Jimson Weed
Pronunciation:JIM-sn weed
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:8063-18-1
Formal Names:Datura,Datura stramonium
Informal Names:Angel Tulip, Devil’s Apple, Devil’s Trumpet, Green Dragon,
Jamestown Weed, Locoweed, Mad Apple, Malpitte, Nightshade, Peru Apple,
Sacred Datura, Stinkweed, Stinkwort, Thorn Apple
Type:Hallucinogen.Seepage 25
Federal Schedule Listing:Unlisted
USA Availability:Uncontrolled natural product
Pregnancy Category:None
Uses.This bad-smelling plant grows around the world in temperate and
subtropical climates and thrives without cultivation. Jimson weed can cause
hallucinations and has been a component of witches’ potions and shaman
experiences. Archaeological evidence exists for prehistoric spiritual use in
North America, and accounts exist of such usage by native peoples into the
twentieth century. Jimson weed is biologically related to several food plants
including potato, pepper, eggplant, and tomato. Someone was able to graft a
tomato plant onto jimson weed, with the resulting fruit so potent that con-
sumers were hospitalized; one account described the incident as apparently
“the first known instance of hallucinogenic tomatoes.”
Effects are similar to those ofbelladonna. Drugs found in jimson weed
leaves, flowers, and seeds include atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine,
which are often called “belladonna alkaloids.” Folk medicine preparations
from jimson weed flowers are put on bruises, wounds, or insect bites to di-
minish discomfort; leaves and roots are used in a similar way and also to treat
boils. A drink from the plant is given to help people endure the pain of setting
broken bones. Inhaling jimson weed smoke is a traditional remedy for asthma,
sore breathing, or coughing. Vapor from boiling the substance is used for the
same purposes. Scientific measurement has confirmed that jimson weed smoke
improves airway function of asthmatics. The natural product is also a treat-
ment against cramps, eye inflammation, and feverish infection. The plant has
been used as an aphrodisiac.
Drawbacks.Jimson weed has anticholinergic actions, meaning it can change
heartbeat, affect eyesight (including extreme and prolonged dilation of pupils),