Herbs from the Smartshop - Naturally High, Relaxed and Happy

Euphoric feelings from a few leaves... How is that possible? Nature is full of herbs that have a certain effect on our state of mind. The herbs in the smartshop are therefore specially selected to make you feel good. Whether you want to get high, be relaxed or just feel full of energy. In this article we will take a quick look at the unknown runners in the smartshop: welcome to the world of psychoactive herbs.

Legal Drugs

Not all "drugs" are prohibited. In nature, literally thousands of plants and fungi grow and flourish that have a certain effect on our body or state of mind. If a herb or herbal extract has a relaxing, psychedelic or uplifting effect, you can be sure that you can buy it at the smart shop. Provided it is legal, of course.

It's pretty crazy: herbs are actually only called drugs when they become illegal. For shamans and natives, this must be extraordinary to say the least. Imagine, from one day to the other, a police team from another country breaks down your front door and makes your life difficult because you drink coffee all the time. Even worse, you also pour that stimulating brown goo for your neighbours, family and friends. This absurd example has happened in several places in the world. Well, with plant extracts other than coffee.

Psilocybin

A great example is the magic mushrooms from Oaxaca, a state in Mexico. Now you might say: "yes, of course magic mushrooms are forbidden". But it hasn't always been that way. In Mexico, but also in countries such as the United States, Colombia, South Africa and Thailand, there are still people who honour the traditions of their ancestors. Even in modern times, the indigenous Mazatec people of Oaxaca ritually consume a portion of magic mushrooms. They do not do this to party or to see pretty colours, but among other things to give difficulties in life a place. They have been doing this for over 2000 years. But since colonial times, the colonists have looked at such traditions with a sceptical eye. The Mexican government has inherited this perspective, with the result that this tradition is now restricted. Only under strict conditions may the Mazatec still use their sacred natural product. It did not help that a Western scientist made magic mushrooms known to the general public, causing hordes of people to flock to Oaxaca to experience it for themselves. Magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, a psychedelic substance that makes us hallucinate, among other things. This appealed to us in the 1960s.

Kratom

An example from the other side of the world. In Southeast Asia, the leaves of the kratom tree have been chewed since the dawn of time. In low doses, kratom has an energizing and pain-relieving effect. Ideal for physical work, they thought. However, the Thai and recently also the Indonesian government were not happy with the natural product. They thought that such a drug was unacceptable. Also abroad it might get difficult with Kratom. Kratom is one of the biggest export products of Indonesia. The price per kilogram is higher than for palm oil or rubber and 95% of all kratom worldwide comes from Indonesia. The sale and export of kratom is now threatened to be banned in Indonesia, but as long as kratom remains legal in The Netherlands, we will do our best to continue selling kratom.

 No more going to the "local" shaman, but preparing herbs at home?

Smart shop

Herbs and other natural products with a specific effect can be bought in the smartshop. Call them herbs, drugs or smart drugs; these plants all have a special effect on our bodies. Fortunately, new types of plants are still being discovered, which means that no day is ever the same at the smartshop. After all, it is not the first time that something is suddenly prohibited. In 2008 this happened with ready-made mushrooms. Now you can only grow magic mushrooms yourself or get the same experience with fresh magic truffles that also contain psilocybin. However, the smartshop contains so much more. Therefore, in the rest of this article we will focus on herbs that you may never have heard of. Or maybe you did not know that there is a certain effect hidden behind a "harmless" herb that you got as a child in the fried rice.

Types of herbs

At the smartshop, we roughly divide herbs into a number of categories. 

Medicinal herbs

We are not allowed to say too much about medicinal herbs, except for those that we have been using for hundreds of years. Lavender essential oil, for example, has an antiseptic and analgesic effect. That is why it is used for inflammations, wounds and bruises. Lavender also stimulates the production of serotonin. This neurotransmitter plays an important role in the regulation of emotions, mood and sleep. Other herbs have completely different applications. Lemon balm, for instance, helps the digestion and eucalyptus essential oil clears the airways and can help you concentrate better.

Psychedelic Drugs

Perhaps the main domain of the smartshop. Herbs and plant extracts that mainly influence perception are called psychedelic drugs. M?orning glory and hawaiian baby woodrose, for example, contain LSA: a substance that in its effect resembles LSD-light. DMT plants are also popular. DMT is a powerful hallucinogenic, but does not work by simply eating it. Which is good, because it is found in an enormous number of plants, animals and even in our own bodies. DMT is therefore taken in combination with a so-called MAO-inhibitor. The best known combination of the two are chacruna and caapi: the main ingredients in ayahuasca. Mescaline (peyote) and salvia are also strong psychedelics, but you might already know these. Never heard of them? Then read these blogs!

• Microdosing Part 4 - LSA Seeds: The Natural LSD?
• Microdosing Part 2: Ayahuasca Microdosing, is that possible?
• Mescaline Cacti - How do you use Peyote and San Pedro?
• Salvia Divinorum - Your Questions about tripping on Salvia Answered

Then there are herbs that you perhaps didn't know are secretly psychedelic drugs. Take passionflower, blue lotus and Mexican tarragon, for example. Although the effects are hardly comparable to LSD or magic mushrooms in terms of intensity, a high dose of these herbs can give you a gentle psychedelic experience.

