It’s been valued as a medicinal plant for thousands of years by local people, but what effect does it really have?

What are the active compounds in Kanna?

Kanna plants contain several psychoactive alkaloids that produce a relaxed and mild euphoric high. The most potent being mesembrine and mesembrenone.

What effect does Kanna have on the body?

Mesembrine and mesembrenone both help to increase serotonin, which is a chemical messenger linked to happiness and mood stability. Because of this, Kanna is often viewed as a natural antidepressant.

Does Kanna have medical benefits?

Kanna has shown positive benefits as an ethnomedicine. Modern studies have proven its effects as an antidepressant and its gaining traction around the world for its benefits. Today, its stress-relieving and anti-anxiety tendencies have encouraged further research into its potential.

The cultural uses of Kanna

The antidepressant effects of Kanna were well known by indigenous peoples in Africa. It was frequently chewed as a cure for stress, depression, and even for pain relief.

This low-growing succulent has been used for thousands of years by the San and Khoi people of South Africa. The San people were hunter-gatherers who would use Kanna as a water source. They also used it to lessen their appetite if a hunt was delayed or unsuccessful. But both groups valued the Kanna as a plant of healing and also of spiritual purpose.

A Dutch colonist in Africa known as Jan van Riebeeck is the first to have created a written record of Kanna. He noted that it was usually dried and chewed, and the saliva swallowed, unlike the Areca nut which is spat out instead. His notes also mention that it was smoked and also used as a herbal snuff.

Today some people prepare Kanna in various teas and tinctures to make use of its antidepressant effects. You can even buy them as houseplants, but be wary that their wild populations are declining because of this trade. Like the African Devil’s Claw plant, which is a popular pain relief supplement, some local people harvest unsustainably. It’s best to only buy from reputable sources where you can trace exactly where the plants are being grown.

What does Kanna look like?

As a succulent, Kanna has small, thick, fleshy leaves. It tends to form very low, creeping ground cover which creates a dense leafy spread. The flowers are extremely attractive with thin petals radiating from a yellow center. 

The petals resemble mini fireworks and range from white and yellow to bright pink. In full bloom, the flowers coat the entire plant with a wispy, soft layer of petals.

Where does Kanna grow?

Kanna can be found growing in semi-arid deserts within Southern Africa. It can handle periods of drought because of its succulent leaves but also survives well through the rainy season.

Conclusion

As such a valued medicinal herb, wild Kanna populations have recently decreased. Regulation is an important step that will stop over-harvesting and protect the future of this valuable ethnomedicine. It’s a very attractive plant, and it holds exciting medical potential as a natural antidepressant.

Featured Image: A young Kanna plant emerging from the soil | Photo by H Brisse on Wikimedia Commons

Although the effects are similar to tobacco, the plants don’t contain any nicotine. They contain a different compound that has been linked to some alarming health conditions.

What are the active compounds in Areca nut?

The main compound found with Areca nuts is arecoline. It’s a mildly addictive alkaloid that’s often likened to nicotine as they produce similar effects. When chewed, Areca nuts can produce a mild high and an increase in energy and even memory retention.

Arecoline is however an extremely toxic alkaloid and it’s been linked to many harmful cancers and diseases.

What effect does Areca nut have on the body?

Like nicotine, arecoline has been widely studied. Long-term use has been linked to cancers of the mouth and esophagus. It can also cause long-term respiratory problems and cancers within other areas of the body. 

There’s also a risk of diabetes and chronic kidney disease, as areca nut affects blood sugar and arecoline is processed in the kidneys. Overall it’s considered a very unsafe plant to chew or consume.

Long-term users will often develop a red mouth and lips due to an oily residue found inside. After chewing on areca nuts and leaves, this residue is spat out.

Does Areca nut have medical benefits?

Studies have shown that arecoline does have several small benefits. Within one scientific study, it was shown to improve the cognitive abilities of participants. This led to scientists exploring the possibility of arecoline as a drug to treat Alzheimer’s.

