Legislators in many states have passed laws limiting access to cold remedies and model glue -- will bans on the purchase of seeds for ornamental plants be next?

After all, one type of seed is becoming popular again in the never-endig quest by foliks to get a buzz on.

They have such whimsical names as heavenly blue, crimson rambler and pearly gates, and delicate blooms that crawl quickly up trellises.

But when morning glory seeds aren't planted -- when they are instead ingested -- whimsical thoughts can crawl through altered minds with kaleidoscope-like visions.

And teenagers know this.

Once popular in the hippie era of the 1960s, morning glory seeds as a hallucinogen seem to have sprouted once again. Local gardening shops have noticed their seed stocks depleted by adolescent hands, and poison control centers in the District and its suburbs have received calls from hospitals with patients experiencing adverse reactions, or bad trips, from the seeds.

"They are certainly being used," said Chris Holstege, a doctor who runs Virginia's Blue Ridge Poison Center. "Kids are getting brighter. Between the Internet and magazines like High Times, they are learning about this."

Just a few weeks ago, he said, a mother called the center after finding seed packets in her teenage son's bedroom. She wanted to know what they were used for, Holstege said. A more serious call came from hospital emergency officials who needed to know how to treat an 18-year-old who had taken the seeds along with an antidepressant and cough syrup. His heart rate spiked to 150, his body went rigid and his mind reeled with hallucinations.

"These kids have a misconception that it's natural, that it's more safe" than other drugs, Holstege said. "They are not. It alters your perception, and that puts you at risk."

The seeds have an effect similar to LSD,according to the article.

I guess this also means that I have one more thing to look for as a teacher -- and that anyone wanting to start a gardening club is now a suspected drug user.

Posted by: Greg at 10:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 347 words, total size 2 kb.