The Aztecs and other native peoples of Mesoamerica have been using A. mexicana for various ritual and medicinal purposes since pre-Columbian times. The Aztecs used A. mexicana as a ritual incense. It was sacred to Uixtociuatl, the Aztec goddess of salt and salt makers. It is also said to have been sacred to Tlaloc, the rain god. In colonial documents, A. mexicana is discussed along with peyote and ololiuqui. Today, it is primarily used in folk medicine and smoked as a marijuana substitute.