Is Peyote legal in Australia?
- Legal status
- Mescaline is a controlled substance in Australia — a border-controlled drug under the Criminal Code and a Schedule 9 prohibited substance in the Poisons Standard; the peyote (Lophophora) cactus is not separately named in the federal Poisons Standard, so federal control attaches to the mescaline alkaloid rather than to the living plant.
- Consequences if caught
- Importing, possessing or supplying mescaline is a serious offence; the intact peyote cactus is not federally scheduled by name, though some states restrict mescaline-containing plants.
- If prescribed or medical
- As a Schedule 9 substance mescaline is confined to authorised research and is not prescribable; peyote is not a registered medicine.
- Documentation
- The Office of Drug Control lists mescaline as a controlled substance (border-controlled drug; Poisons Standard Schedule 9); the federal Poisons Standard contains no botanical entry naming peyote or Lophophora.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Australia’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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