Ethnobotanicals Coleus: is it active?

[Anonymous Dissident]

This plant is one that I've always been intrigued by, but I've never been able to get any definitive, non-placebo effects from it. I know people who are experienced with many kinds of psychoactive compounds that swear that they get mild relaxant effects with a hint of psychedelia, especially in the visual sense.

I've tried quidding fresh leaves (of several varieties), smoking dry leaves, making it into a tea, and EtOH extraction of it, and as mentioned above, never achieved undeniable effects.

I am very interested to hear if anyone has utilized this plant with any efficacy, and if so, what was the preparation that worked for you. I figured I would ask BL before writing it off entirely; remember Salvia Divinorum was thought to be a placebo for a while prior to salvinorins being detected and described.

Thoughts anyone??

 

[JackARoe]

Years ago I had a friend that owned a landscaping company and nursery. That was where I got the bulk of my Puruvian Torch chips back then, they closed the nursery and he had a bunch of cactus I kept in there that he tended too. He also had rows and rows of Coleus too. I had read about Coleus from a book from the 70's called Recreational Drugs. This book made me aware of everything from lettuce opium to Scotch Broom, even Hydrangea. Anyway whenever he had to cut back the Coleus he wou;d call me to come down if I wanted to. I would take the fresh picked leaves and eat down like 20-40. (gross and bitter as I held them in my mouth and swished them) Now take this for what it is worth. I did that about 9 times because I swear I did feel effects like a mild mushroom trip. Other times I could not tell. Yet when I could not tell one time I went motor biking on dirt tracks. Not the best way to feel a subtle drug.

I still to this day say that it worked and is psychoactive, enough to believe the dark purple leaves are the most potent. But another part of my is not sure if it was placebo, although one time I for sure had a mild trip going, unless I talked myself into it.

I would like to know too. About a 100 years from now we wil have discovered a whole bunch more of Mother Nature's goodies. I also remember the buzz that oxycoone was found in an orchid and methamphetamine in another plant. Both those "rumors" fizzled. I think they were saying tramadol at one point too. I never hear anything about that anymore and wonder just how true those stories were.

But Coleus is documented somewhere (would have to find the notes) to have been a mushroom substitute in Mexico when mushrooms and Salvia were not found I believe. Don't hold me to those facts , my memory is fuzzy. But a lot of us seem to already have heard something about Coleus.

Thanks AD for trying and even putting up a post. I have always wondered if I was the only guy that tried. I would like to see something come of Coleus

 

[Skorpio]

Tried chewing maybe 7 or 8 times but never achieved effects beyond placebo

 

[negrogesic]

I think they were suspected to contain clerodane diterpenes like salvinorin so perhaps smoking is the best route?

I always thought it was generally thought to be inactive however.

 

[Anonymous Dissident]

I wonder if a different extraction designed to extract diturpines specifically would be more effective than a simple EtOH extraction. Smoking the simple EtOH extract was useless, but it also stayed very sticky for a long time and I never was able to smoke large quantities of the extract at a higher temperature than for smoking cannabis, like I did with salvia divinorum could be more effective. My breakthroughs on salvia divinorum always involved smoking large quantities of high potency extract (30-50x) in rapid succession with a torch lighter at as high a temperature as possible. Might be worth considering if I get really bored over the winter.

Before that though, I'm going to research the phytochemical composition to see it there are specific, promising compounds to target by extraction. I'll post in this thread if I find anything of note about its chemical makeup.

If anyone has been able to both create and repeat successful experiences with coleus, I'd really love to hear about them!! I'm also interested in preparations that were unsuccessful as well.

 

[ConstantCuriosity]

One thing I've yet to see discussed is the use of Coleus Blumei roots - everyone quids or smokes the leaves. In the related coleus forskohlii the roots contain the most active compounds (at least they are the part of the plant most used in medicine) - maybe this is true of blumei as well?

 

[Anonymous Dissident]

One thing I've yet to see discussed is the use of Coleus Blumei roots - everyone quids or smokes the leaves. In the related coleus forskohlii the roots contain the most active compounds (at least they are the part of the plant most used in medicine) - maybe this is true of blumei as well?

That definitely deserves exploration. I've tried the foliage, but for some reason I never tried the roots. I've never seen a report on the root use. Good call!

 

[ConstantCuriosity]

Relevant to research is the Plectranthus genus (which encompasses what used to be called Coleus): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7478123_Plectranthus_A_review_of_ethnobotanical_uses
My feeling is that many of these plants could have value when tested in a preparation similar to S.D. (roots, roots+leaves, tincture, smoked at high temperatures, quidded).