Psychoactive Plants

Psychoactive

has a plant compound that alters the mental state, rather than the physica state

Hallucinogen

a non addictive substance that causes you to perceive or sense things that have no reality/see, hear, smell, or feel things that aren’t really there; usually those senses and perceptions are temporary and produce changes in perception of time and space and changes in mood and thought

Narcotic

a very addictive psychoactive compound that elicits psychological dependence, physiological dependence, and tolerance

Stimulants

excite and enhance mental alertness and physical activity

Depressants

dull mental health awareness, reduce physical performance, & induce sleep or trance-like state

Cannabis sativa

scienttfic name of marijuana plant

Dioecious

means male and female flowers are on separate plants

Marijuana plant

one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world

dioecious annuals

have distinctly palmate compound leaves w/ usually 5-7 toothed leaflets

produce a resin by glandular trichomes, especially in female plants

Asia

where marijuana is thought to originally be from

Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

the psychoactive compound in marijuana

Hemp is a tall erect cultivar with long internodes and very little THC while marijuana is a wild plant that is short and bushy and high in THC

the difference between a hemp plant and a marijuana plant

Physiological effects of marijuana

Euphoria, sharpened senses, hunger, thirst

Health risks of using marijuana

Impairs learning, damages short term memory, hallucinations and delusions, lung irritation when smoked, may be a teratogen

Medical uses of marijuana

treating glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and reducing chemotherapy side effects

Anandamide

an endocannabinoid that our bodies produce

THC and this thing both bind to the same brain receptor, but THC has long lasting effects

Opium poppy

(Papaver somniferum) a flower with colorful petals native to the Near East/Middle East/Mesopotamia

it exudes a milky latex that turns brown when dried when its capsules are sliced when green

the seeds of this flower are used for breads, muffins, and cookies

Laudanum

a popular drug in the 19th and early 20th centuries that was mixture of opium and alcohol

Papaverine

found in paregoric and is rarely used as a treatment for diarrhea and cramps

Codeine

a drug that is used as an analgesic but isn’t as strong as morphine

Morphine

a drug that was isolated in 1806 and is 10 times stronger than opium

it’s valued for its analgesic properties and is still used today to control intense pain. It reduces perception of pain and is a CNS depressant

this drug is strongly addictive. It used to be prescribed for diarrhea and and coughing. It used to be administered orally, but is now administered w/ a hypodermic needle

Endorphins

reduce perception of pain and are CNS depressants

Heroin

a semisynthetic derivative of morphine introduced in 1898 by Bayer Co as a cough medicine

At first, it was thought to be a non addictive “heroic” drug, but it is 6 times more addicitve than morphine, making it no longer used medicinally in the US

The Golden Triangle

where opium poppy is still grown illegally for heroin in Myanmar, Laos, & Thailand

The Golden Crescent

where heroin is abused in countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran

Methadone

a synthetic opiate used as gradual subsitute for recovering patients

it is less addictive and has milder withdrawal symptoms than heroin

Cocaine

the major alkaloid of the coca plant (erythroxylum coca), a small tree or shrub with shiny evergreen leaves native to the Andes Mountains of South America; the most addictive of drugs

it was isolated from the coca leaves in the 1850s in Germany

Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914

an anti-narcotic law that regulated the use of cocaine, opium, and morphine

Uses of cocaine

valued for anesthetic property, so used as a local anesthetic

Effects of cocaine use

constricts blood vessels, reduces blood flow during surgery, stimulates the CNS, produces a short term feeling of euphoria, burst of energy and alertness, and can also increase heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and body temp, and dilate pupils

Health risks of cocaine abuse

heart attacks, cerebral hemorrhage, respiratory failure, convulsions, psychosis, schizophrenia, paranoia, hallucinations, insomnia, appetite loss

Peyote

the cactus Lophophora williamsii native to Mexico and Southwestern Texas

The dried, cut tops of this green-gray cactus are called buttons which are either consumed directly or soaked in water

this psychoactive plant was used by the Aztecs and is now used by Native Americans as a sacred plant in religious rituals

Mescaline

the alkaloid in peyote that gives hallucinations

Kava

(Piper methysticum) a small shrub related to the black pepper plant

its roots are used to prepare an intoxicant

it’s widely used in the islands of the South Pacific, esp Hawaii, Fiji, and Polynesia

it’s primarily used as a tranquilizer and often found in herbal abstracts but it can cause liver and kidney damage

Lactones

the active ingredients in kava that make people relaxed + friendly

Morning glory

(Ipomea violaceae) contains a powerful hallucinogen used in Mexico by the Aztecx

Nutmeg

(Myristica fragrans) a cooking spice that if consumed in large amounts has hallucinogenic properties and bad side effects like nausea, headache, dizziness, vomiting, & irregular heartbeat

Virola

made from the bark of Amazon trees; a potent hallucinogen used by Amazon natives

Caapi

from the bark of trees from the Amazon

the active compound is harmine, a powerful narcotic