Ethnobotanicals

The Tribal Treasure Chest of Ethnobotanicals.

We import interesting herbs from all over the world. These herbs have been used for centuries by tribal peoples. They have medical, spiritual and recreational potential. Most of the tribal groups who have historically used these herbs consider them sacred and use them in their shamanistic rituals and belief systems. It has been said that Shamanism is the first religion practiced by humans and likely will be the last.

When experimenting with these herbs, keep in mind that these are powerful. Also keep in mind that even peanut butter sandwiches can be deadly if given to the wrong person. If you decide to use these herbs in the traditional manner indigenous people have used for centuries, please note that you do so at your own risk. It is best to err on the side of caution and to use minimum doses at first. People have different reactions. Some people could have a pleasant experience on 2 grams of some herb while another person might feel no effect at 6 grams. Often the difference between having a pleasant experience and an unpleasant experience is only a few grams. Establish your own level. It is better to err on the side of caution.

Although many of these herbs have the same, or greater, effect than many of the illegal recreational drugs currently available on the black market, they are completely legal in Canada. However, buy now, as these herbs are too much fun for the authorities to allow us free access. (Big Brother knows best!) I expect they will eventually enact legislation classing them as illegal drugs, as has been already done in the State of Louisiana and the state of Missouri, In the United States.

Some of the herbs we carry in our on-line store and at our store location are:

1) Blue Lotus from Egypt. During WWII, in the North African campaign against Romel's Nazi troops, British doctors lacked sufficient morphine to treat their wounded soldiers. Locals recommended that an extract of Blue Lotus be used. Reportedly, the Blue Lotus worked as well as morphine. The herb is powerful enough on its own that an extract does not need to be made to enjoy its recreational potential. If you grind it and soak it overnight in high proof Jamaican rum and then drink the rum, you will achieve an effect not unlike a mild form of Ecstasy or a strong strain of cannabis. Other uses include grinding and mixing with cannabis. The Blue Lotus smokes nicely and extends the cannabis buzz. Both the Mayan and Egyptian civilizations valued this herb and frequently painted it in hieroglyphics or in stone carvings. King Tut's coffin was, non-coincidentally, filled with Blue Lotus flowers. The herb also has a history of recreational and ritual use in India.

2) Dream Herb (Calea Zacatechichi) from Mexico. This is used by Chontal Indians while they sleep. The herb causes vivid dreams that are easily remembered. Chontal shamans then interpret their dreams. This is one of our most popular herbs.

3) Hawaii Baby Woodrose from Hawaii. These contain a natural form of LSD. Some people who take them suffer from nausea. The nausea passes quickly - then it is all good. There are techniques to reduce the side effect of nausea. Baby Woodrose contains several times greater concentration of active ingredient than the Morning Glory, which has been used in Mexico from ancient times to modern times by the indigenous people. Rural descendents of the Aztecs still grow and consume this herb and use it both recreationally and ritually.

4) Intoxicating Mint from Turkistan. Do not expect a mint tea taste from this herb. It taste awful; however, when boiled down it does live up to its name.

5) Kratom from Thailand. This herb is harvested from a relative of the coffee tree. The 60 foot high Kratom tree grows in the rainforest located in a very small geographic area of Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia. Being found in possession of this herb in Thailand may get you the death penalty. Everywhere else in the world it is completely legal. It is expensive as the exporters are based in Thailand and are risking their lives. The effect is absolutely identical to opium. I know - I've experienced both, as you can see in my photo album. The herb also has medical uses as a herbal analogue to methadone. In Thailand, Kratom is often used to wean opium addicts from their habit. It may be useful to those addicted to oxycontins and percocets - the most frequently abused prescription drugs in Canada today.

6) Sinchuchi from Mexico. This herb has been commemorated in Aztec statuary as one of the psychoactive herbs which were highly valued by that civilization. The other herbs commemorated by the Aztec includes, Salvia, Morning Glory, Cactus and Mushrooms. Mushrooms seem to have been their favorite, as evidenced in frequent statuary and in the construction of a massive pyramid temple to honour the 'mushroom' God.

7) Lion's Tail from South Africa. It is also called Wild Dagga (Dagga is the Africana word for Marijuana). The Hottentot tribal people seek out the flowers of this herb to smoke as a from of relaxation. This is a very mild equivalent to Cannabis. We sell the petals of the Lion's Tail flower. It is best used to mix with other herbal smoking materials to promote an even burn and provide a nice complementary flavour, much like some use tobacco. Do not purchase this with the idea that it is comparable to Marijuana in effect. It is very mild.

