The following was forwarded to me to be posted anonymously. Please direct any followups to alt.drugs, as I do not have this person's return address. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Information from: Psychedlic chemistry, By Michael Valentine Smith, Loompanics Unlimited, Port Townsend, Washington. Pages 163 - 167. Loompanics Unlimited, PO Box 1197, P.Townsend, WA 98368. MISCELLANEOUS PSYCHEDELICS Mexican Mint Leaves of the Mexican mint family (Saliva divornum) are chewed by some Mexican Indians for their Hallucinogenic properties. Nurseries and seed companies sell various species. Saliva divonorum is cultivated by the Mazatecs of Oaxaca, Mexico and seems not to grow wild. They use the juice from about 60 leaves. Catnip Smoking leaves of Catnip (Nepeta cataria) produces only mild effects in man.Freshly pickled leaves are probably more potent. Seeds seem to be readily available. Nitrous Oxide The laughing gas trip is very interesting, but very short (a few minutes). Since breathing N2O for longer periods will produce anoxia, mixtures containing 20% oxygen and up to 80% N2O can be breathed for longer periods. DO not breath gas directly from a tank as it can freeze your lungs. N2O can be produced by heating ammonium nitrate at 240 degrees until gas evolution ceases (The gas should leave the flask through a tube passing successively through a water trap and a water filled bottle, before collection in a plastic bag.) Alternatively, N2O is present in the bulbs used in whippped cream dispensers. Rat Root The root of the plant Acorus Calamus (also called flag root and sweet calomel), grows over much of the world, is chewed by the cree indians of Canada to produce psychedelic effects.Active compound asarone - a precursor on an hallucinogenic amphetamine. Ibogaine Active constituent of the plant Tabernanthe Iboga, used by African Natives. Kava kava Plant Piper Methysticum extracts have been used in Polynesia for thousands of years, and Piper Plantagiveum is similarly used in Mexico and the Caribbean. Produce a sleepy, relaxed feeling with eventual difficulty in walking. About 3 grams is neccessary Heimia Leaves of various kinds of Heimia species found in the highlands of Central and South America. Hallucinations are mainly auditory. Active compound cryogenine. Betel Nut The nut of a palm tree chewed by millions of asians with the leaves also of Piper betel to produce mild stimulatory effects. Arecolin and arecaidinen are among the active constituents. Canary Weed Blosoms (mainly) of Genista Canariens and probably the related genus Cytisus give a mild psychedelic effect when smoked. Plants are available at many nurseries. Club Moss Lycopodium gnidiodes is said to be similar to Marijuana when smoked. Some members of the genus Myrothamnus are also active. Nutmeg About 75 gramms taken in milk (25 gramms per glass, skull it) will produce in about 3 hours some interesting effects, including visual hallucinations. Active costituents similar to mescaline and amphetamines. Available at any grocery store at a cost of about 80 cents for 50 gramms. Mimosa Roots of the sensitive plants of the genus mimosa are known to contain DMT. Phenothiazines Some phenothiazine derivatives (tranquilizers) can be hallucinogenic at high doses. eg imipramine (Tofranil) at oral dose of about 1 g and Parsidol at 100 mg. PCP Not recomended as has tendency to produce bummers. Sold as Angel dust, Sernyl, Phencyclidine. Has been used as an animal tranquiliser and general anaesthetic for human surgery.Produces no visual effects, a tendency to fear and anxiety. Trip is short (2 hours), at about 10 mg. Antiparkinson Drugs eg Benactyzine can be hallucinogenic at higher doses, but because of there simularity to glycolate esters, they should be avoided. Ditran and other glycolate esters Usually complete amnesia for all but the early portion of the experience However, judicious use of small quantities may provide a seperate reality unattainable by any other means. Best classified as simple delirium. Belladonna Hysoscyamine is the active constituent of the shrub Atropa belladonna and of jimson weed (Datura stramonium). Related drug scopolamine occurs in various plants such as henbane (Hyoscyamus niger). These compounds found in many non prescreption cold remedies, motion sickness tablets, etc. Produce excitation, dry mouth, increased heart rate, etc.( Can be lethal if use heaps too much.), and later hallucinations. The trip is very heavy, people often being delirious for long periods, unable to tell real from imaginary; carrying on imaginary conversations, smoking non-existent ciggarettes, etc. Not recommended as have a strong tendency to make you delirious and totally spaced out.. MTQ Also known as wallbangers , this drug is sometimes fatal(especially when used with alcohol) and best left alone. Ketamine Snorting ketamine gives brief but bizzare effects. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also, I included this for your interest: From: The Sydney Morning Herald Date: Monday August 17 1992 THE DECRIMINALISATION OF MARIJUANA We wish to support the views expressed by Mr John Marsden (Herald, August 10) concerning the "decriminalisation" of marijuana. We would like to make several brief comments on this issue. [John Marsden is president of the NSW Law Society] 1. The major concern with the use of any drug is the potential that the drug has to cause harm. Although marijuana is certainly not a perfectly harmless drug(no drug is!), it is our considered view, based on laboratory and clinical literature, that it is, indeed, less dangerous than alcohol. 2. Marijuana has been the most widely used of the illegal drugs in this country for at least the last 25 years. However over this time, the proportion of this using population who have sought or required treatment for marijuana- related problems has been very small. Certainly they have been far less numerous than those from the smaller population of users of other illegal drugs who have sought or required treatment. It is also strongly arguable that, in proportion to the number of users, there are still fewer casualties to marijuana use then there are to alcohol use. 3. In those places where a policy of decriminalisation has been introduced (eg. South Australia), there has been no evidence of an increase in the use of the drug or in the number requiring treatment for marijuana-related problems. 4. The social costs associated with the treatment of marijuana-related illness cannot be seen to be a cause for concern and these are dwarfed in comparison with those associated with alcohol or tobacco. 5. On the other hand, the financial costs to the State for the enforcement of the present marijuana laws(both policing and court costs) appear to us to be not only very high, but without justification. (Dr) G. B. Chesher (Dr) M. J. Christie Department of Pharmacology, The University of Sydney, Sydney. [MBG - n.b. Mac Christie is one of my lecturers in Pharmacology. ;-)]