So I have been growing San Pedro for a few years and have begun skinning and drying the outer green flesh in the oven. Have a few hundred grams.

What do you think is the lowest amount to take for threshold to low dose effects. Probably just going to do a basic alcohol extraction on it.

I've heard 10-20 grams might give mild effects. Just trying to test my batch and I have a really low tolerance to everything.

20 grams of weak pedro would give you only threshold effects, but 10 grams of a strong one (5% outer flesh) could be a full on trip (500 mg). Got a pic of the plant? Won't be able to tell if it's strong but can tell if it is weak.

How so?

Easiest way to test is to eat a little bit. Wait an hour and if it wasnt enough eat more. Easy to slowly dip into the experience this way and you dont have to worry about starting with the "perfect" dose because you can work up to the perfect dose gradually.

Why do you only use the green skin? The skin has the highest concentration of the alkaloids, but only makes up a small part of the cactus's weight. Most of the actives are in the inner flesh even though that flesh isnt as concentrated as the skin - but there is way more flesh so it adds up. If you are discarding the inner flesh you are wasting a lot of your cactus, unless you use it for something else....

Everything I've read on the subject says that the green flesh has the most alkaloids and that the core and white flesh have very little. I just fillet the green skin and a small part of the white and lay them on a metal sheet with lots of little holes for air flow in the oven for a few hours at like 200F.

I intend on making an ethanol extract on 20 grams and seeing what happens.

This is a common misunderstanding from people who read that alkaloids are most concentrated in the skin - it doesnt cross their minds that there is 10 times more flesh then skin so most of the alkaloids are in there even though the flesh isnt as highly concentrated per gram. You are probably losing 60-70% of your actives by only using the skin.

Any other way to dry the whole cactus? Still got plenty of live cacti around.

I want them dried so I can get a more accurate dose in grams.

For drying whole cactus, cut into approximately 1/2 inch star shapes, and place in food dehydrator at around 155 degrees F. Works quite well, IME.

The common (weak) PC clone is fairly easy to identify in pics 90% of the time. If it's not that, though, it's pretty impossible to say from looking.

Dosage is as easy with fresh cacti then dried as concentration varies. you could simply brews a arm long piece and drink that to test it out.

arm or forearm ?