What is Mescaline?

Mescaline is a psychedelic alkaloid that occurs naturally in the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) and several other cactuses.  The chemical name for the drug is Mescaline hydrochloride or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylaminehydrochloride.  The drug and peyote are illegal in the United States, and the drug is illegal in Canada. 

Native American tribes have used peyote for thousands of years during ceremonies and rituals.  Most of the Native American tribes are located in the southwestern United States and Mexico.  The drug has strong and intense hallucinogenic effects that can last for many hours. 

Overview of the Drug

Mescaline is produced naturally in Peyote, which is a small and spineless cactus.  The chemical is produced in the top of the cactus, called the “crown.”  The crowns are disc-like shapes and are cut off and eaten.  The drug is uncommon on the streets, and the majority of the drug is found on Native American reservations.  The drug is known as Buttons, Cactus, Mesc, and Peyoto on the streets. 

Method of Introduction

The drug can enter the body a couple of different ways.  The fresh or dried buttons of the cactus are usually chewed or soaked in water.  The cactus can also be ground down into a powder.  This powder can be placed in capsules or smoked in a leaf of cannabis or tobacco. 

A normal dosage of the drug is usually between 200 and 300 milligrams.  About 6 to 12 buttons are capable of producing the normal dosages, but consant users will need a higher dose because the body builds up a tolerance to the drug. 

Affects on the Mind

Mescaline is one of the strongest hallucinogenic substances.  It has affects that are similar to LSD, PCP, and psilocybin, and in some cases, the drug can produce more powerful hallucinations that the other two drugs.  Experiences with the drug differ from person to person, but common affects include powerful illusions and hallucinations along with an altered perception of time and space.  The drug can produce an altered body image or “out of body” experiences.  Feelings of euphoria and anxiety are common with this drug as well. 

Affect on the Body

Peyote and mescaline can cause serious side effects once they are ingested.  Common side effects include vomiting, serious nausea, a fast heart rate, increased blood pressure, a large amount of perspiration, a rise in body temperature, dilation of the pupils, muscle weakness, and headaches. 

Laws for Mescaline in the United States

Peyote and the drug are Schedule I substances in the United States under the Controlled Substances Act.  The drug is a Schedule I drug because it has a high risk of abuse, has not medical use in the United States, and is unsafe under medical supervision. 

Medical studies have examined the usefulness of peyote in the past, but not recent medical tests have examined the drug.  Other hallucinogenic drugs have been used in recent medical tests to treat depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and similar mental illnesses. 

Sources: https://www.justice.gov/dea/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Peyote_Mescaline.pdf

Eschscholzia Californica (California poppy or gold poppy)

Overview

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy or gold poppy) is the state flower of California.  According the Department of Agriculture, the plant grows in the Spring, Summer, and Fall and reaches a height of about 1.2 feet at maturity. 

The seeds of the plant can produce sedative-like feelings, but the poppy falls into a different class of alkaloids than poppies used in strong narcotics. 

The USDA states that the Eschscholzia californica (California poppy or gold poppy) is an invasive species.  Currently, the plant is found in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.  The plant is also found in six different parts of Canada. 

Legal Issues Connected to Eschscholzia californica (California poppy or gold poppy)

In some states, it is illegal to cut down the state flower regardless if it falls on public or private land.  However, it is not illegal to cut down the state flower in California unless it falls on public lands or along state or county roads. 

The law concerning the removal of the state flower, and any other plants for that matter, is referenced in California Penal Code Section 384a.  The penal code is paraphrased below:

“Every person who within the State of California willfully or negligently cuts, destroys, mutilates, or removes any tree or shrub, or fern or herb or build or cactus or flower, or huckleberry or redwood greens, or portion. . .growing upon state or county highway rights-of-way [excluding highway employees]. . .[or] growing upon public land or upon land not his or her own. . .is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine or not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than six months, or by both fine and imprisonment.”

In order to cut down and/or remove plants and tree from private property, the owner of the property must provide written and signed consent to the person removing the plants.  The same applies on public lands.  In order to remove plants along public highways or on public land, the person or entity must receive written consent from the government body. 

Medicinal Uses of Eschscholzia californica (California poppy or gold poppy)

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, Native Americans have used the plant throughout history as a cosmetic, to kill lice, and even relieve mild pain and treat insomnia.  As of 2005, there were still pharmacological studies concerning the plant according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. 

The plant is still used as a recreational drug in some circles, and the federal government does not control the use of the plant.  As mentioned before, the plant does have relaxing qualities if ingested, but the effects are mild compared to pharmaceutical opiates. 

