Mescaline of the genus "Echinopsis" are technically controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, they are commonly sold publicly as ornamental plants. In the United Kingdom, mescaline in purified powder form is a Class A drug. However, dried cactus can be bought and sold legally. Mescaline is considered a schedule 9 substance in Australia under the Poisons Standard (October 2015). A schedule 9 substance is classified as "Substances with a high potential for causing harm at low exposure and which require special precautions during manufacture, handling or use. These poisons should be available only to specialised or authorised users who have
4,5-Dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione 4,5-Dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione 4,5-Dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD) is an organic compound that occurs naturally but exists as several related structures. The idealized formula for this species is CHC(O)C(O)CH(OH)CHOH, but it is known to exist as several other forms resulting from cyclization. It is not stable at room temperature as a pure material, which has further complicated its analysis. The ("S")-stereoisomer occurs naturally. It is typically hydrated, i.e., one keto group has added water to give the geminal diol. DPD is produced by degradation of "S"-adenosylhomocysteine by the action of the enzyme "S"-ribosylhomocysteinase. The compound probably does not exist as depicted above, but as an