A Trip Down San Pedro Cactus Lane

Simcha Shimron, Analytical lab, DIFS, Jerusalem, Israel
Eran Fenegstein, Analytical Lab, Difs, Jerusalem, Israel
Ehud Wolf, Analytical Lab, Difs, Jerusalem, Israel

In recent years a growing number of cases containing the "San Pedro" cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi), grown locally or smuggled from abroad, have been received in the analytical lab of the DIFS – Israel police forensic labs. This cactus contains the active ingredient mescaline, a psychedelic alkaloid known to induce hallucinations similarly to LSD. Mescaline is listed as a controlled substance in the "controlled substances act" in Israel and in many other countries. All mescaline-containing parts of the plant are prohibited. Very little is discussed in forensic science literature concerning the cactus and its properties. The research we present focuses on the forensic aspects of the San Pedro cactus in order to improve the chemical identification process. The specific goals of the research are:

• Determining the concentration curve of the mescaline along the length of the cactus (important for an efficient extraction especially in countries where concentration evaluation is required).
  
• Comparing the relative concentration of mescaline in the core of the cactus to the skin surrounding the core. (Relevant in countries where only drug-containing parts are considered controlled substances).
  
• Examining the stability of mescaline in the cactus as a function of time (this aspect is very important for a couple of reasons- understanding the urgency of examination and for explaining possible changes in concentration of the mescaline from plant extractions done at different points of time).
• Determining whether the liquids from a rotting plant contain mescaline (important for proving the liquids should be considered as part of the drug-consisting plant "mixture").

This project, which joins a previous work dealing with the presence of THC in the cannabis plant, can improve our overall understanding of the cactus's properties and assist forensic laboratories in a quick and efficient identification of the illicit substance mescaline. your abstract here