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Legal intoxicants are intoxicating drugs which are not prohibited by the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and which people who are seeking intoxication by legal methods use. The most commonly used legal intoxicant is alcohol but many others are used including native intoxicating plants historically used by indigenous cultures and modern chemical intoxicating substances that have not been defined as illegal.
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Stimulants
Caffeine
Nicotine
Ephedrine
A phenylethylamine with stimulant properties similar too, but weaker than, amphetamine, Over the counter in many countries.
Hallucinogens
Salvia Divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a powerful psychoactive plant[1] that has long been used as an entheogen by the indigenous Mazatec shamans for healing during spirit journeys. The plant is found in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Hawaiian Baby Woodrose
Hawaiian Baby Woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) is a perennial climbing vine, also known as Elephant Creeper and Woolly Morning Glory. The seeds of the plant contain the alkaloid LSA (ergine), which is a chemical analog of LSD. As such, they are sometimes used as a "legal" psychedelic. However, as LSA is a DEA Schedule III substance, the ingestion of LSA-containing plants could be prosecutable.
San Pedro cactus
San Pedro cactus contains mescaline which is illegal when isolated. This is the same active substance in the more famous peyote cactus which can only be used legally by some native American tribes which have a history of using the plant. San Pedro can be bought and sold and the tissues can also be bought (primary container) from online shops. In many countries, however, it is a serious crime to buy, sell or consume the cactus for reasons of intoxication (any other reason besides ornamental use), because the active ingredient in the cactus, mescaline, is a scheduled substance in those countries, regardless of its small relative harm compared to other drugs.
Ololiúqui
Rivea corymbosa, called ololiúqui by the Aztecs, is a species of morning glory plants, native throughout Latin America. The seeds are used as a hallucinogen.
Tlitliltzin
Another morning glory, Ipomoea tricolor (called tlitliltzin by the Aztecs and often sold as "Heavenly Blue Morning Glory"), has similar effects as ololiúqui.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg contains Myristicin and Elemicin which are both psychoactive chemicals.[2]
Sinicuichi
Sinicuichi, a shrub in the genus Heimia, is widely reported to be psychoactive. However, some claim that it these reports are false[3]
Ergot
Ergots are parasitic fungi of the genus Claviceps that infect grains and grasses. Ergots produce hallucinogenic substances, but also alkaloids that have negative effects on the circulatory and nervous systems.
Toad
The skin and venom of some toads (namely of the genus Bufo and family Bufonidae) contain psychoactive ingredients, 5-meo-dmt and/or bufotenin, which are consumed once extracted from the toad.[4]
2CE, 2C-I, and 2C-C
DXM
Dextromethorphan is an antitussive (cough-suppressant) drug found in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines. When taken at doses higher than are medically recommended, dextromethorphan is classified as a dissociative hallucinogenic drug. It can produce effects similar to those of the controlled substances PCP and ketamine.citation needed
Deliriants
The deliriants (or anticholinergics) are a special class of dissociative which are antagonists for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Datura
Datura species (especially Datura stramonium and Datura wrightii) are common poisonous weeds in the Nightshade Family. They contain tropane alkaloids that are sometimes used as a hallucinogen. The active ingredients are atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine which are classified as deliriants, or anticholinergics. Datura use has been associated with hospital visits and death in cases of overdose, and it has earned a reputation of being a rather dangerous substance due to the possible loss of control over ones self.
Diphenhydramine
Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine and a sedative and is available over the counter for allergy relief and for use as a sleep aid. Recreational users take many times (>250mg) the therapeutic dose to achieve a state of delirium.
Depressants
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages contain the psychoactive drug, ethanol (grain alcohol), with a depressant effect. They are legal in most of the non-Muslim world, although their use is restricted almost everywhere. Alcohol is considered a legal class A drug in most jurisdictions (Bufton, 2007).
Kava (Kavalactone)
Kava (Piper methysticum) is an ancient crop of the western Pacific. The onset of a moderate potency kava drink is 20-30 minutes, with effects usually lasting for two hours but effects can be felt up to eight hours after ingestion.citation needed
Inhalants
Inhalants are commonly used in many parts of the world for their powerful but short lived psychoactive effects; the most common group to use inhalants are young people.
Nitrous Oxide
One of the most common inhalants, also know as "whippits", after the common brand-name of the charging cartridges used in food service whipped-cream dispensers. Most inhalants are directly neurotoxic, except for nitrous, amyl nitrate, and ether to an extent. Although nitrous depletes vitamin B-12 from the body, this isn't a concern for the occasional user since most animal foods have the vitamin, particular beef, lamb, and pork (this is an issue for vegetarians and vegans), but abuse can cause a severe B-12 deficiency, which can cause psychological, neurological, and other physiological harm.
Opioids
An opioid is a chemical substance that has a morphine-like action in the body.
Kratom
Non-opiate herbal drug native to Southeast Asia. The leaves are used as an opiate substitute, and around the world for opiate addiction recovery because it binds to the mu opioid receptors as all opioids do. It is also used as a stimulant (in low doses). Higher doses produce a more sedative effect.
Kratom is illegal in Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.[5]
References
- ^ http://www.sagewisdom.org/usersguide.html
- ^ Hallucinogens
- ^ Heimia salicifolia: A phytochemical and phytopharmacologic review. M. H. Malone , A. Rother, J. Ethnopharmacol. 42(3):135-159 (1994) PMID 7934084 doi 10.1016/0378-8741(94)90080-9 Erowid references
- ^ Erowid Psychoactive Toad Vault
- ^ http://www.sagewisdom.org/kratomguide.html
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 5 October 2008, at 21:18.
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