Wormwood Artemisia Absinthium

History

Wormwood is used to flavor teas, beers, and other beverages. It is mostly known as the main ingrediënt of the drink of the Green Fairy: Absinth! The consumption of wormwood goes way back: it was already consumed by the ancient Egyptians and later the ancient Greeks. The Greeks made a wormwood-flavoured wine called “absinthites oinos”. The famous absinth drink as we know it today was invented in Swiss around 1792. The inventor was, according to popular legend, the French doctor Pierre Ordinaire. The drink was a medical elixir, that was also used by the French troops in war time to prevent them from getting malaria. Later on, the drink has become available in bars and stores, and was drunk by the bourgeois, poor working-class people, and many artists and writers. It became so popular to drink, that 5 o’clock in the cafe became known as “L’heure verte” (the green hour).

Effects

Wormwood contains the psychoactive compound thujon. Thujon is said to closely resemble THC, the active compound in cannabis. Thujon has soothing effects on both the body and the mind. It relaxes the nervous system and makes you feel at ease. In combination with the high alcohol percentage of absinthe, it can also induce hallucinations, spasms and seizures.

Use

Use 1 teaspoon per cup of tea. Use warm but not boiling water! The bitter flavour of the tea can be compensated by peppermint or anise.

To make absinth: use 50 grams of the herb and add this to ½ litre of liquor. Let it steep for a couple of weeks. Sift it before consumption. Be careful to only drink one small glass! The effects can be very strong and take a while before you notice them.

Warning! As found on the website of Herbs of the Gods: “In high dosages Wormwood is poisonous. Long and intensive use can lead to addiction, as well as physical and mental harm. High dosages can give nervousness, restlessness, cramps, headaches and dizziness. An overdose may manifest as unconsciousness, coma and death. After making absinthe, first try one small glass and wait about an hour for the effects. Try it again at another opportunity. Better to dose too little with no effects at all than to take too much, poisoning yourself or making yourself feel sick. Do not drive motorized vehicles while under the influence of wormwood.” [link: http://herbsofthegods.nl/wormwood-artemisia-absinthium/ ]

Content

Contains 50 gram of shredded Artemisia Absinthium.

Producer

Herbs of the Gods have collected high quality herbs since 1999. They have a selection of relaxing, stimulating and psychoactive herbs, that can be consumed by eating, drinking in teas or with a vaporizer