Don Juan strikes again!!!
Posted on 10/02/2004 1:35:01 PM PDT by Radix
ping
"If God hadn't of meant for us to burn our brains out on hallucinogenic drugs, He wouldn't have given us Jimsonweed."/Sarcasm off
The plant/drug is not new. When I worked ER we had teens come in every year with jimsonweed poisoning. The American Indians use it in some of their ceremonies.
Gene Autry sang about "the lowly jimsonweed" in "I'm back in the saddle again."
What the hell could he be charged with anyway?
Jimsonweed is not illegal.
I took some jimhensonweed once, it made me see talking frogs and pigs.
I thought he sang about the "lowly tumblin' tumbleweed".
Were any of them cute?
OUTLAW ALL PLANTS!! THIS IS TERRIBLE!!!
/sarc
No place in the Constitution does it give the government the right to outlaw plants in case some moron decides to eat or smoke them...but of course "the law" knows better.
We're in Iraq to spread liberty and you're here to repress it?
I will not take the position of being a proponent of drug use but I am willing to point you to Genesis chapter 1 verse 29!
It is worthy of discussion, but perhaps not so much in thios particular context.
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PHARMACOLOGY
The toxins in Jimson Weed are tropane belladonna alkaloids which possess strong anticholinergic properties. They include: hyoscyamine (leaves, roots, seeds), hyoscine (roots); atropine (d,l-hyoscyamine) and scopolamine (l-hyoscine). They act as competitive antagonists to acetylcholine at peripheral and central muscarinic receptors at a common binding site. The peripheral receptors are on exocrine glands which affect sweating, salivation, and smooth and cardiac muscle. Poisoning results in widespread paralysis of parasympathetic innervated organs. As tertiary amines they also have central nervous system absorption, inhibit CNS receptors and result in a central anticholinergic syndrome of acute psychosis or delirium. These toxins are easily absorbed from mucous membranes and the GI tract. The half-life of atropine is approximately 4 hours. Metabolism occurs in the liver by hydrolysis which eliminates approximately half the drug. The remainder is excreted unchanged in the urine.
TOXICOLOGY
Datura stramonium is an annual plant. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and has dark green, long stemmed, lobed leaves which exude a foul odor. Its flower whic blooms in late spring is usually white, sometimes lavender, solitary and tubular. A four lobed, thorny, green seed pod fruit ripens in early fall. Each lobe contains 50-100, 2-3 mm, kidney-shaped, black/brown seeds. All parts of the plant are toxic. They are ingested, smoked and absorbed topically especially through mucous membranes. The exact concentration of specific alkaloids varies with species, cultivation, environment, temperature, moisture, and storage. The range of toxicity is highly variable and unpredictable; toxicity may vary from leaf to leaf, plant to plant and season to season. This contributes to the danger of misuse of the plant since the dose cannot be predicted. The highest concentration occurs in the seeds: approximately 0.1 mg of atropine per seed or 3-6 mg/50-100 seeds. An estimated lethal dose in an adult is >10 mg atropine or >2-4 mg scopolamine.
CLINICAL EFFECTS
The mnemonic for clinical effects of typical atropine poisoning is: "blind as a bat, mad as a hatter, red as a beet, hot as a hare, dry as a bone, the bowel and bladder lose their tone, and the heart runs alone." Symptoms include mydriasis; cycloplegia; flushed, warm, dry skin; dry mouth; ileus; urinary retention; tachycardia; hyper or hypotension; delirium with hallucinations; jerky, myoclonic movements; choreoathetosis; hyperthermia; coma; respiratory arrest; rare seizures; and central stimulation followed by depression. Hallucinations are reported in as many as 83% of cases; typically they are simple visual images in natural colors, but infrequently also tactile hallucinations of crawling insects. The onset of symptoms occurs within 30 to 60 minutes after smoking leaves or drinking tea; and 1-4 hours after ingestion of plant material or seeds. Initial symptoms include dry mouth then pupil dilatation. The duration of symptoms is often 24-48 hours because of delayed gastrointestinal motility; symptoms have been reported to last up to 1-2 weeks.Although poisoning may lead to fatal medullary paralysis, arrhythmias and cardiovascular collapse, Jimson Weed-related deaths mainly are as a result of impaired judgment and coordination resulting in risk-taking activities associated with accidental death.
Gene Autry sang about "the lowly jimsonweed" in "I'm back in the saddle again."
I took some jimhensonweed once, it made me see talking frogs and pigs.
7 posted on 10/02/2004 4:45:32 PM EDT by flying Elvis
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ROFL! :D
Instant classic!
I'm sorry, I didn't realize that we went to Iraq in order so that their kids could fry their brains too.
Those "Don't buy drugs, they support terrorism" commercials must get under your skin like concentrated poison ivy.
There are enough chemicals and toxins growing in the average half acre yard's plants... to kill half the people in most american cities.
if you know what they are and how to extract them.
this has LONG been known. dont eat the grass, unless you are a cow. would be a wise option.
"you don't have a dandelion permit pal, we are going to have to take you downtown for some questions."
Don Juan strikes again!!!
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