FREQUENT USERS OF PEYOTE DON'T SUFFER BRAIN DAMAGE:
STUDY

BOSTON -- A study of the effects of peyote on American Indians found
no evidence that the hallucinogenic cactus caused brain damage or
psychological problems among people who used it frequently in
religious ceremonies.

In fact, researchers from Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital found
that members of the Native American Church performed better on some
psychological tests than other Navajos who did not regularly use peyote.

A 1994 federal law allows roughly 300,000 members of the Native
American Church to use peyote as a religious sacrament. The five-year
study set out to find scientific proof for the Navajos' belief that
the substance, which contains the hallucinogen mescaline, is not
hazardous to their health even when used frequently.

Church members believe peyote offers them spiritual and physical
healing, but the researchers could not say with any certainty that
peyote's pharmacological effects were responsible for their test results.