It has also been shown to reduce depression because of its stimulating and relaxation effects. However, scientists generally conclude that the carcinogenic effects outweigh any positive benefits.

Cultural uses of Areca nut

Despite the extensive list of harmful side effects, Areca nuts are still used in several cultures within Asia. Like cigarettes, Areca nuts are generally touted as a public health problem.

Traditional uses of areca nut

Records of areca nut chewing date back thousands of years. Archaeologists have discovered burial sites in the Philippines where the teeth of some skeletons have been stained by red residue.

Traditionally Areca nut is wrapped in betel leaves which add a mild peppery flavor, these wrapped pieces are known as quids. The Areca nut is usually thinly sliced and sprinkled with powdered lime or crushed seashell powder. It became a well-established part of many Asian cultures. From India and Sri Lanka to Cambodia and the Solomon Islands. Like kratom leaves and the culturally important and psychoactive kava plant, Areca nut became a habitual part of social gatherings.

The nuts have also been used in medicinal cures too. In Ayurvedic medicine, it has been used as a digestive aid and breath freshener. In other traditional medicines, it has been used as a cure for tapeworm and also schizophrenia.

What do Areca nuts look like?

Areca nuts are technically not nuts, but seeds. They form within green to orange Areca fruits that grow in dense clusters. The areca palm tree itself is a medium-sized palm with a narrow trunk.

Where does the Areca palm grow?

Because of the high cultural value of these palms, they can be found growing in many locations throughout Asia. They’re native to most tropical areas in Asia, Africa, and islands in the Pacific. Many believe it could have originated in the Philippines, as this is where the oldest archaeological records are located.

Conclusion

Areca nuts are still widely used today, especially in Papua New Guinea and Malaysia. Many local governments struggle with enforcing health advice as areca nuts are so deeply ingrained within cultures.

Featured Image: Areca fruits photo by Forest and Kim Starr on Wikimedia Commons

What are the active compounds in Sleepy Grass?

The compounds that put the ‘sleepy’ in sleepy grass could be one of two active chemicals. Sleepy grass naturally contains diacetone alcohol. As a chemical, it’s used as a solvent and often used in wood stains, thinners, and textile production too. It’s produced synthetically and not harvested from sleepy grass itself. Ingesting or inhaling diacetone alcohol can make you drowsy and also cause irritation in the respiratory system.

Like many grass species, sleepy grass is also susceptible to ergot fungus. Ergot fungi produce a powerful compound known as ergoline. When ingested it can have a sedative and mild psychoactive effect. This means that any humans or animals ingesting ergot infected seeds could experience severe drowsiness and even mild euphoria.

Does Sleepy Grass have medical potential?

Ergoline has been widely studied, and actually inspired the synthesis of LSD. While sleepy grass has a traditional history of use in Native American culture, it is very rarely used as a modern-day herbal.

Traditional medicine

The effects of sleepy grass were known to Native Americans in the midwest plains. Some records suggest that single sleepy grass seeds were given to babies to help soothe colic symptoms.

Cultural uses of Sleepy Grass

Several stories suggest that sleepy grass was occasionally used for criminal purposes in the wild west. In Ben K. Green’s book, “Horse Tradin’”, he references an account of sleepy grass use. A horse trader used sleepy grass to make a horse seem more docile and broken in. It later turned out that the untamed horse had actually been fed sleepy grass.

Another legend states that several railroad workers were killed after their horses grazed on sleepy grass. As they clashed the next morning with Native Americans, they were unable to get away as their horses were drowsy and immobile.

It’s a story that has a few similarities to several railroad workers who were poisoned with death camas. In an attempt to stop railroad expansion, Native Americans sold death camas bulbs to unsuspecting workers.

