Inventory of the history of a "new" psychoactive plant
In 2004 I found out by a "random" bioassay that the orchid Dendrobium nobile (grape orchid) or a similar breed of this species has psychoactive properties. I have verified this in detail and then, in April 2005, published corresponding articles in various magazines. Today, 13 years later, preparations made from Dendrobium nobile (extract) are even distributed by smartshops as "strong intoxicating" products, eg from the Dutch smartshop Azarius as "Dance-E Happy Cap". An inventory of the short history of this "new" psychoactive plant.
Dendrobium nobile was completely unknown to ethnopharmacology as a psychoactivum until my discovery in 2004 - the plant has not been investigated pharmacologically or chemically adequately to date (apart from previous ingredient analyzes). The only known application of Dendrobium nobile comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - but of course it was not or is not smoked there. Future research would have to uncover the details of this plant and its pharmacology, which is why I warn against overly euphoric use. Let's take a look at the history of the discovery of this psychoactive orchid.
The Beginning
The genus Dendrobium from the family Orchidaceae (Orchid Family) contains about 1500 species. Their home is Asia and Australia, where they grow epiphytic on other plants. From this genus we are interested in the species Dendrobium nobile and their closest relatives, as these - and this was a series of self-experiments according to the Heffter technique - clearly able to induce psychoactive effects. Caution: The species discussed must not be confused with the Dendrobium race of Phalaenopseen.
The whole plant contains terpene alkaloids and other ingredients, eg nobilin, nobilomethylene and nobilonin (DUKE 1992). With Nobilin, Dendrobium nobile contains the first alkaloid ever extracted from an orchid. It was discovered in 1932 by Japanese scientists. Dendrobium nobile played a major role in the alkaloid research of orchids.
Dendrobium nobile is one of the few orchids that is rich in alkaloids and used in traditional Chinese medicine. The species is cultivated as a medicinal plant in China. The drug, Herba Dendrobii, has been enjoyed for centuries by Taoist priests and the "Chinese elite" as an infusion drink Chin Shih Hu, sometimes daily. Both the whole plant and dried stems are used (single dose 6 to 15 grams). Dendrobium nobile is used as a tonic, antiphlogistic (anti-inflammatory drug), antitussive, saliva-inhibiting agent (among other things in the field of cancer), stomach and fever, it also stimulates the appetite. Dangers and side effects are not known.
The related species Dendrobium monielforme Kranzl., Dendrobium loddigesii Rolfe., Dendrobium candidum Wall. ex Lindl., Dendrobium chrysanthum Wall., Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo and Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook. var. oculatum hook. are also used in Chinese ethnomedicine.
Dried petals and leaves of Dendrobium nobile can be smoked. This is a circumstance which I discovered more or less by accident. A fallen and already dry flower caused me to put this into a (previously unused) whistle and smoke it out of sheer interest.
The flowers have a slight yet characteristic taste of orange peel - one could assume a nexus to the signature (in this case the orange petals).
Within fifteen minutes, there is a state of intoxication that is very similar to smoked hemp. (I may add that the various plants touted as cannabis substitutes - eg Leonotis leonurus (lion's ear), Nymphaea (water lily) and others - could never convince me.) The perception of the outside world and one's own state of mind are significantly changed. so it is sometimes difficult to locate objects that are directly in front of the eye of the intoxicated), the oral mucosa become dry, and it enters a state of exceptionally strong intoxication with subsequent physical heaviness, depending on the dosage, from mild to severe tiredness accompanied. The head tends to fall forward with the chin on the chest, and the eyes experience a transfigured dreamer's look, So a blurred vision. In addition, the Dendrobium effect accompanies an immense feeling of hunger, which on the one hand is also typical of hemp, on the other hand, has long been used within the TCM (but not in smoked form). After about half an hour, the symptoms disappear again completely. Optically, a dendrobium intoxicant is also typical. In some phases, the consumer looks as if he had enjoyed a dose of hemp (small and slightly reddish eyes), but sometimes as if he had amphetamine in the body (big eyes and pupils). If we did not know better, I would suggest that the plant contains cannabinoids and sympathomimetic compounds or analogues. However, it is noticeable that the content of active substance obviously varies greatly from plant to plant. For example, flowers of one dendrobium produce the described states of intoxication, whereas the same specimens of the same species do not appear to induce any effects. There is still a lot of room for future research. About the psychotropic effects of Dendrobium nobile is so far nothing known and published.
As far as the facts, as they represented 2004/2005.
The continuation
In 2014, ten years after my discovery of the psychoactivity of Dendrobium nobile, I then published my research on Youtube in my format Drug Education Agency (DEA) (episode 49), whereupon the psychonautical community started experimenting. On the one hand, this resulted in the plant being picked up as "Legal High" by Smartshops, and on the other hand, the finding that similar plants also induce psychoactive effects. Nevertheless, one should CAREFULLY exercise caution, since there is no knowledge about the pharmacology of smoked Dendrobium nobile.
Taxonomic classification
Although I had inquired exactly in 2004 about the taxonomic classification of the plant - I had bought the orchid in a garden market as Dendrobium nobile - corrected in the orchid art savvy readers in 2014 the species. An orchid friend noticed that the plant pictured was not a pure Dendrobium nobile, but the Stardust breed. The reader briefed me on the known ornamental plant species:
D. Stardust = D. unicum x D. ukon
D. Ukon = D. moniliforme x D. thwaitesiae
D. Thwaitesiae = D. ainsworthii x D. wiganiae
D. Wiganiae = D nobile x D. signatum
D. Ainsworthii = D. heterocarpum x D. nobile (Source: markusberger.info/blog/dendrobium-nobile/ )
Another reader, orchid breeder Marko (without surname), then corrected:
"I'm an orchid grower (not just a cultivator) and I'm getting more and more requests for pure Dendrobium nobile. Now I know why ... The flowers shown are of a Dendrobium nobile hybrid (in this case not "Stardust", but "Firebird"), but all commercially available plants have only small amounts of nobile in them. "(Ibid .)
