Salvia Divinorum: Still Legal
December 14th, 2006 by Alex
Looks like another hard-hitting investigation has been wrapped up by a local Orlando, Florida news team. Man those action news reporters are so on the ball!
This time, Local 6 brought their trusty hidden cameras and walked straight into a headshop and *gasp* bought some Salvia Divinorum. How in the hell do they get away with this stuff? Oh yea, it’s completely legal.
Although outlawed in many parts of Europe and 5 states in the US, this drug is relatively harmless. Its effects last for about 3-5 minutes, but you really only get 2 minutes of peak effects. It takes multiple lighters at once or a butane torch to heat the S. Divinorum up enough to release the active chemical, so don’t try using matches.
So what does it actually feel like? Let’s ask a tFS staffer:
After about 2 seconds you get this light-headed euphoric sensation and it feels like you’re getting pulled through a tunnel. You get serious ass tunnel vision. After about 1 - 2 minutes, it’s over. Oh yeah, and it tastes like shit.
That pretty much sums it up. I have no idea how the article by Local 6 is considered news, but at least I get to make fun of it.
[via Local 6]
The Worst Hemp Diet Experiment Ever
December 7th, 2006 by Alex
Usually, I have nothing but positive things to say about articles relating to counter-culture. Unless they involve people who get arrested for extremely stupid reasons, but that’s allowed right? This time, unfortunately, it’s a little different.
I came across an article in a UK-based publication that covers the topic of a hemp diet. The author, in hoping to prove or disprove that hemp is the next superfood, does nothing but eat hemp products for an entire week. Man, what a ground-breaking idea.
Let’s check out one of her intro paragraphs:
Convinced that hemp could be “the future”, and assured that I couldn’t get high or overdose on it, I decided to see how many different ways I could fit this new green superfood into my diet during a normal working week.
First of all, hemp isn’t new. It was a staple crop cultivated by the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Second, hemp contains a chemical called CBD (cannabidiol) that actually blocks the effects of THC in the body, so in essence, one could call hemp ‘the anti-marijuana.’ Anyone could eat it until they puked and absolutely nothing would happen to or alter their mental state. The stomach, on the other hand, probably might not feel so hot…
So, now that our intrepid author is ready to take on the challenge of eating nothing but hemp-related products, she keeps a detailed journal of her meals. No prices, no availability info, no supposed benefit breakdowns – just some tidbits on taste and cooking techniques, yippee!
After that, she treats us to some unbelievably insightful conclusions:
I could be imagining it, but after a few weeks of keeping going with some of the foods, I’m sure I feel more alert and my nails definitely look healthier.
Seriously, that’s it? I mean, other than the flavor of some hemp products, this is the entire wealth of information drawn out of a week-long experiment? Screw that.
There’s an extended version of this feature in the Guardian’s printed edition, but I’ve seen more than enough to know this article is just a trumped up fad piece with absolutely no valuable information whatsoever. No thank you.
[via Guardian Unlimited]