As the tale of the effects of sleepy grass spread through European colonizers, it was eventually used by cattle ranchers. Some stories suggest it was fed in small quantities to cattle to make them easier to herd and manage.

What does Sleepy Grass look like?

Sleepy grass has tall erect stems, usually reaching 2-3 feet. It grows in bushy clumps with very minimal roots. The seed head and nodes where leaves branch off often have a hairy appearance. The flower head is typical of many grass species with a panicle that develops into spikelets.

Where does Sleepy Grass grow?

As a grass species, sleepy grass favors open plains, meadows, and woodland edges. You’ll usually find it in dry areas and soil with good drainage, for example, hillsides or even semi-desert grassland. It’s common in the midwest plains and as far south as New Mexico.

Conclusion

For such an inconspicuous plant, sleepy grass has had some unusual uses throughout history. At one point sleepy grass was a hazard to cattle and horses grazing in wild meadows and fields. In high doses, it could make cattle appear to freeze on the spot, and even cause death. Today, however farmers and ranchers rarely encounter any issues with sleepy grass.

Featured Image: Sleepy grass growing in New Mexico | Photo by Patrick Alexander on Wikimedia Commons

With its potent effects, kratom is used medically and also as a recreational herb, with kratom bars found across the world. Chewed, brewed, or powdered, the leaves contain active compounds that can produce strong effects.

What are the active compounds in Kratom?

The most potent compound found in kratom is an alkaloid known as mitragynine. In relatively low doses it can produce a euphoric high that some people liken to coca. However, in higher doses, it can have a sedative effect.

What effect does Kratom have?

It’s a member of the coffee family, and like coffee, it has stimulative properties. However, the mitragynine found in kratom can have strong psychoactive effects.

In small doses, the effects of kratom involve a very mild, stimulating high, with common symptoms like nausea, delusion, drowsiness, and irritability. However, in high doses symptoms can include strong hallucinations and seizures. In extreme cases, users may experience damage to the liver, and cardiac, respiratory, or thyroid issues.

It can also have strong sedative effects, reducing pain perception and promoting relaxation. Many people turn to kratom as natural pain relief, but further study is needed on the safety, addiction possibility, and effects of long-term use, etc.

Does Kratom have medical potential?

Like the muscimol in fly agaric and kavalactones in kava, kratom may have the potential to treat anxiety, depression, or PTSD. With its similar effects to opioid drugs, however, kratom is often used as a herbal pain relief medication.

Can kratom treat opioid addiction?

Kratom is currently being researched as a treatment for opioid withdrawal. It can activate the same receptors that opioids do. So, many believe it could imitate opioid drugs (like oxycodone or hydrocodone) and help people reduce their dependency. Some studies suggest however that people can then experience withdrawal symptoms from kratom. However, it’s an area that needs further study.

Cultural symbolism of Kratom

In areas where kratom is native, it has been entwined with local life for social and also spiritual purposes. The plant has a long history of use as traditional medicine. Its pain-relieving effects were well known, and leaves were frequently turned into healing treatments.

In Thailand, extracts were used to treat pain, respiratory illnesses, and also intestinal issues like worms. Within Malaysia, it was also used as a replacement for opium.

The leaves were thought to increase sexual desire because of their euphoric and stimulative properties. Again, because of the stimulating effects, it was frequently consumed by southeast Asian workers as an energy boost.

Because of its psychoactive effects, kratom was used as an entheogen in religious ceremonies too.

Is Kratom legal?

Like coca, peyote, and other plants with psychoactive effects, kratom is heavily regulated. In some states and countries, however, there are less severe rules in place. For example, the use, ownership, and sale of kratom is banned in the UK, Ireland, and Malaysia.

Alternatively, in Thailand, after being banned for several years, kratom was legalized in 2021. In the US, the legality of kratom can change between states and even cities. It’s regulated but legal in most, but illegal in Alabama and Vermont, etc.

What does Kratom look like?

