I speak for the peyote, with words funny but true. So says the Peyote Lorax, coming to a podcast near you.

Who

The Peyote Lorax is a character played by plant whisperer and cactus nerd, Leo Mercado. Co-founder and cultivation director for Morning Star Conservancy, he has been directly involved in peyote ceremonies, conservation, and policy issues for over 40 years. In his role as the Peyote Lorax, he is conversational in the historical, religious, and ecological perspectives regarding the sacred cactus of Northern Mesoamerica. 

Why

Distribution of wild harvested peyote to members of the Native American Church is legal and licensed, but is effectively unregulated and extremely detrimental to the species’ survival. At a time of growing interest in therapeutic and ceremonial plant medicines, peyote is a threatened species whose future is uncertain without conservation efforts. In spite of peyote’s traditional, spiritually medicinal use, multiple political and social prejudices make a difficult species depletion problem nearly impossible to reverse. The current system authorizing peyote’s lawful distribution is what the Peyote Lorax describes as “a legal bias toward extinction.” Thanks to the support of the members, donors, and directors of Morning Star Conservancy, he has been fully engaged in establishing a seedling sanctuary, a proof of concept project dedicated by many prayers, activated by many years on the peyote road.

How

The Peyote Lorax’s journey rolls with allowance and awareness of simple miracles and common coincidence. It’s a ride spiced with remarkably eccentric visionary outlaws of the best type – crossing paths with native elders, traditional healers, and visionary outlaws including Timothy Leary, labor leader Cesar Chavez, mushroom ambassadors Paul Stamets and Terence Mckenna, radio legend Art Bell, a Beastie Boy, and the 14th Dalai Lama. This is sometimes rugged territory, passing through involuntary residency in Mexican prison and US jails. This, due to repeatedly being found quite guilty of the crime of insisting that peyote deserves its own place on earth, as a species, without regard to our interest in consuming it or not. You don’t get to where he’s been without some peyote road rash.

What

The Peyote Lorax is available for lively and nuanced discussion about peyote conservation, the psychedelic renaissance, and the ethics of entheogens and personal spiritual sovereignty. The questions involved in protecting and preserving peyote’s future on earth deserve answers beyond the subject of plant medicines as their answers are equally applied in the dilemmas that haunt modern society. The following philosophical musings represent some of the topics he feels bear fruitful bounty of discussion.

Hard truths: 

“If you haven’t been to jail you might not be doing freedom right.”

“A church with racial requirements is a club.”

“Personal disconnection from the natural world magnifies societal neuroses.”

“A perfectly legal cholla cactus can be your worst nightmare, while the beneficial and thornless peyote cactus is a Schedule I substance.”

“Unless we have the courage to say peyote’s (il)legal status is not right, there will be none left.”

Current personal motto: 

“In our public life we should seek accountability. In our internal life we should seek ungovernability.” 

Current favorite personal snark: 

“If when you’re done with your plant medicine ceremony you find you’ve swept the floor and cleaned your room, you win. Welcome to evolution.”

The Peyote Lorax is hoping to enjoy his retirement years unironically spending more time with his family, and continuing to plant the seeds of a peyote conservation program that grows to make a difference. He welcomes your questions, discourse, and contact. Not afraid of engaging in fun conversations, he looks forward to having one with you.

Visit- www.thepeyotelorax.com and @ThePeyoteLorax on Instagram.

To learn more about the plight of peyote and the steps being taken to insure its future, please visit www.morningstarconservancy.org.

Listen to a recent discussion about the plight of peyote:

Here’s an older Interview with the Peyote Lorax on Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t podcast.