Mescaline ( 3,4,5 - trimethoxyphenethylamine ) is both one of the most widely studied of the hallucinogens, and unfortunately one of the weakest (by volume). Quantitatively, mescaline serves as a sort of a standard among hallucinogens.

Both dopamine and norepinephrine have the exact carbon skeleton and an oxygenation pattern similar to mescaline.

Mescaline has a melting point of 320 C at STP, is a white crystalline substance, taking the form of long, needle shaped structures. Will form a carbonate after absorbing CO2 from the air. The molecular weight of mescaline is 211.25, it is composed of C 62.54%, H 8.11%, N 6.63%, O 22.72%, chemically C11H17NO3. Mescaline is moderately soluble in water; soluble in alcohol, chloroform or benzene. Practically insoluble in ether or petroleum ether.

The main metabolite of mescaline is 3,4,5 - trimethoxyphenylacetic acid, which appears to be produced enzymatically by something similar to diamine oxidase. It has been reported that mescaline is refractory to the enzyme MAO.

Mescaline can be modified into many other similar compounds, but only by adding a methyl group at the a-carbon site does the resultant substance become psychoactive. The exact homolog of mescaline is TMA. ( a potent mescaline amphetamine like high ) Other mescaline related hallucinogens are DMA, TMA-2, para-DOT, DOM (STP), DOB, and of course 2C-B.

Mescaline is a controlled substance, U.S. code of Federal Regulations, title 21 part 1308.11(1987)

For very good information on all of the psychoactive phenethylamines, be sure and reference PIKHAL by Alexander Shulgin. The worlds leading authority about, and in fact creator of several of these special substances.