Meanwhile, psychedelic underground experiments have shown that other hybrids sold as Dendrobium nobiles cause the psychoactive effects of being smoked or taken orally.
Testimonials from users
The quotes are taken from the forum
www.salvia-community.net (all citations on markusberger.info/blog/dendrobium-nobile/ ) and partly aligned orthographically:
"I read the article on Dendrobium nobile on Psychotropicon a few weeks ago;
As an enthusiastic hobby gardener (...) I once went into the greenhouse and have gone through everything on existing orchids. And lo and behold - three Dendrobium nobile. Yesterday I plucked a few (6) half withered leaves (not even flowers!) And just dried on a heating cable at about 30 ? C.
I have just shredded three of them with a "spice mill" and snorkeled them through the good flower vase. Made pretty much 2 heads. Both are gone now (about 20 minutes). And I'm really excited about it. So far, nothing has struck so much in the beginning (in terms of all sorts of other, as "cannabis-like" advertised herbs). I really like the effect. I have a heavy, slightly oppressive feeling on my face and, above all, around my eyes, and feel quite elated and easy going (and that's not "normal" - I've just come home from work). So more like a HIGH, not like a STONED - except for the facial feeling. "
"Have 2 flowers dried and smoked (before 5-10min). Effect is definitely there! "
"I recently tried Dendrobium nobile orally. I started with a very low dosage, since cannabinoids are difficult to estimate orally from experience. I took 0.3 g of dried flower material, chewed it well and washed it down with water. After about 15 minutes, there was an effect, which is really similar to cannabis, even the pulse became a bit stronger, stronger than when smoking. Overall, it also has a distinctly oral stimulating effect. (...) The effect was gone after 45 minutes, because the dosage was very low. "
"The only orchid I have is a D. nobile. What a coincidence! I once started a bioassay and smoked half of the last two dried flowers on the plant in a pipe. After 5 minutes there is really a pretty strong, cannabis-like effect. I think it does not affect short-term memory that much. But really amazing! "
"Vaporization works too. I evaporated at 180 ? C and from the other half blossom a similar strong effect as yesterday. It may well be that there is more possible. "
"Earlier I tried Dendrobium nobile. I have divided 0.5 g of dried flowers on 2 bong heads and smoked deeply and quickly in a row. My first impression: positively surprised!
The drug has (...) an affinity to the cannabinoid receptors, there is no doubt, and much more so than the other herbs that have been offered as a cannabis alternative. "
"On Thursday I tested the combination Dendrobium nobile + nicotine. Not bad. As expected, the desired bodyload also started. Although it does not come to the potent cannabinoids ran, but it was quite Cannabinoidtypisch all noticeable. It's not mature yet, but we're getting closer to a banned smoking mixture.
(...) Cannabinoids + 10-15 henbane seeds gives a demonic-mystical thoughtflash. "
"Half a blossom was already a good dose for me. 180 mg of dried stem actually already too much. "
"As far as I can tell so far, Dendrobium nobile is reasonably compatible. I did not feel any physical side effects. "
"I think this plant in the current state of knowledge for a lot of promising, but difficult to assess. We do not even know what effects and side effects are possible, let alone which substance is responsible for the effect (...). "
"At least you can say that Dendrobium is apparently psychoactive in all parts of the plant. If there are flowers and stems, you can assume that they are the leaves as well. And 100 mg is already a clue. "
"I have a plant from the same cultivar DN in any case and, if the same genetics as mine, highly potent!"
"The DN mixture is gentle, soft-flowing, yet clearly cannabinoid-like."
"I can report that the scion is very potent."
"From my own experience I can say that the leaves are definitely effective. If I take one and burn it in the pipe, I am sufficiently served. "
"Yes, leaves are definitely also potent. I have already tested both, leaves and flowers. The potency is about the same. "
"What I can definitely say is that it works on the cannabinoid receptors (...). The effect is exactly the same as that of cannabis and incense, but much milder. "
"... some varieties of the current Happy Caps contain a DN extract. For example in the White Party-E. "
Safer Use
An important safer use hint came from the already cited orchid breeder Marko: "If you come to the funnel to order them in Asia, you should know that there are hardly any real nobile there either. Besides, I really can not recommend anything that comes from Asian greenhouses without putting on gloves, let alone smoking or taking anything else. Especially in China and Taiwan, where the crops are mainly located, hammering is used to produce crop protection in unbelievable concentrations. These funds are banned by us for a good reason. In addition, antibiotics are used in rough amounts. So please, for the sake of your health, buy some of the hybrids available in all stores in Germany and let them stay with you for at least half a year, before you consume it. The plants come almost exclusively from three Dutch companies, which operate solely because of the now everywhere carried out controls largely non-toxic / less toxic plant protection. Nevertheless, you should still wait until any funds used have diminished. Finally, their approval was not given for consumption by inhalation. Before use, the surface should also be thoroughly washed in order to remove any pesticides that have been applied against snails. to remove their] residues. "( Nevertheless, you should still wait until any funds used have diminished. Finally, their approval was not given for consumption by inhalation. Before use, the surface should also be thoroughly washed in order to remove any pesticides that have been applied against snails. to remove their] residues. "( Nevertheless, you should still wait until any funds used have diminished. Finally, their approval was not given for consumption by inhalation. Before use, the surface should also be thoroughly washed in order to remove any pesticides that have been applied against snails. to remove their] residues. "(markusberger.info/blog/dendrobium-nobile/ )