Kratom is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 25 meters in height. The leaves are dark green, pointed, and oval-shaped with prominent red veining on the underside. When flowering, you’ll see small rounded clusters of tiny flowers, with the whole inflorescence resembling a small yellow firework.

Where does Kratom grow?

It can be found growing in tropical forests and clearings in countries like Papua New Guinea and Malaysia. To thrive it needs a humid climate, nutrient-rich soil, and dappled sunlight.

Conclusion

Kratom has long been used in traditional medicine, but it is still warily treated by regulatory boards because of its psychoactive effects. Ultimately, the plant needs more scientific research to understand the risks involved. That includes whether it can be safely used as herbal medicine, be relied upon as a treatment for opioid dependence, or safely enjoyed recreationally.

Featured Image: Photo by Uomo vitruviano on Wikimedia Commons

What are the active compounds in Peyote?

Peyote contains a range of psychoactive alkaloids, of which mescaline is considered the most psychoactive. It can be found in other plants too, including the San Pedro cactus and the Bolivian torch cactus. Mescaline was first isolated in 1897 by a German chemist known as Arthur Heffter.

What effect does Peyote have?

The mescaline in peyote has effects that are likened to LSD and also psilocybin mushrooms. Effects can last anywhere from 2-12 hours. As a hallucinogenic plant, people usually experience visual disturbances and changes in perception of color, audio, and size.

It may have very negative effects too. Other symptoms could include severe anxiety, pupil dilation, vomiting, muscle twitches, sweating, and also paranoia.

What is the medicinal potential of Peyote?

Limited studies have shown that mescaline may be able to treat addictions like alcoholism, and also conditions like depression. Many herbal drugs, like liberty mushrooms or kava, are controlled substances, and this limits scientific study into their medical potential.

Many people used peyote to treat conditions like toothache and fever, but also as pain relief during childbirth. In Mexico, you can still find herbal remedies like peyote gel which is used for pain relief.

Is Peyote toxic?

Like any drug, peyote can pose risks, and peyote cactus abuse and toxicity have been documented. Unregulated doses can cause serious illness and even death.

Cultural Symbolism of Peyote

Used for thousands of years, peyote has a rich history in several Indigenous nations of America and Mexico. It was consumed as an entheogen and also used to treat some medical conditions too. The top of the peyote cactus is usually cut off and dried, allowing the remaining base and root to heal and regenerate a new crown.

As European colonizers and Christianity arrived in America, the use of peyote became severely restricted. Like psychoactive morning glory seeds that were used by native groups in South America, peyote became a prohibited drug. Sadly many cultural practices were lost, but it continues to be used today, ceremonially by the Native American Church (NAC).

The Wixárika people (Huichol) of Mexico use peyote within spiritual rituals that connect people to ancestor spirits and gods.

As interest in peyote grows, tours are now conducted by members of the NAC, and also by guides in Mexico. However, many people who have cultural links to peyote are worried about unsustainable harvesting from people looking to collect seeds and profit from wild cacti.

Is Peyote legal?

In most countries, peyote is illegal to own, sell or prepare for recreational purposes. In some reservations in the US, Native Americans can grow, possess and use peyote for spiritual and cultural purposes as part of the Native American Church.

What Does Peyote Look Like?

Peyote is a small, low-growing cactus. It has an unusual appearance, with no spines and a round, flat, bulbous shape. The flesh coloring is a blue and greenish hue, and when flowering, it has a white/pinkish flower that partially resembles a daisy or member of the Asteraceae family. They’re often called peyote ‘buttons’ because of their small rounded shape.

Where Does Peyote Grow?

They tend to grow in small groups, with new shoots forming from larger and more mature cacti. Peyote grows very slowly and can be found wild in Mexico and small areas in southern states in the US. It favors dry and humid areas, with limestone soils, particularly the Chihuahuan desert and the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range.

