Health Canada Santé Canada
STATUS DECISION OF CONTROLLED AND NON-CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(S)
Substance: Echinopsis pachanoi
Based on the current information available to the Office of Controlled Substances, it appears that the above substance is:
Controlled X Not Controlled ☐
under the schedules of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for the following reason(s):
The substance is a plant that contains mescaline and is captured under item 17 of Schedule III to the CDSA.
Prepared by: ______Date: ______Vincent Marleau
Verified by: ______Date: ______Mark Kozlowski
Approved by: ______Date: ______DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
This status was requested by: Member of public
2 Drug Status Report
Drug: Echinopsis pachanoi
Drug Name Status: Echinopsis pachanoi is the common name.
Chemical Name: Echinopsis pachanoi
Other Names: Trichocereus pachanoi; San Pedro cactus; Achuma; Huachuma; Wachuma; Aguacolla; Giganton.
Chemical structure: N/A
Molecular Formula: N/A CAS-RN: N/A
Pharmacological class / Application: Plant
International status: US: Echinopsis pachanoi is not listed specifically in the Schedules to the US Controlled Substances Act and is not mentioned anywhere on the DEA website.
United Nations: The substance is not listed on the Yellow List - List of Narcotic Drugs under International Control, the Green List - List of Psychotropic Substances under International Control, nor the Red List - List of Precursors and Chemicals Frequently Used in the Illicit Manufacture of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances under International Control.
Canadian Status: Echinopsis pachanoi is not listed specifically in the Schedules to the CDSA. The substance is a plant native to South America and contains mescaline1, which is listed as item 17 “Mescaline (3,4,5–trimethoxybenzeneethanamine) and any salt thereof, but not peyote (lophophora)” in Schedule III to the CDSA. As Echinopsis pachanoi contains mescaline, it is captured under item 17 of Schedule III to the CDSA.
Recommendation: Echinopsis pachanoi is included under item 17 of Schedule III to the CDSA and is a controlled substance.
Date: July 30th, 2013.
1 Ogunbodede, O. et al. New mescaline concentrations from 14 taxa/cultivars of Echinopsis spp. (Cactaceae) (“San Pedro”) and their relevance to shamanic practice. Journal of Ethnopharmacology; 131(2): 356-362.