Is Peyote legal in United Kingdom?
- Legal status
- Mescaline is named as a Class A drug in Schedule 2, Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; the peyote (Lophophora) cactus is not itself listed, so the living plant is a lawful ornamental, but any preparation or product containing mescaline is a Class A controlled drug.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession or supply of peyote prepared or processed so as to be a mescaline-containing product is a Class A offence; the intact living cactus is not caught by the mescaline entry.
- If prescribed or medical
- Mescaline is Class A with no routine therapeutic use; peyote preparations are not prescribable outside a Home Office licence.
- Documentation
- MDA 1971 Schedule 2 Part I lists "Mescaline" by name; the schedule contains no botanical entry for peyote, Lophophora or mescaline-containing plants.
Court records
We have applied to The National Archives for the licence required to analyse Find Case Law records, and will publish outcomes once it is determined.
Source checked Find Case Law, The National Archives · 2026-08-26
Peyote in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in United Kingdom
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