And welcome... -In our Drugslab.

It's really like I'm eating a plant.

All over the world people are curious about drugs.

So are we, and we try them, so that you don't have to.

And if you do want to try them, we make sure you do so safely.

If you want to see a certain drug, leave a comment.

But also about other things, such as good or bad drug experiences.

This time Letsflyoutofbody, Andrea... -And Joshua...

asked us to try the Peyote cactus.

This is the Peyote, a bulbous cactus without spines.

The active substance is mescaline...

the effects of which are comparable to those of LSD.

Mescaline is a natural hallucinogenic that causes your perception to change...

making you see, feel and hear things differently than they really are.

The blockages in your brain get... -Disrupted.

Yes, and dissolved, so all those centres get tangled up and start communicating.

So you may come to see things you think or see things you hear.

Many cacti have thorns to protect themselves...

but this cactus contains toxic substances.

The Peyote grows in the north of Mexico and in the south of the US.

It grows very slowly and is only ready for consumption after five years.

This one is actually between 10 and 15 years old.

It doesn't lose its potency, not even after you store it.

You can buy the Peyote cactus in Dutch smart shops.

You have little and big ones. This is a big one and costs 75 euros.

The reason we took a big one is that you don't know...

how much active substance it contains.

But the chance of more active substance is bigger with a big cactus.

The Peyote cactus was and is still used by Indian tribes during religious ceremonies.

And traditionally it was used as a painkiller.

I'm going to take it. I've prepared well. I've eaten little, so I'm ready for a good trip.

Alright. -I'll say.

Yes. -Tripping dress.

How are we going to prepare it?

It remains difficult to determine how much mescaline a cactus contains.

It depends on the size, where it was grown and how old it is.

It takes 1-2 hours to take effect.

We don't know how long the trip will last, because we don't know how strong it is.

It's not wise to combine it with other drugs, alcohol, or medications against depression.

We'll cut the cactus just above the root, since the root contains no mescaline.

And that way a new cactus can grow.

The cactus has been looking forward to this moment for ten years.

I do feel a hard core. -Yes.

113 grams. -Maybe start with half?

Good plan. -And take more if necessary.

Unlike other hallucinogenics, you can stack this drug...

so the effect does get more intense if you take more.

If you want to take more, wait at least 1-2 hours.

Oh, look. -Gee.

They look like a kind of fluffy flowers.

But there's nothing inside them, so just throw them on the floor.

I don't know why I did that.

I want to see how it tastes pure. If it's too gross, you can make a smoothie.

But I want to start with a bite. -Enjoy.

It smells very green and plant-like. That's also how it tastes.

It's not nice. It's really gross.

Very bitter. Really disgusting.

It's important that you keep chewing, so it gets absorbed by your oral mucosa.

It's really like I'm eating a plant, which I am.

Yummy-yummy.

It's really juicy. It's a juicy cactus.

It looks a bit like a cucumber sandwich. -That's not what it tastes like.

Apparently you get very nauseous after you've eaten the cactus.

You get stomach cramps and teary eyes.

If you vomit it's okay, since the mescaline gets absorbed by the mucous membranes.

Yes.

So you have to chew well, but once it's in your belly and you have to vomit, it's okay.

Shall I make a smoothie for you, so you can take it, chew it and swallow it down?

Yes, because it's a lot, and it's gross. Go ahead.

Let's make a smoothie.

Not much better.

I can swallow it down, but I have to chew first, and that's the worst part.

You're saving the biggest piece for last.

Oh, how awful.

That really is a big piece.

Guys...

if you think Rens is really tough, give him a thumbs-up.

This piece is really so gross.

Alright, I've finished it. -Yes.

So let's get started.

It's been two hours, and you still don't feel anything, right?

I feel very little. I'm very tired, though.

I have very little energy, probably because I didn't eat.

I'm not experiencing a trip effect yet. -No, so I'll make you another smoothie.

Really the last thing I want. -Sorry. But you do want to feel something.

Absolutely, yes. -Yes.

Add the small one as well? -Yes.

There we go.

Cheers.

It's so hard, because it's so nasty. Really impossible.

Shit, I want to so badly. -Let's take a break for a moment.

My body just says: no.

It's so gross. -Oh, this is really no fun.

No, this is not pleasant. So I expect something nice to happen.

Otherwise I'm like... -What did I do this for?

In another video you can see Bastiaan on LSD, which he found super intense.

Mescaline is comparable to LSD, but apparently it's softer...

more colourful, more pleasant and harmonious...

as if your mind gets expanded and you can travel in time...

so that you're here with your body but somewhere else with your mind.

You may feel unpleasant during the trip, which means you're having a bad trip.

You may feel confused, fearful and get paranoid thoughts.

You may also lose track of what's reality and what's due to your trip.

And if you're prone to psychosis, you shouldn't do this...

because it can trigger a psychosis.

It also has a strong hallucinogenic effect, so things start moving and change shape.

Sounds become more intense. A lot of things happen inside your head.

But not in mine. -No, we'll have to wait some more.

I'm not really tripping yet. I feel cheerful and pleasant.

I enjoyed chilling to Fat Boys, but that cactus isn't working yet.

It's important when you trip that you feel at ease...

and the setting is comfortable.

Peyote is not addictive.

But you can become tolerant to the psychological effects.

That means you'll need increasingly more for the same effect.

Maybe we need to wait a bit longer. -It can take a long time, so let's wait.

No effect. I didn't trip. I'm still not tripping and am not going to.

I suffered my way through this cactus. -Too bad, but such things can happen.

Especially with natural hallucinogenics. We don't know how much mescaline it had.

But probably too little to bring you to higher realms of consciousness.

As with any drug, countless factors may interfere with the effect.

You just have to accept that.

Rens is going to eat something and sleep.

Next week we'll be back with a new drug that hopefully will work.

Give us your thumbs-up and subscribe. See you next week.

The cactus didn't do anything to me, so when I came home I slept like a log...

and I feel just fine now.