Reflexiones sobre la expansión y legalidad del campo peyotero en México

The use and trade of peyote (Lophophora williamsii) in a binational religious context between Mexico and the United States presents conservation challenges. A controversy arose when the Native American Church petitioned the Mexican government to register organizations that use the cactus in rituals, submitted to the General Directorate of Religious Associations. This case illustrates tensions between drug policy and religious rights frameworks in Mexico.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This paper presents a reflection on the implications of the use and trade of peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and the challenges associated with its conservation in a religious and binational (Mexico and the United States) context. Our main focus is on a controversy raised by the Native American Church before the Mexican government, via an application submitted to the General Directorate of Religious Associations of the Secretariat of the Interior, demanding the registration of organizations that use the cactus in their rituals. This case is unique because it represents a paradigmatic illustration of the drug policy and religious rights frameworks currently in place in Mexico.