About Huachuma
The Huachuma cactus
The Huachuma cactus, also known as the San Pedro cactus (Huachuma being the native Quechua word and San Pedro being the name given to it by the Spanish) is native to the Andes mountains and grows at 2000-3000 m of altitude mainly throughout Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Columbia.
The cactus contains a number of alkaloids, primarily mescaline which can also be found in its well known cousin, the Peyote cactus.
More information on Huachuma
Huachuma has been used in ceremonial rituals throughout the Andes for thousands of years, the earliest current scientific evidence for the ceremonial use of Huachuma is found in Northern Peru, in the Chavin area, dating back to approximately 1500 BC.
Much good information and interesting perspectives on Huachuma can be found here:
For more detail we also would highly recommend the book: ‘San Pedro Huachuma: Opening the Pathways of the Heart’ by the late Javier Regueiro, for deeper insight.