I'm curious about the economics of this intriguing drug. Having read as much as I can about it for a week now I think I've discovered why it's always been so rare where I am. Once figuring in the cost of San Pedro cuttings, sand/potting soil and fertilizer, xylene, lye, HCl, and other equipment and then figuring in the very small yield these cactus give after the extraction, it seems to me that someone would have to be a very generous person to go through this process as they would never make their money back unless they charge a disgustingly jacked up rate for their product. Is my math wrong? Am I underestimating the yield or am I overestimating the cost? Or am I correct that this is the reason for mescaline's rarity?
Your are correct in assuming that to make money... people will have to be losing theirs, more than they would want to. In the end it doesn't cost too much if everyone(as in, your friends) threw in for the batch. but its definatly something SWIM wouldn't manufacter. SWIM has only done this because SWIM personally likes mescaline... alot
I wonder, if SWIM cultivated the SP, like took the cuttings and grew them and kept up with it that way is it likely that SWIM could make his investment back? Since SWIM is so in awe of the extract SWIM wouldn't have to profit at all but failing to break even could wreak financial ruin I'd fear.
I think people who want to make money from mescaline usually make it synthetically, but that's also rare.
If not breaking even would wreak financial ruin, then maybe selling cactus extracted mesc is not your thing. SWIM has broken even just by planning one big mesc. get together among his friends, encouraging everyone to chip in. But SWIM has never sold it to anyone. It works better as a friendly investment. If your really worried about the price, dont extract it. There are plenty of recipes for preparing the cactus flesh, which is much much cheaper.
