I don't have any numbers but i think the peyote is the biggest tourist attraction around here.
However there are a few challenges connected to it. First off it's illegal to collect peyote cactus and the punishment is severe. Eight years in a Mexican federal prison for every specimen. They are considered an endangered species and therefore collection is a federal crime.
Being endangered also means that you cant find it just anywhere. Our host in Wadley told us about the growing habbits of the peyote which comes down to a lot of information and a lot of luck finding it.
In short: Peyote grows on limestone, on slightly sloping land under a bush called Gobernadora. Happens that this particular bush is the most common plant for 500 miles in all directions, there is more sloping than flat desert and limestone is everything that this desert is. So all this information isn't particularly usefull.
So the needle in the haystack or the little fist-sized cactus in the desert, it sounds about the same to me.
Now I have to say, especially to a couple friends in different parts of the world, you know who you are when I'm talking about you, something about me and the peyote:
If I don't eat any Peyote while I'm here I will not excuse myself for the following reasons
- It is illegal
- They are really hard to find
- I don't excuse myself for either doing, or not doing drugs.