| is not harmful. | | | | Reassurance’ for religious users |
| It has been shown in a recent study that there is no | | | | The researchers argue that their findings should offer |
| relation between using peyote and brain damage or | | | | reassurance to the 10,000 Native American |
| psychological problems. This hallucinogenic cactus is | | | | Church members serving in the military who were |
| often used by American Indians in religious ceremonies. | | | | barred from using peyote before new guidelines were |
| Also, in McLean Hospital, researchers from Harvard | | | | adopted in 1997. |
| found that members of the Native American Church | | | | They wrote in their paper published in the Nov. 4 issue |
| performed better on some psychological tests than | | | | of Biological Psychiatry: We find no evidence that a |
| other Navajos who did not regularly use peyote. | | | | history of peyote use would compromise the |
| Since 1994, for 300,000 members of the Native | | | | psychological or cognitive abilities of these |
| American Church, it was legal the usage of peyote as | | | | individuals, |
| a religious sacrament. Five years of study showed | | | | There must be a clear distinction between religious and |
| that the hallucinogenic substance is not a dangerous | | | | illegal use of peyote. They assumed that other |
| one even if used frequently. | | | | hallucinogens such LSD could be dangerous. |
| John Halpern, a psychiatrist of McLean conducted the | | | | No flashbacks’ observed |
| study. The study has been made on 60 persons who | | | | The mescaline, which is a substance contained in |
| used peyote at least 100 times, comparing them to 79 | | | | peyote, is described as more sensual and perceptual in |
| persons who did not use peyote frequently and 36 | | | | comparison to LSD, and also less altering of thought |
| persons who seldom used peyote but who have a | | | | and sense of self. The peyote does not seem to |
| history of alcohol abuse. The results showed the last | | | | produce flashbacks in the same way as LSD. |
| ones were worst on the test. It is not proved that | | | | This study was funded by National Institute on Drug |
| peyote has a pharmacological effect that improves | | | | Abuse, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health |
| human health. | | | | and Human Services. A NIDA spokeswoman would |
| Harrison Pope, the senior author of the study and | | | | not comment on the study. |
| director of the biological psychology laboratory at the | | | | The thing that excites me most about the paper is |
| hospital said: It’s hard to know how much of | | | | that the study was actually done, said Lester |
| it is an actual sense of community they get (from the | | | | Grinspoon, a Harvard Medical School psychiatry |
| religion) and how much of it is the actual experience of | | | | professor who was not involved in the research. |
| using the medication itself, | | | | The U.S. |