Ginger, pepper, cinnamon

[Aopocetx]

I saw ginger and pepper mentioned as having psychoactive effects and heard of cinnamon doing the same. Can someone explain the effects, if any, of these substances if taken at a high dose?

 

[funkee]

I'm aware of nutmeg having psychoactive properties (though very unpleasant), but I'm not aware of the combination you speak of. Sounds like another smoking banana myth to me.

 

[VerbalTruist]

If you consider getting sick and vomitting for a number of hours to be "psychoactive" then go for... Ginger does have a calming quality, good for motion sickness, but otherwise it is not psychoactive...

 

[bigmac74]

http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal157.shtml

^^ Shulgin talking about the essential amphetamines.

Ctrl + F, ginger or pepper or cinnamon, you'll find some info there.

 

[TheSanityAssassin]

So maybe I'm reading it wrong, but what I get is that it would be possible for someone to synthesize MDA by extracting the safrole from sassafras oil, and then adding ammonia to it? I don't know anything beyond high school chemistry, and what I've read on the net, but that doesn't seem like it'd be incredibly complicated.

 

[Jamshyd]

So maybe I'm reading it wrong, but what I get is that it would be possible for someone to synthesize MDA by extracting the safrole from sassafras oil, and then adding ammonia to it? I don't know anything beyond high school chemistry, and what I've read on the net, but that doesn't seem like it'd be incredibly complicated.

Haha, no.

Shulgin is, I believe, refering to the amine group. "Adding Ammonia" is not literally pouring cleaning ammonia on your sass. oil.

 

[phase_dancer]

In pihkal # 157, Shulgin refers to the 10 essential amphetamines as they relate the propylene and allyl benzene components in various ten essential oils, spices, herbs etc. The relationship is due to the supposed formation of the amine in-vivo by the production of ammonia in the liver. Enzymes do the hard work of condensing the two.

In a usual synthesis of MDXX, "attaching" the amine not only requires a catalyst, but in most cases safrole must first be manipulated into another form, often the ketone. There are a couple of approaches from isosafrole, there's a synth that uses mercuric acetate, safrole, and amine to produce MDMA, and another that uses piperonal and ammonia to produce MDA, but the second route uses a highly toxic mercuric compound and the later is known to be a dirty route, producing several synth markers impurities (side reaction products). All these routes require a catalyst to reduce the formed imine (or azide).

There's lots of routes to MDMA, but nothing as simple as your question suggests.

 

[TheSanityAssassin]

I thought it sounded way too easy.

 

[redeemer]

I know black pepper contains piperine which can be used to make MDMA. I'm not sure if it's active by itself though.

 

[evlove]

Eat a couple jalapeño peppers and you will understand that it will change how you feel.

I know Andrew Weil wrote about the endorphin buzz you could get from peppers in the marriage of the sun and the moon

it also written about in Psyche delicacies

Here's the best article I could find quickly

http://www.erowid.org/plants/capsicum/capsicum_article1.shtml

I think most people know about these sensations and simply choose not to take them for recreational purposes or at least not often. It is certainly not tradionally psychedelic. Perhaps as psychoactive as chocolate.

Same with ginger, but perhaps it is even more subtle.

I did come across this article which I thought was interesting:

http://ethnopharmacology.com/fungi/index.html

The male initiation cult of the Bimin-Kuskusmin is the vehicle for both storing and transmitting the essence of their cultural lore. It is a hierarchical organisation comprising twelve successive stages of initiation, a deeper level of esoteric knowledge being imparted at each one. The elders of the highest degrees have themselves passed through each of the initiatory ordeals of the lower ranks. Although a considerable number of psychoactive plants are used in Bimin-Kuskusmin ritual life, three types of substance are central to the workings of the cult: ginger, tobacco and hallucinogenic mushrooms. All three are sacred and are ritually tended to by sacrificing marsupials and rodents at the place of their growth. Both women and children are forbidden to approach these sacred substances. The first ten degrees represent the complete cycle of male initiation, whilst the eleventh and twelfth are the junior and senior grades of a ritual elder. Novices belonging to the first three grades are given ginger which, although it is not normally considered to be a psychoactive plant, does cause visual and auditory hallucinogens when taken (as it is among the Bimin-Kuskusmin) after fasting and whilst in a state of great expectation and fear. Initiates of the next six stages smoke sacred tobacco whilst the mushrooms are only used by those in the highest three grades. Thus, each successive stage involves taking a more potent psychoactive substance. Whilst an individual is allowed to use the sacred substance appropriate to his grade (or that of any lower grade) on no account is he permitted to try those of higher levels. During the states of trance induced by each of the substances the initiate is said to travel out of his body and, with the help of a guardian ancestor spirit, visit the ancestral world. If he makes this difficult journey successfully then he will gain the sacred knowledge appropriate to one of his station.

 

[indelibleface]

Honestly, the synthesis isn't that difficult for someone who's had some courses in organic chemistry and also is willing to shell out at least a thousand dollars in equipment and precursors. The real problem is probably tracking down everything you would possibly need in a finite amount of time.

 

[Aopocetx]

I did come across this article which I thought was interesting:

http://ethnopharmacology.com/fungi/index.html

That is interesting. Do you know where I can find more information on that? I did a few quick searches on google but couldn't find any concrete info.

 

[phase_dancer]

Honestly, the synthesis isn't that difficult for someone who's had some courses in organic chemistry and also is willing to shell out at least a thousand dollars in equipment and precursors.

I assume you mean MDMA from standard precursors etc. Well, if so, then no, such a synthesis would not be that difficult, but certainly not as simple as adding ammonia tro safrole.

The real problem is probably tracking down everything you would possibly need in a finite amount of time

The hardest part might be to avoid attracting attention before all the necessary items are gathered.


Piperine can produce piperonal but there are quite a few steps involved and expected max. yields are poor. Some facts;

* The reported max level of piperine in black pepper - 10%
* Isolation of piperine requires several steps
* Additional reactions and separations required to produce piperonal
* As 1 mole of piperine makes 1 mole of piperonal, yield of piperonal (theoretical max) = 52.6% of extracted piperine

And then there's the need for the appropriate chemicals required to lengthen the alkyl chain. For the common routes, these are either very difficult to obtain, and /or are very toxic, or are difficult to handle.

 

[Morninggloryseed]

Anyone have a clue as to the components of peprika? I have seen it (alone with nutmeg) listed in some official US list of psychoactive plants. I will have to look in my notes to see exactly where I found it, as it was years ago.

 

[Aopocetx]

Anyone have a clue as to the components of peprika? I have seen it (alone with nutmeg) listed in some official US list of psychoactive plants. I will have to look in my notes to see exactly where I found it, as it was years ago.

If you find this list, can you come back and post a link (assuming it's on the internet)?

 

[Morninggloryseed]

No, this was well over a decade ago. I thought I might have had a xerox copy, but I don't.

It was something I saw in a huge reference book in my high school library. I do not remember even what it was, but can assure the source was reliable and peprika is listed as a 'hallucinogen' alone with nutmeg in some list by some agency in the US govt. I know, not very helpful.

 

[yaesutom]

I ordered some capsaicin nasal spray online and gotta say, the shit works great..

First time I used it I squirted a lil TOO much... ouch...!

But its good for colds, allergies, clears out your nose..headaches.

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

What kind of sadistic pigfucker makes a capsaicin nasal spray? jesus, sounds like more of a DIY mace spray to me.