Energy Pills and Stimulating Drugs

This is the party and festival department, but also the one to get through the day. Stimulant drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine are not only prohibited, they are also highly addictive. They can also be adulterated with substances that you really don't want to put in your body, which can make them dangerous. So look for an alternative! The most obvious alternative to stimulants is perhaps caffeine. But in the smartshop we are not talking about a cup of coffee, but about the serious stuff. Guarana contains much more caffeine than the coffee bean. That is why it is one of the main ingredients in many energy drinks. 

Interestingly, tea also contains caffeine. Although we officially call this theine, the substance is basically the same. A strong mug of green tea can actually give more energy than a cup of coffee. What makes green tea special is that it is rich in l-theanine. This substance balances the agitated feeling that green tea can give. That is why this combination is often found in natural energy pills, assisted by the stimulating effects of ginseng. That's why you can find green tea in the smart shop. To be used in the vaporizer, or of course to make tea from.

Cola nut also contains caffeine and is known as the secret ingredient of the first Coca-Cola. The fruit repels the feeling of hunger, suppresses sleep and sharpens thought processes. Calamus should also be mentioned, as the powder in higher doses can produce effects similar to a light dose of XTC. It gives you energy, you experience euphoric feelings and you feel more connected to others. Kratom capsules containing only the active ingredient mitragynine can also give you an enormous energy boost. With these herbs you will easily make it to the end of the party.

Relaxing herbs

Although weed is perhaps the most well-known relaxing herb in our shop, there are plenty of relaxing herbs that can take the edge off. We've already mentioned kratom and lavender, but skullcap, wild lettuce and kanna are also worth trying. Valerian soothes the nerves, while mulungu is exceptionally nice before bedtime. Speaking of sleeping, a very special line of relaxing herbs are our dream herbs. Curious about the effectiveness of our various dream herbs? Read the dream herb test!

Sit back and relax with pink lotus. The soothing effects of this water plant are highly appreciated by customers who want to doze off. You can also experience a slight euphoria and it has narcotic qualities. It is also used with calea (Mexican dream herb) to induce very visual dreams. You can disguise the bitter taste of calea by mixing it with a cup-a-soup. Salt is the best way to mask bitterness, while the sweetness of honey or sugar does not work as well.

Herbal tea or Vaporizer

All these herbs can be used to make herbal tea. It is important to look at the form. Cut leaves for instance are easier to keep in a tea infuser than a powder. Powders do not always dissolve completely in your tea. This is not always a disadvantage, because if you drink that too, you will consume more of the herbs!

Hallucinogenic Tea

Magic truffle or magic mushroom tea is one of the most popular ways of tripping. Hallucinogenic tea is quite easy to make. All you need is hot water and magic truffles or magic mushrooms. Let the water cool down a little bit, because too high temperatures will cause the active ingredients to be destroyed. Cut the magic mushrooms or magic truffles into small pieces. The smaller the better. Let them dissolve for a while. You can also combine the trippy tea with a nice flavour. Try our very matching tea with lion’s mane and green tea. Lion’s mane is a mushroom used as a nootropic. It is said to improve memory and focus and in combination with psilocybin it is used very often. Read about the Stamets Stack in this article.

Some herbs are excellent to use in the vaporizer. With this you can vaporize the volatile substances that are often in essential oils. If you vaporize lavender, for example, linalool is released. Each herb has its own specific vaporization temperature. Use this handy chart to see which temperature is best to use for your vaporizer herbs, as well as for weed.

Getting high on Nutmeg and Oregano?

Your mom's kitchen cabinet or kitchen rack may contain a number of herbs that can also get you high. Let's take a look at what you can achieve with herbs such as nutmeg and oregano and whether that's a good idea.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg contains a substance called myristicin. This substance has a similar effect to mescaline from cacti such as San Pedro and peyote. Both have an effect on the neurotransmitter norepinephrine and therefore the central nervous system. You then become dizzy, nauseous and have hallucinations.

Yet the comparison ends here. For while mescaline from these cacti is quite safe, myristicin from nutmeg is not. Too much nutmeg can lead to a stroke, dysregulated digestion or damage to the heart and blood vessels. These kinds of unpleasant side effects can occur with as little as 2 teaspoons. So don't do it.

Oregano

Smoking oregano to get high is a myth. This myth probably originated with scammers who sell oregano as weed. Well, weed does get you high, but smoking oregano only gives you a nasty cough and lung damage. There is no evidence that it can get you high. So keep it in the Italian meal!

St. John’s wort

St. John's wort or Saint John’s wort can be smoked, or better yet, used in the vaporizer. It can improve your mood, as the compounds hypericin and hyperforin may increase the substances serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain. By the way, the research on its effects is slim, so that's why you should take it with a grain of salt. 

For some people, St. John's wort is very dangerous. St. John's wort has a known effect on medications. For example, it can reduce the effect of birth control pills. Also, definitely do not use it in combination with antidepressants or certain other medications. Consult with your doctor and read the medication package leaflet before you want to use herbs alongside your regular medications. We do not recommend taking St. John's wort if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.