Conclusion

It’s illegal to own, grow and use peyote, but many individuals are interested in its hallucinogenic potential. However, as a hallucinogenic so closely linked to Native American culture, it is important that the connection is respected, and the plant population is protected.

Featured Image: Peyote cactus | Photo by Peter A. Mansfeld on Wikimedia Commons

What are the active compounds in Morning Glory?

The seeds of many morning glory species contain ergoline alkaloids, ergonovine, and ergine. These ergoline alkaloids are present because of a fascinating symbiotic relationship with the ergot fungus. It’s a fungi that can also infect grains used in bread production, and over history it has accidentally poisoned and drugged many people. The alkaloids found in ergot fungi helped to inspire the creation of LSD. Ergine is usually referred to as ‘d-lysergic acid amide’, or LSA.

What effect do Morning Glory seeds have?

Chewing morning glory seeds can produce a hallucinogenic effect that is similar to LSD. People may experience psychedelic effects like extreme hallucinations, intense visual and audio disturbances of size, color, and sound, and even a loss of the perception of time. Other symptoms can include an increased heart rate, anxiety, erratic behavior, muscle twitching, and dilated pupils.

Morning Glory warnings and cautions

Because of the known psychedelic effects from morning glory seeds, seed producers have been known to coat the seeds in bitter, toxic chemicals, like methylmercury. This is supposed to deter any recreational users.

Does Morning Glory have medical potential?

Many species of morning glory have been involved in traditional medicines and brews. In parts of Asia and South America, some plants have been used to create treatments that have a laxative, diuretic, or expectorant effect. The roots of Hawaiian baby woodrose (Argyreia nervosa), also known as ‘elephant creeper’, are used in Ayurvedic practices to rejuvenate and promote sweating. It’s a plant that was endemic to India but introduced to many places, including Hawaii.

Cultural symbolism of Morning Glory

The large showy flowers have inspired a series of whimsical species names like old man’s nightcap (Calystegia sepium) and moon vine (Ipomoea alba). Varieties of the well-known psychoactive species Mexican morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor) have names like ‘flying saucer’, ‘rainbow flash’, and ‘summer skies’.

Prominent spiritual figures in south American cultures, like Aztec priests, used morning glory seeds as an entheogen to convene with spiritual beings and convey messages to the people. Mexican morning glory and common morning-glory (Ipomoea purpurea) are native to south America and would likely have been used by various groups for their psychoactive effects.

Moon vine sap was also added to the latex from the rubber tree to create rubber. This rubber was then used to create balls used in a popular ballgame of ancient Mesoamerica.

Because of their ornamental beauty, morning glories are often planted in gardens and grown along pergolas or trellises. The seeds can be bought from many gardening shops across the World. They are legal to grow for ornamental reasons, but many countries have regulations in place over actually extracting LSA from the seeds.

What does Morning Glory look like?

As the name suggests, most morning glory flowers unfurl in the morning and fade as the evening draws in. The plants are known for their large trumpet-shaped flowers that are frequently grown in gardens for their ornamental beauty. Many species are also hybridized to create favorable colors and flower shapes.

It’s a vine plant that can grow quickly, so it’s considered invasive in many areas. The leaves are also usually very broad, which can overwhelm other plants.

Where does Morning Glory grow?

Morning glory species can be found around the World — from unique species on islands like Madagascar and Lord Howe Island to common species found across the UK or US. As a vine plant, they tend to climb across other vegetation, so they can usually be found in sun-exposed areas of rainforest, clearings and woodland.

Conclusion

Loved by hummingbirds and pollinators, the morning glory is a beautiful plant to discover in the wild. Certain varieties can be grown in the garden, but be wary of older, fast-growing varieties that produce lots of seeds. While the psychoactive effects of some morning glory species attract some people to them, dosages, effects, and secondary symptoms are not as well documented as LSD.

Featured Image: Hawaiian baby woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) | Photo by Loi Miao on Wikimedia Commons