"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