Mullein #
| Binomial / Botanical Name | Verbascum Thapsus |
| Street Names | Mullein |
| Major Active Compound | Unknown |
| Indigenous Source | Europe; North Africa; Asia |
| Form | Shredded Leaves |
| RoA | Oral / Smoking |
| Personal Rating On Shulgin Scale | +** |
SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE #
It took me a while to convince myself that this was psychoactive, but citations from serious Internet sites finally persuaded me that there might well be something to it, even though this is likely to be mild. For example:
“The whole Mullein plant possesses slightly sedative and narcotic properties.” ~ altnature.com
Mullein is commonly sold as tea, but on occasion it is also claimed that it is smokable. For example, smokable.com states that:
“Mullein is mildly relaxing, helps to promote calm feelings, and fights against anxiety. Typically mullein is added to smoking blends to reduce harshness. It burns slowly and steadily, with thick plumes of white smoke that’s soothing to the throat.”
I will be testing both routes, starting with the tea, but I will confess upfront that my sample has been lying in a drawer for some years, so could hardly be described as fresh.
At about 2pm on a sunny afternoon I brew approximately 5g in my usual teapot.
It has a sort of tangy-peppermint odour to it but as I sip the taste is rather muted and relatively bland. It is by no means unpleasant, with what I would describe as a slightly mouldy aftertaste. There are possibly antiseptic-like nasal tones in there too.
Perhaps the process itself helps but as I sit, sip and stroll around I do sense a tiny degree of sedation, or perhaps what could be better described as relaxation. We are still in potential placebo territory but I am quite comfortable.
Twenty minutes into the exercise sedation does probably become a better word. This is extremely mild but it does appear to be active, as I feel more chilled and calmer than I did earlier. There is indeed something to it, as a sort of anxiolytic headiness is in play.
Within an hour or two the intensity has waned, although I remain generally calm.
A week or so later I decided to embark upon the smoking experiment.
At about 4:15pm I load a bong with a large pinch and take a few decent tokes. The first is a little harsh (bear in mind that I don’t smoke tobacco) but the rest are quite easy to inhale.
A gentle soothing headiness has emerged as I sit and contemplate. Again, this is nothing to write home about, relatively, but it is there and it is quite pleasant.
About 15 minutes in, my general disposition and mood is still noticeably altered, and the general calmness remains.
After half an hour or so, it is fair to say that some of the heady feeling has dissipated. It is still active but is now more of a background post-trip-type sedation than an active ride. These embers gradually fade over subsequent hours.
As with the tea, I didn’t have the best night’s sleep, although this could easily be coincidence.
Mullein delivered more than I had expected. It is probably another one for which expectation will have consequence: expect a lot and you will be disappointed; expect little and you may be pleasantly surprised. I fell into the latter category.