What or the most wanted or fashionable cactus?

[MadridPeter]

If we weren't debating here we'd be off buying cactus plants we don't have space for!! Ha

[coldcactusmontreal]

Not sure i can agree that our society is far more educated and advanced if you consider how many great minds occurred back in the past compared to mediocrity now in fact I would suggest our society has largely regressed with mass extinction of culture and knowledge and identity in the general populace not seen since the middle ages before nations formed..I have friends who teach kids and so many times they tell me about the sheer ignorance and lack of interest in anything that they show on epidemic levels..I too have been a language teacher ..but religion is not unthinking illogical belief and has been a backbone of society for centuries..religion spawned philosophy and science,..traditions are also clearly not useless ..it's all about coexistence with your fellow man and fulfilment on many levels ..in other words we are a shadow of our great innovative past..oh well I'm off to have a little look at my collection

Honestly I think that a lot of people assume we are amazing more intelligent that people from 1000 years ago. But in the sense of what a human is, there has been no change in our intellectual ability. Surely there's been a lot of improvements on accrued intelligence/technology and our ability to teach. But beyond that I'm pretty sure you'd have about the same level of IQ (or something more accurate) in a population that was transported to now.

As for culture and civilization, I'm pretty certain we're going backwards and forwards, sometimes at the same time.

[coldcactusmontreal]

Not sure i can agree that our society is far more educated and advanced if you consider how many great minds occurred back in the past compared to mediocrity now in fact I would suggest our society has largely regressed with mass extinction of culture and knowledge and identity in the general populace not seen since the middle ages before nations formed..I have friends who teach kids and so many times they tell me about the sheer ignorance and lack of interest in anything that they show on epidemic levels..I too have been a language teacher ..but religion is not unthinking illogical belief and has been a backbone of society for centuries..religion spawned philosophy and science,..traditions are also clearly not useless ..it's all about coexistence with your fellow man and fulfilment on many levels ..in other words we are a shadow of our great innovative past..oh well I'm off to have a little look at my collection

I think you said it better than I could. you can't really say "everything that was done for the sake of a religion is wrong" is so broad that it just doesn't hold water. You would be writing off tens of thousands of years of human history which were completely intwined with religion. There were many backward and foolish things that they did before scepticism became the normalcy. But that doesn't mean that they did everything wrong, just as now we can't say we do everything right. It's just not possible. In fact many things that were done were thrown out because we didn't understand them at the time and now are beginning to. For example probiotics have really become more understood in the last few years and I think that we scientifically/culturally kind of forgot them. I had stomach problems a lot as a child and no one ever suggested I try them or that they might do anything at all.

Let's also not confuse religion and spiritualism.

[Saxicola]

Incidentally, I learned today that an apparent breach has been made in the US nation-wide ban on Lophophora williamsii:

"(4) In any prosecution under this section for manufacture, possession or delivery of that plant of
the genus Lophophora commonly known as peyote, it is an affirmative defense that the peyote is
being used or is intended for use:
(a) In connection with the good faith practice of a religious belief;
(b) As directly associated with a religious practice; and
(c) In a manner that is not dangerous to the health of the user or others who are in the proximity
of the user. "

(in Control, Regulation, and Taxation of Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act of the state of Oregon)
(my highlights)

If I am interpreting correctly, it is therefore legal in this state to possess and grow plants of the entire Lophophora genus. There is hope for Lophophora plant lovers.

(but then, I'm no lawyer nor a US citizen...)

It looks like you are quoting something out of Oregon state law. That would only apply to the state of Oregon and would be meaningless on a Federal level. In other words in Oregon the state and local law enforcement probably wouldn't bother you but if Federal law enforcement went after you that law would be of no use. It is exactly the same as Marijuana. There is no place in the US where it is legal. Many states have supposedly made it legal, but all that means is the state won't go after you. Federal law trumps state law so the DEA can come after anyone possessing pot if they want. If a non-libertarian conservative wins the presidency expect to see a crackdown even in these legal states.

[ricshaw]

Or maybe should ask every ones favorite. I am pretty new at this but as of right now I think mine is Echinocereus rigidissimus.

I am new to collecting and recently I obtain my "most wanted" cacti O. ficus indica 'Sunburst' (variegated). Although not "rare", it is one of my favorites.