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nafex - [NAFEX] Re: Datura

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  • From: Doc Lisenby <longdistshtr@shtc.net>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Re: Datura
  • Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 09:51:23 -0400

Jim wrote:

"Kids are using Datura as a legal high (drug). It is bought and sold in
tea bags and police are helpless to do anything about it because it is
legal."

Me:

I eat Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) leaves and prefer them to most popular cultivated "greens". I can't recommend them because they require proper cooking preparation. We ran a few tests in toxicology and unofficially determined that the poison is mainly in the roots and mature stems. It has a complicated poison and at the time of our test could not be identified exactly.
A few insects eat the leaves, but I have never seen any insect damage to the stems or roots. I heard/read a rumor that the poison has been reported to cause increased production of white blood cells in humans and was suggested as an AIDS chemotherapeutic medication.
Poke was a common table fare in the "thirties", as was persimmon pudding and "real" yams.
Thornapple, aka Jimson weed (Datura stramonium) has hallucinogenic properties and I've heard that it has been used by the drug nuts for their endeavors.
Doc
Zone 7/8





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