DN National Board Statement on Peyote Conservation
For Public Circulation
Decriminalize Nature Releases Working Plan to Prevent Peyote Extinction
Policy recommendations designed to prevent extinction of Peyote, honor Indigenous rights
May 6, 2021--Under increasing threats from mining, agribusiness, land development, ecotourism and poaching in the United States and Mexico, the survival of the revered medicinal and mystical peyote cactus has reached a critical tipping point. A broad spectrum of scientists, including those at the Cactus Conservation Institute (CCI), now acknowledge that it is only a matter of time before this slowgrowing cactus ascends to the top of the list as an endangered species that will soon become extinct in its natural habitat unless strategies for its protection and regeneration are immediately implemented.
In a recent analysis conducted by CCI (a non-profit organization which has been studying ways to preserve and protect the wild habitat of endangered cacti, including peyote, in the deserts of the southern US and northern Mexico), CCI concluded that up to 261 green houses would be needed to meet the increasing demand for peyote for use by the more than 500,000 current estimated members of the Native American Churches in the United States. https://cactusconservation.org/2021/03/26/number-of-greenhouses-required-to-grow-a-million-peyote/
Many of the millions of peyote plants collected each year to serve this growing demand are being harvested from wild habitats in both the US and Mexico, thus increasing the imminent threat of extinction in the endemic growing regions. Because the growing cycle of peyote in its natural habitat can take 7-12 years to mature into a size large enough for harvesting, immediate action is needed to plant enough seeds to rehabilitate depleted areas and create many more cultivation sites to satisfy the demand in due time.
Decriminalize Nature’s National Board thus strongly recommends the following to prevent the extinction of peyote in its natural habitat and ensure its long-term survival. DN offers this as a working plan, and is soliciting feedback from others concerned about depletion of peyote in its natural habitats.
May 6, 2021--Under increasing threats from mining, agribusiness, land development, ecotourism and poaching in the United States and Mexico, the survival of the revered medicinal and mystical peyote cactus has reached a critical tipping point. A broad spectrum of scientists, including those at the Cactus Conservation Institute (CCI), now acknowledge that it is only a matter of time before this slowgrowing cactus ascends to the top of the list as an endangered species that will soon become extinct in its natural habitat unless strategies for its protection and regeneration are immediately implemented.
In a recent analysis conducted by CCI (a non-profit organization which has been studying ways to preserve and protect the wild habitat of endangered cacti, including peyote, in the deserts of the southern US and northern Mexico), CCI concluded that up to 261 green houses would be needed to meet the increasing demand for peyote for use by the more than 500,000 current estimated members of the Native American Churches in the United States. https://cactusconservation.org/2021/03/26/number-of-greenhouses-required-to-grow-a-million-peyote/
Many of the millions of peyote plants collected each year to serve this growing demand are being harvested from wild habitats in both the US and Mexico, thus increasing the imminent threat of extinction in the endemic growing regions. Because the growing cycle of peyote in its natural habitat can take 7-12 years to mature into a size large enough for harvesting, immediate action is needed to plant enough seeds to rehabilitate depleted areas and create many more cultivation sites to satisfy the demand in due time.
Decriminalize Nature’s National Board thus strongly recommends the following to prevent the extinction of peyote in its natural habitat and ensure its long-term survival. DN offers this as a working plan, and is soliciting feedback from others concerned about depletion of peyote in its natural habitats.
Decriminalize Nature Policy Position:
1. Cultivation of Peyote by members of Federally Recognized Tribes and Native American Churches should be immediately decriminalized and removed from DEA oversight and regulations, increasing the ability of tribes and churches to choose this means of decreasing demand on the limited natural habitats.
2. Decriminalization of Peyote for personal cultivation for non-Indigenous should occur immediately to reduce the demand for the cacti that are extracted from Indigenous sources and habitats for the peyote trade.
3. Peyote in its natural habitat should be available only for Indigenous communities and poaching should continue to be penalized.
