Texas growers legally sell 1.9 million peyote buttons each year

Who'da thunk? From the Seattle Times:

The Texas Department of Public Safety has licensed peyote distributors since the mid-1970s, when the number in the state peaked at 27. It dwindled to four last year. State records show that only three distributors have harvested and sold peyote so far this year.

For the past five years, an average of almost 1.9 million peyote buttons have been sold annually, according to state records.

Even so, the industry is in trouble. The number of producers is dwindling, it's becoming harder to lease ranch space, and they're overharvesting a limited supply source. Nearly 2 million buttons per year is a good-sized market. Maybe Governor Perry can cough up some cash for the peyote industry from Texas' Enterprise Fund.