% solution by volume (v/v) of HCl contains 105 g/litre, so this would require 0.824 g of

solution (1000/105 x 86.5 mg).

A drop weighs around 50 mg so around 16 drops of 10% HCl solution would be required in

total.The freebase content of mescaline hydrochloride is 85% (211/247.5).


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Magnetic Stirrer Before shaking After shaking After freezing

Dried Extract Shavings

These pictures show a bulk extraction using a gallon demijohn with a magnetic stirrer. The

previous demijohn cracked under heat and the caustic soda removed the paint from the top of

the hotplate - so this one is not being heated! Use a cork bung in preference to a rubber one

which will swell from xylene exposure. It is left on slow stir for several hours which is

preferable to shaking as it doesn't create any emulsion. Getting the stir bar centred is quite

tricky - it can be held with a strong magnet on the outside and lifted to the top centre of the

demijohn and dropped back in. Once it falls into the right position avoid turning the speed up

too quickly or you will have to start again! It can take 24 hours to freeze the basified cactusin the demijohn. It's best to pour the xylene off into the bottle first before adding dilute acid,

in case the aqueous phase in the demijohn hasn't frozen completely, so you can pour it back

and freeze it for a bit longer if necessary. Once the dilute acid in the bottle has frozen, the

xylene is poured back into the demijohn for a second extraction. Repeat the process until no

more extract is produced. (Almost all of the mescaline should be removed from the xylene in

a single extraction if the bottle is warmed and shaken vigorously - wear safety goggles and

rubber gloves.) A small quantity of yellow xylene will remain on top of the dilute acid after

separation by freezing. The bulk of the dilute acid can be removed with a glass poultry baster

and a pipette will separate the last portion (impossible with toluene as it forms an emulsion).

The dilute acid is thawed and evaporated on the hotplate outdoors.

To remove some of the impurity before extracting with dilute acid, the xylene can be washed

with deionised water with a little caustic soda added (to ensure that the mescaline remains in

freebase form). Again the phases are separated by freezing. The extract shown above in the

Rizla was produced by this method. The shavings shown above were produced without


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washing the xylene first. Acetone will remove the sticky material but not the dark colour.

It can take several xylene extractions to remove all the mescaline from the basified cactus,

although the process could be expedited using a 5 litre borosilicate Erlenmeyer flask, which

can be heated safely while being magnetically stirred. Phase separator paper can be used as

an alternative to freezing or using a separatory funnel. The paper is impregnated with silicone

which retains the aqueous phase while passing the solvent phase through. Available from

Camlab - at a price!

Using mescaline

The usual caveats apply with any psychedelic about being in a safe environment and having

someone with you, particularly if you are inexperienced. The extract from 50 g of powdered

San Pedro should produce powerful effects - best to start at half this dose. It can be taken

wrapped in a Rizla paper or in a gelatine capsule to avoid the bitter taste (although capsules

can disintegrate if stored). Effects start to kick in within an hour and should last around eight.

Mescaline has a noticeable stimulant effect, unlike other natural psychedelics such as

psilocybin and DMT. Higher doses can be overwhelmingly powerful and have considerably

longer duration. If insomnia is a problem afterwards, the sedating antihistamine

cyproheptadine (Periactin), or diphenhydramine (Nytol, Paxidorm), can give a pleasantcomedown, without the hangover of benzodiazepines. Zolpidem (Ambien, Stilnox) is a more

effective sleeping tablet, but rather pricey. Available from online pharmacies.

In case of adverse effects, have drinking water handy in a plastic cup or bottle. Absolutely no

glass. Caffeinated drinks should be avoided as should alcohol, cannabis or any other drugs.

Psychotic symptoms can be overwhelming but should improve over time if the person is kept

calm, ideally with the minimum of illumination. In this event any future experimentation

should be undertaken at a reduced dose.

Mescaline and the Law

In Britain mescaline is classified as a Class A Controlled Drug under the Misuse of Drugs

Act. Its possession is punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment. Producing mescaline or

supplying it (including possession with intent to supply) carries a maximum term of life

imprisonment. Sadly our government has little interest in civil liberties and ignores the

overwhelming evidence that psychedelics are less harmful for most users than tobacco or

excessive drinking. In the current political climate I think it would be prudent to adopt a

strategy to minimize our risk exposure. Here's mine:

Avoid synthetic psychedelics as the risks to the manufacturers and distributors are

enormous

Never sell mescaline to anyone - encourage them to produce their own

Only produce and store small quantitiesBe aware that communications can be monitored - use PGP encryption (see PGP

Guide) or a Hushmail account for sensitive emails

It should added as a footnote that a recent order from Compras Peru failed to arrived.

Whether it was lost in the postal system or unlawfully seized by HM Revenue and Customs is

not known, but a full refund was obtained on the purchaser's Visa debit card.

Resources

Erowid Psychoactive Cacti Vault

Compras Peru

Firwood 113


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MSDS Firwood 113

NWE Paints Ltd

NPD Pharmacy

Pharma2u.com

David Barlow

(started December 2007)

Comments/suggestions/contributions to [email protected] - remove

nospam for address.

My PGP Key PGP Guide

Other sites by the same author:

www.colourcasts.20m.com

www.dmt.20m.com

www.eugenics.20m.com

www.euthanasia.20m.com

www.lsd25.20m.com

www.mushrooms.20m.com

www.nasalpolyps.20m.com

www.nuclearfusion.20m.com

Rubber Gloves Soda Sodium Cacti Razor Xylene

Sodium Hydroxide Cactus Dish Polar


Extraction of Mescaline

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