8) Yerba Mate from Argentina. This is like coffee or green tea but is much more healthier for you. It contains a stimulant related to caffeine. Like coffee but better. I drink it everyday. It is great! It has a side effect of being an appetite suppressor. This is likely the reason why you seldom see an overweight person on the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Yerba Mate is the national drink of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

9) Yohimbe from Congo. Natural Viagra. One capsule for $1. This is like speed, like an amphetamine. Unfortunately, like speed, it also produces some anxiety and nervousness - like drinking a hundred cups of coffee in a gulp. The other very noteworthy side effect is that it produces repeated erections and stimulates the libido of both men and women. Take one capsule in the morning and do not expect to sleep until the next day. It will keep you "up" all night.

10) Salvia Divinorum from Mexico. This herb is in a class by itself. The plant is very interesting. The plant has three characteristics that make it very unusual: 1) It grows natively in only one location on the planet - the Maltec Indian Nation territory in the Sierra Madre mountains, outside of Oaxaca, Mexico; 2) the plant is a "cultigen". A cultigen is a rare type of plant which is dependent on human aid for reproduction. A cultigen will not reproduce naturally; 3) finally, Salvia has a square stem. How many plants do you know of with a square stem? Perhaps, non-coincidentally, visions gained from using this plant often have a square geometric background. The Maltec Indians have been growing this plant in their secret gardens for perhaps a thousand years or more. The herb was introduced to the West in the late 1960s by a former Wall Street Investment banker turned amateur Ethnobotanist. He was in the Sierra Madres looking for psychdelic mushrooms. The Maltec shared some mushrooms with him and then introduced him to Salvia. The Maltec call the herb ska Maria (the Shepardess). When ska Maria is taken visions of a female deity are common. There is no illegal substance to compare it to. The experience is unique. When you smoke Salvia extract you will have an out of body experience for 5 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, you will have a positive afterglow that last for several hours. Reportedly, the herb has some very beneficial side effects as a treatment to counter acute depression. The raw leaves will do little but provide a brief smile when smoked. Recently, there has been much reportage concerning this herb. Currently, Salvia is outlawed in Italy, Denmark, Australia. As the herb becomes more widely known and popular, it can be expected that Canadian prohibitionist will add Salvia to the current lengthy list of outlaw herbs.

11) Ayahuasca is the name of a tea that is made from boiling two plants. The consumption of Ayahuasca tea is the centrepiece ritual of two rapidly growing religions in Brazil: San Domino and Uno Vegetal. San Domino is a syncratic blend of Catholicism and Native Shamanism. Uno Vegetal (Union of the Plants) is a very interesting religion based in Brazil, which chapters in the United States and Europe. The religion blends Animism, Native Shamanism and spirituality. In the United States, the President of the American chapter of Uno Vegetal, one of the Canadian members of the ultra rich Brofman clan, funded a successful court challenge against the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The US Superior Court upheld the right of Uno Vegetal to use psychoactive substances, namely Ayahuasca tea in their ceremonies. This is the first case to permit the religious use of psychoactive substances in religious ceremonies since the North American Indian Church of Western Canada and the United States won the right to use Peyote. Petite Amsterdam is seeking to eventually establish a chapter of Uno Vegetal in Canada.

Traditionally, Ayahuasca is used by Indians inhabiting the Amazon basin. There is also evidence to show that it has also been used by Incan and pre-Incan civilizations. The tea is a brew containing at least two plants. One plant contains DMT. DMT has been called 'the Spirit Molecule' due to the fact that people who take DMT invariably have a spiritual experience. DMT occurs widely in plants native and widespread in Canada. In fact, half a kilometre from the store, there is a vacant lot with enough DMT containing plants to give at least a 1000 people an 'experience'. All of these DMT plants could all be consumed by one person and they would not feel anything. Why? Because DMT is destroyed in our stomach by MAO enzymes. Aboriginals solved this pharmacological problem at least a thousand years ago. They put a second plant into the brew. Its role is to suspend function of the MAO enzyme in the human gut. This allows the DMT to do its magic. Clever eh?

Check the links above for information about the herb. Then come by and visit us in person or check out our internet on-line store. All of our herbs, with the exception of Salvia, Yerba Mate and Lion's Tail, are packaged and sold in individual doses. As you can see, our prices are fantastic!