Yesterday It Was Chocolate. Today, . . .

Scarcity of peyote means hard times for dealers: "RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas -- When the state of Texas licensed him as a peyote distributor in 1990, Mauro Morales put a sign in his front yard with his name and phone number: 'Peyote Dealer. Buy or Sell Peyote.'

His neighbors balked, saying calling so much attention to his trade had to be against the law. 'So I called Austin and said, 'I think everything's legal. I've got the paperwork. Can't I put up a sign?'' Morales recalled.

Twenty years later, the sign still stands, but it's harder than ever for Morales to make a living. The hallucinogenic cactus is becoming more difficult to find because many ranchers have stopped allowing peyote harvesters on their land, preferring to plow the grayish-green plant under so cattle can graze. Others now lease their property to deer hunters or oil and gas companies."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.