Damiana (Turnera Diffusa):
Native to Mexico and the south of the United States, Damiana is aromatic shrub from the Passionflower family with a long history of use in medicine. Its leaves and stems are used to treat various ailments, as well as often being used as an aphrodisiac. Common ways of ingesting Damiana include salves, making alcoholic beverages (damiana liqour has been claimed to be the original margarita liqour), seeping as a tea or smoking. Nowadays, Damiana is one of the more well known herbs with pleasant smoking characteristics among people searching for healthier and tastier alternatives to tobacco. Due to its visual similarity to cannabis, it has also been used as a base for synthetic cannibinoids.
Damiana contains a wide variety of active components which have not yet all been identified. Some of the medicinal qualities have been ascribed to the chemicals Apagenin and Acacetin. Apagenin is a known anxiolytic, meaning it reducing anxiety and stress. One of the effects of Acacetin is inhibition of aromatase enzymes, which can reduce chances of breast cancer and other estrogen-related issues.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874114000658
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887410800500X
Egyptian Blue Lotus (Nymphaea Caerulea):
Said to be one of the oldest known party drugs, the Egyptian Blue Lotus has been used for its euphoric properties since the ancient Egyptians, who adorned murals and scripts with depictions of the flower and people drinking its wine. It has been used as a medicine as well as an aphrodisiac, and can be of help to people suffering from Parkinson's disease and erectile dysfunction. It is most commonly used by seeping in tea or wine, but it also is known to be a enjoyable herb to vape or smoke.
The main active compounds are Apomorphine and Nuciferine. Contrary to what the name suggests, Apomorphine is not related to moprhine and other opioids. It can however produce a noticeable euphoria and a cerebral 'high'. Pure apomorphine is used in treatment of Parkinson's disease among other uses. Like Apomorphine, Nuciferine is active on the dopamine system, though its effects are somewhat disputed. It is used in western medicine as a treatment for erectile dyfunction and liver related problems in diabetic patients.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4253981
https://academic.oup.com/milmed/advance-article/doi/10.1093/milmed/usab328/6338457?login=true
Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus):
Mullein (Nederlands: Kaarsjeskruid) is a weedy plant originally found in Europe, northern Africa and Asia, but can now be found in all continents (except the poles). This hairy plant can grow up to 2 meters tall and has been used as a medicine as well as for torches and dyes for many centuries, with first mentions of its use coming from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Greek doctors already recommended smoking it as a treatment to lung issues, and it is today still used for its throat-soothing properties.
Mullein contains a wide range of active chemicals, and it gets its throat-soothing qualities from the presence of Mucilage. This is a gooey substance produced by many plants for various purposes such as storage of nutrients and water and the thickening of membranes. The benefits of Mucilage combined with a very smooth and flavourful smoke have made it a very enjoyable herb to smoke. Other compounds include various flavonoids and saponins, which have been shown to have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1077.6317&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Scullcap (Scutellaria Lateriflora):
Scullcap is a species of herb from the mint family with varieties growing throughout the temperate regions of the world. However, Scutellaria Lateriflora is native only to North America, where it has a history of medicinal use by the Native American tribes. It is mostly used as sedative and sleeping aid, most commonly by seeping as a tea or concentrated in a tincture. Like many plants in the mint family, it also has pleasant (smooth, flavourful) smoking characteristics.
The main active components are a variety of flavonoids with effects on GABA and benzodiazepin recpetors, causing sedation and reduction in brain activity (relaxation). This can feel somewhat like a light 'stoned' effect, though much more subtle than the effects of cannabis.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711304702767
Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita):
The well known herb from the Sunflower family Chamomile is native to Europe and now is found all over the world. The first mentions of it being used as a medicine date back to the ancient Greeks and Romans and there is evidence that suggest German tribes using it before they had developed written language. The flower is packed with essential oils and other compounds giving it a wide array of medicinal properties, such as anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic and treatment of stomach problems. It is most commonly drank as a tea, though it has been made into poultices, pills, tinctures and everything else imaginable. The flowers are also pleasurable to smoke, with a smooth and aromatic smoke.
Chamomile contains over 100 potentially medicinal compounds, most of which are found in the essential oils of the flower. Like Damiana, Chamomile contains the anxiolytic flavonoid Apigenin, which reduces anxiety and stress. Another example is the terpene Bisabolol, which has anti-inflammatory effects.
Marshmallow (Althaea Officinalis):
Whereas everyone has heard of the Marshmallow candy, not many people know that its name comes from a plant that used originally used to make the candy since ancient Egyptian times. It has also been used for the same amount of time (or perhaps longer) for its medicinal qualities. Especially the roots of the plant contain high levels of medicinal compounds, with a similar profile as found in Mullein. It ismost often used as a tea, as an ingredient in cough syrup or concentrated in pills. Due to its throat soothing properties and smooth smoke, it is also well suited for smoking.
Like Mullein, Marshmallow root contains high levels of Mucilage, which has soothing and healing properties for the throat. It has been shown to create a thin protective layer over the mucus membranes, protecting them from damage while reducing irritations and improving healing. Marshmallow also contains various flavonoids with an array of medicinal qualities such as anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.00290/full