2. Decriminalization of Peyote for personal cultivation for non-Indigenous should occur immediately to reduce the demand for the cacti that are extracted from Indigenous sources and habitats for the peyote trade.
3. Peyote in its natural habitat should be available only for Indigenous communities and poaching should continue to be penalized.
Decriminalize Nature Policy Position:
Whereas, indigenous people of the United States and Mexico have suffered from persecution of their spiritual ceremonies for over 400 years, and
Whereas, the Wixarika and Rarmuri, of what is today known as Mexico, have had a direct cultural relationship with Peyote for at least 5,000 years, and
Whereas, Peyote has been used by indigenous peoples of the Unites States in the area now known as the southern border of the United States for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and
Whereas, there has long been an alliance in the Americas between those known as the Wixarika of modern day Mexico, and the indigenous people of what is now known as the southern United States in sharing of Peyote ceremony, and
Whereas, the lands and peyote gardens of the Wixarika are under severe threat from mining, agribusiness, land development, and legal and illegal poaching of Peyote, and
Whereas, the natural Peyote habitats of southern Texas are also under threat from land development, grazing, and legal illegal poaching of peyote, and
Whereas, it is estimated that up to 500,000 members of the Native American Church use peyote at least once a year, creating an intense pressure to cultivate peyote to meet demand that far outpaces available supply, and
Whereas, in 2020, peyote consumption was decriminalized in Oregon via Measure 110, causing greater threat to the sacred plant, and
Whereas, an analysis by the Cactus Conservation Initiative found that as many as 261 large peyote growing greenhouses are needed immediately to prevent wild peyote from going extinct;
Now Therefore, Be it Resolved that Decriminalize Nature advocates that Cultivation of Peyote by members of Federally Recognized Tribes and Native American Churches should be immediately decriminalized and removed from DEA oversight and regulations, increasing the ability of tribes and churches to choose this means of decreasing demand on the limited natural habitats.
Be it Further Resolved that decriminalization of Peyote for personal cultivation for non- Indigenous should occur immediately to reduce the demand for the cacti that are extracted from Indigenous sources and habitats for the peyote trade. Be it Further Resolved that Peyote in its natural habitat should be available only for Indigenous communities and poaching should continue to be penalized.
Whereas, the Wixarika and Rarmuri, of what is today known as Mexico, have had a direct cultural relationship with Peyote for at least 5,000 years, and
Whereas, Peyote has been used by indigenous peoples of the Unites States in the area now known as the southern border of the United States for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and
Whereas, there has long been an alliance in the Americas between those known as the Wixarika of modern day Mexico, and the indigenous people of what is now known as the southern United States in sharing of Peyote ceremony, and
Whereas, the lands and peyote gardens of the Wixarika are under severe threat from mining, agribusiness, land development, and legal and illegal poaching of Peyote, and
Whereas, the natural Peyote habitats of southern Texas are also under threat from land development, grazing, and legal illegal poaching of peyote, and
Whereas, it is estimated that up to 500,000 members of the Native American Church use peyote at least once a year, creating an intense pressure to cultivate peyote to meet demand that far outpaces available supply, and
Whereas, in 2020, peyote consumption was decriminalized in Oregon via Measure 110, causing greater threat to the sacred plant, and
Whereas, an analysis by the Cactus Conservation Initiative found that as many as 261 large peyote growing greenhouses are needed immediately to prevent wild peyote from going extinct;
Now Therefore, Be it Resolved that Decriminalize Nature advocates that Cultivation of Peyote by members of Federally Recognized Tribes and Native American Churches should be immediately decriminalized and removed from DEA oversight and regulations, increasing the ability of tribes and churches to choose this means of decreasing demand on the limited natural habitats.
Be it Further Resolved that decriminalization of Peyote for personal cultivation for non- Indigenous should occur immediately to reduce the demand for the cacti that are extracted from Indigenous sources and habitats for the peyote trade. Be it Further Resolved that Peyote in its natural habitat should be available only for Indigenous communities and poaching should continue to be penalized.
