DM Turner- The Esseential psychedelic guide

must consume to obtain the full effects is a piece approximately 10" long
and 3" in diameter. Cactus is most potent when harvested during the hotter
times of the year.
Trichocereus cacti are relatively quick growing and easy to make cuttings
of. Each plant may produce one or more highs worth per year. When
harvesting these cacti the top four inches of growing tip can be cut off to be
replanted. A length from beneath this can then be cut to consume. The
remaining cactus stub will also continue to grow, frequently putting out
several branches where it was cut off. The tip cutting should be laid on its
side in the sun until the exposed flesh calluses. Once this has occurred, it
should be placed upright in a half soil/half sand mixture with good drainage.
When cutting the lower, consumable section of the cactus, care should be
taken to cut at an angle, going upwards toward the middle of the plant. The
fleshy part of the cactus will shrink in where it was cut, and if cut straight
across it will form a bowl that will hold water and tend to mold.
To prepare San Pedro for consumption I first cut out the spines, which is
fairly easy to do on most trichocereus. The next step I take is to cut the skin
off in "V" strips, cutting from the outside of each rib into the central section
of the cactus. These "V" strips are saved as they contain the most potent
flesh, although the skin itself is thick, waxy and not edible.
The process of eating San Pedro is definitely not fun. It can be tolerated by
most serious trippers, but it is difficult to consume enough cactus to get a
powerful high. The taste of different trichocereus species ranges from very
bitter to tasteless, the varieties with less taste tending to have a slimy
consistency. With these varieties the texture is the main obstacle to
consuming large quantities. I chew the cactus to a pulp and then wash it
down with some liquid. It also helps to eat some full-grain bread as I'm
doing this to soak up the liquid in my stomach.
The dark green flesh next to the skin is the most potent part of the cactus
and should be eaten first. I do this by flattening out the "V" strips and
scraping the flesh off of the skin with my teeth. I then proceed to the central
part of the cactus. This should be eaten around like corn on the cob. The
flesh on the protruding ribs should be eaten first. The core is woody and not
edible. The high begins coming on some 45 minutes after ingesting, and
since it takes a while to consume the cactus, one may start feeling high
while they are still eating.
The psychoactive alkaloids can also be extracted using water or alcohol. To
extract in water one needs to mash the cactus and boil for several hours.
One friend reports excellent results by boiling just the skin with 3/8" of