Sources:

1. https://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=369a-402c

2. https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=esca2

3. https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/flowerpower/poppy.html  

On November 7, 2012, the Department of Justice reported that two Pakistani nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for operating websites that shipped illegal pharmaceuticals into the United States from Pakistan and the United Kingdom.  The two defendants are Sheikh Waseem Ul Haq and Tahir Saeed.  

The indictment shows that Ul Haq and Saeed operated and owned Waseem Enterprises and Harry’s Enterprises in Pakistan.  The two men are believed to have shipped about $2 million of illegal pharmaceuticals around the world and about $780,000 to the United States.  

The two defendants made U.S. customers submit payments by Western Union to people in Karachi, Pakistan so they could conceal the funds.  They also told U.S. citizens that U.S. customs officials may intercept the packages as they enter the United States.  

The illegal drugs include the following:

•    alprazolam (labeled as Xanex)
•    diazepam (labeled as Valium)
•    lorazepam (labeled as Ativan)
•    clonazepam (labeled as Klonapin)
•    numerous types of anabolic steroids and other controlled substances

The defendants are charged with conspiring to import illegal pharmaceuticals to the United States, conspiring to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to using misbranded pharmaceuticals, importing and distributing controlled substances, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  

The two defendants each face 20 years in prison for each count of the importing and exporting conspiracy, as well as 20 years in prison for the money laundering charge.  They face more time with other charges as well.  

Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, stated: “This prosecution aims to curb the flow of dangerous drugs into the hands of United States citizens.  The drugs allegedly sold by the defendants were not approved for distribution in the United States, were not dispensed by U.S. licensed pharmacies, and were not prescribed by any physician.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

On November 2, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE), as well as to reduce the risk of DVT and PE after a surgery or treatment.  

DVT is a serious type of clot that occurs when blood thickens in a deep vein of the body.  These types of clots are most common in the lower leg and the thigh and are extremely dangerous if they break off.  They can travel to an artery in the lungs and can restrict blood flow—possibly leading to the PE which is deadly.  

The drug was already approved by the FDA and used after knee and hip replacement surgeries.  The drug was also used to reduce the risk of stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat called non-valvular atrial fibrillation.  

Richard Pazdur, M.D., states: “Xarelto is the first oral anti-clotting drug approved to treat and reduce the recurrence of blood clots since the approval of warfarin nearly 60 years ago.  Pazdur is the director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products at the Drug Evaluation and Research Center for the FDA.  

Other drugs that are approved to reduce the risk of blood clots include the following: Lovenox (enoxaparin), generic enoxaparin, Arixtra (fondaparinux), Fragmin (dalteparin), Coumadin (warfarin), and heparin.  

In clinical studies, only about 2.1 percent of patients taking Xarelto and 1.8 percent to 3 percent of patients taking enoxaparin and other combinations had a recurrent DVT or PE.  A specific study showed that 1.3 percent of patients taking Xarelto had a recurrent DVT or PE compared to 7.1 percent of patients taking a placebo.  

The main side effect of Xarelto is bleeding or uncontrolled bleeding.  These side effects are common with anti-clotting medicine.  

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

On November 7, 2012, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that Agustin Lozano was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that ran drugs between Mexico and Chicago.  The investigation was led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the DEA, the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the Indianapolis Metro Drug Task Force.  

Lozano is a Mexican national, and he was sentenced on November 6, 2012 before U.S. District Judge William T. Lawrence with the Southern District of Indiana.  Lozano pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering, and he’ll be turned over to the ICE after he serves his prison sentence to face deportation.  

Starting in July of 2010, undercover agents started working with Lozano.  An undercover agent bought three grams of cocaine for $150 initially.  It took eight months to coordinate the investigation and gather information between agencies, and 48 kilograms of cocaine were eventually confiscated on December 15, 2010.  The cocaine had an estimated street value of $1.5 million.  Authorities confiscated 4.4 pounds of methamphetamine as well.  The methamphetamine had an estimated street value of $80,000.  

Throughout the investigation, it was found that the criminal organization distributed about five pounds of methamphetamine and 10 kilos of cocaine throughout Indianapolis every month.  184 pounds of marijuana, $69,500 in cash, and 18 firearms were confiscated during the investigation as well.  

U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett stated, “This sentence is an example of proactive and cooperative anti-drug police work at its finest.  A drug bust of this significance occurs only once every couple of years.  Let the message be heard loud and clear to all those who seek mayhem by trafficking in illegal narcotics – you will be identified, you will be investigated and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

A Brief Overview of the Advair Diskus 250 50 price

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