Surprisingly Unregulated Substances

When going to order some Yerba Matè (the roasted stuff, I don’t like the green flavor) to mix up the tea-like beverage habit, I was reminded by the skeezy online botanical store that many surprising things are not regulated substances in the United States. I was subsequently compelled to order some goodies for after the semester is over. For those who don’t know me well, please note that I’m not in the habit of taking massive quantities of mind altering chemicals on a regular basis; I only go out in that sense maybe three times a semester, and am fairly disapproving of the pharmacological stuff, used therapeutically or otherwise. Also note that I’m not a believer in “It comes from nature, it must be safe/healthy(er),” the stuff discussed below is as well understood as anything to do with brain chemistry, and should be taken seriously. I tend to be pretty careful about my drug intake. Unless I’m drunk and someone cute hands things to me. The last line alone has made me stop arguing with “Boys are dumb” assertions. We are. We know it.

Because stuffing funny chemicals in one’s body is an interesting enterprise, and certainly one best shared with friends, the stuff I have on the way is(in order from tame to “I really shouldn’t do this”):

Yerba Matè (Ilex paraguayensis): A South American shrub who’s leaves can be infused much like a green tea (hot, but not boiling water). Very tasty stuff, earthy, smoky, chocolaty sort of flavor, and a nice deep orange color when brewed. It contains lots of delicious xanthines, including caffeine and a couple of its stimulant pals. It is often said to be a more desirable stimulant than coffee, inducing just as much energy but without the jitter, supposedly because of the wider, more evenly distributed variety of stimulants. I get it at coffee houses sometimes; it is a pleasant, energizing drink, and I have experienced its purported concentration improving effects. (erowid information)

Kava (Piper methysticum): A pepper plant native to several western pacific islands (Hawaii, Vantu, Fiji, etc.), Kava refers to both the plant and a cold infusion made from its root. The infusion is supposed to have effects sort of like alcohol, but more clearheaded. The agent for these effects are kavalactones, a class of psychoactive chemicals which affect a variety of neurotransmitters, providing anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing), anesthetic, and mildly sedative effects. Some kavalactones also supposedly act as a noradrenaline but not serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which is likely to enhance focus and clarity. All told, it sounds like excellent fun. I first heard about Kava as KavaJava, a mixture of kava infusion and coffee, which is mentioned frequently in the latter part of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy, one of my perennial favorites. The combination is supposed to clip off the mild sedative effects of the Kava with caffeine, and leave only the (socially desirable) anxiolytic effects… which sounds like the perfect social beverage for me. (erowid information)

Salvia Divinorum – I’ve never tried hallucinogens (excepting one incident with a massive dose of food dyes to which I am allergic, but that wasn’t intentional or reproducible…), and this stuff seems like the perfect place to start. Salvia leaves can be smoked (at relativity high temperatures) for a short (~10 minutes) powerful effect, or chewed for a milder prolonged(~hour) effect. The short effective life is what makes it far more appealing to me than most hallucinogenic agents. The effects are said to often include uncontrollable laughter, and sometimes include vivid memories, visions, sensations of movement or becoming objects, and other surreal experiences. Neurochemically, it is a κ-opioid receptor agonist. Other κ-opioid receptor agonists have been studied medicinally as potential treatments for pain and mood disorders, but salvinorin A (the primary active chemical in Salvia Divinorum) has much more pronounced hallucinogenic effects than it’s peers, which is why it is of interest recreationally instead of therapeutically. This is interestingly NOT the same pathway by which “classical” (mescaline, LSD)hallucinogens function. The stuff I purchased is specifically a 10x standardized extractive (the leaves have had a known quantity of salvinorin A introduced, which is far more than occurs naturally), which apparently neatly situated between “strong enough to easily produce an effect” and “strong enough to easily hurt yourself.” It should be fun. Unfortunately, salvia a bit of a fad at the moment, so the expected horde of dumb teenagers and associated disapproving reactionaries have produced bans in several states, but not (yet?) in Kentucky. (erowid information)
Responsible friends are welcome to join me in playing with this stuff, the way the items are sold means I have far more of each than I am likely to use in a timely manner.
Writing this post is far, far better than thinking about my digital controls test tomorrow, which will eat me.