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This amazing herb looks like a combination of a dandelion and a thistle. For thousands of years this herb has been used as a sedative and pain reliever. In the 19th century this herb was used as a substitute for classic opium and people therefore began to nickname it “the poor man’s opium”. Native Americans smoked this herb to achieve a euphoric dream.
Poisonous Lettuce
We present to you an interesting little plant called Locika jedovatá, or “wild lettuce”. Even today this plant is used as a mild narcotic in France.
You don’t have to be afraid of the name of this plant.
Despite being labeled as “poisonous”, this is not meant literally. In English it is called wild lettuce, which better describes its character.
The plant with the toxic sap has a smooth liquid that contains a limited amount of sedatives that help relieve pain. When this liquid is collected and dried, it is called lactucarium.
Its main active constituents are lactupicrin, lactucin and lactucopicrin, which are described as pain-relieving and narcotic-like.
Iranian scientists found that this herb was an excellent pain remedy in pre-Victorian times.
As early as the 19th century it was confirmed that this plant has very similar effects to opium, but without the side effects.
Despite not containing opium, it has several comparable impacts. Aside from the mentioned pain relief, it also helps with colds and coughs. It even proved to be very effective in the treatment of whooping cough.
Uses
This plant is very effective in treating many health problems that are widespread today.
Anxiety: Thanks to its compounds it has been shown to be very effective in reducing anxiety.
Sleep disorders: This herb is used as a remedy for insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Stress: It is sometimes called opium because it has comparable effects to opium. Besides reducing suffering, it also affects the mind and soothes nervous tension.
Headaches and migraine: This herb is taken to reduce the recurrence and intensity of headaches.
Asthma: The compounds contained in this plant can alleviate asthma symptoms.
Euphoria: The main reason many individuals use this herb is its sedative effect.
Warning
Consuming too large an amount of this plant can cause nausea, instability and dizziness.
Therefore it is better to always combine this herb with salad only in small amounts.
Usage
When you break the stems of this plant, a thick white milk-like fluid appears. From this fluid you can make an alcoholic tincture or dry it into a powder.
You can also make a tincture by steeping whole leaves and flowers in spirits.
Leaves and flowers can also be dried and tea can be made later.
When using the milky fluid, it contains about 1.5 g (1/3 teaspoon) per water, juice or tea.
It is also possible to smoke the herb. For this, 0.25 grams of dried herb is sufficient. When smoked its effect is most notable, but there are also risks from smoke inhalation similar to typical smoking.
