Fact: you don’t need to break the law to get high. Mother Nature gave us so many “stimulating” plants, that it’s virtually impossible to outlaw them all. If you like losing reality every once in a while, here are 10 natural substances that will send you to the moon and not the jail cell.
1. Salvia
Saliva is unique because it isn’t habit forming, is hallucinogenic… and is legal to grow. The plant is usually dried and smoked (similar to marijuana) and when taken makes the user momentarily lose touch with reality. In the states, growing the plant (which is legal) is different than using the plant as a drug (which is illegal). As of this writing Florida, Illinois, Delaware, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Virginia, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Ohio, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi and North Dakota have laws against its usage.
2. Calea zacatechichi- Dream Herb
The dream herb gets its name from of the incredibly vivid dreams that users experience. The Chontal Indians (of Mexico) are known to smoke the plant’s leaves just before bedtime as a way of becoming conscious of dreaming while still in the dream. In typical U.S. fashion, the plant is legal to grow AND to sell… but illegal to use.
3. Hawaiian Baby Woodrose
Hawaiian Baby Woodrose, also known as Elephant Creeper, is a vine that produces hallucinogenic seeds. With preparation, the active ingredient (LSA) can be extracted has the same effect as LSD when consumed. However, consumption is illegal in the USA while growing the vine itself is not.
4. Kratom
Kratom is addictive, yet it remains legal to grow and to use. In appearance it resembles a small tress, usually growing up to 15 feet tall. The leaves contain the active ingredient and, unlike many other hallucinagenics, the leaves are constantly replaced on the same tree.
5. Wormwood
Wormwood emits a poison and can kill if too much is consumed. It’s also the primary herb used in absinthe (a stimulant and frequently illegal beverage). The leaves can also be smoked, usually in conjunction with marijuana. And, to this date, wormwood is legal to grow virtually anywhere in the world.
6. Betel Nut
As a whole, Betel Nut is relatively “soft”. It induces a mile feeling of well being, reduces one’s appetite and isn’t physically addictive. The plant is legal to grow and to use, but it only grows in tropical or subtropical ecosystems. A variety of indoor growing systems can be used to succesfully grow this plant within your home.
7. Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca, or “vine of the dead”, grows freely in the South American Amazon and is used by Shamans in healing/cleansing rituals. The vine, which contains DMT as an active ingredient, is brewed with secondary plant which contains MAOI and drank for effect. Growing the vine is legal in the US, but extracting the DMT (active ingredient) is against the law.
8. Kava
Kava (Piper methystucum) is a more recreational drug than manyon this list, making the user euphoric and tranquil… and “sociable”. Alleviating depression and anxiety are other beneficial effects. Kava plants, which grow up to 16 feet tall, can be grown and openly sold throughout the United States.
9. Wild Dagga
Despite the name, wild dagga isn’t very aggressive as far as drugs go; the “high” is similar to marijuana. Beyond smoking it, users also extract the active ingredients with alcohol or collect and smoke the plants resin (which is similar to hash). Unlike marijuana, wild dagga is completely to harvest and consume. It would be relatively easy to use an indoor gardening kit to grow this drug in your dorm room/kitchen.
10. San Pedro Cactus – Trichocereus pachanoi
San Pedro (trichocereus pachanoi) is used as a religious sacrament by various groups that congregate in the Andean mountain region. The active ingredient is mescaline, which distorts vision and gives a “kaleidoscope effect”. The plant is known for its durability, and it isn’t illegal to grow in most areas of the world (including the United States).
