I have some Rustica plants growing And would like to make some healing medicines out of it, rather than the cancer inducing bad karma tobacco people usually smoke. I do not smoke or use tobacco any more but have in the past( years and years ago), so I recognize that there is a considerable risk connected to this plant. But I also belive that it is a usefully plant in psychedelic healing and ritual work, and may indeed hold healing powers comparable with its potential lethal aspect.

So do any of you know how the south American shamans prepare different remedies from it. snuffs, pasts, tea/nasal wash and smoking/incense tobacco?
I have been trying to chew a quid of the raw leaf and find it works but If I have some ritual work to do out of its growing season here I need to preserve it and its essence. so any thing better than slow drying it?

One of the methods usually preffered by Amazonian shamans is actually to make an infusion for snuffing. This is made by soaking the leaves in acidic water, then evaporating some of the water. The remaining goo can be snorted, and the leaves are often used more than one time.

Some also simply pulverize dry leaves and snort them (or rather blow them) into the nose. When drying Mapacho, you should leave them in the shade until they reach a consistency similar to leather. Good luck!

cure and store the leaf like you would fine herb, then when you are ready to use it the nice essence will be preserved
basically yes, slow dry in cool dark space, store in air tight jars

as for use other than smoking...?

Check the old mapacho thread for a mapacho snus recipe by yours truly

Thanks for the advise

1992 why bakingsoda? what does it do?

As for nasal snuf I aktualy enjoy that but it does not give much of a nicotin dose. but it clears the nose nicely, for a short wile. but I have only ewer tryed that with dryed comersial tobbaco, the rustica tobbaco migth give it a new kikk.

I have some other herbs I plan to mix in to a few sigars (blunts) for those spesial rituals during the fall/vinter. Mainly scutelaria laterifolia, leonorus leonotis, Eschscholzia californica, cannabis sativa and perhaps some opium gras from my garden. migt be some nice smoke in such a mix ?

Absolutely, if you keep the amount of mapacho low. The smoke is kinda harsh!

The baking soda helps soften up the cell walls and works to free base the nicotine. You'll get effects from sucking/chewing on plain leaf but using the baking soda definitely makes it more efficient. Its the same principles that apply to coca chew

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The baking soda helps soften up the cell walls and works to free base the nicotine. You'll get effects from sucking/chewing on plain leaf but using the baking soda definitely makes it more efficient. Its the same principles that apply to coca chew[/quote]


Thanks for this info, I tried this the other day and it was allot better than the plain leaf. and this snus is also very different to the commercial product. Were I live few people smoke but many use snus, But I have always found it to be to strong and nauseating. the test batch I made was very nice both taste and effect. I used one dried leaf mixed it with baking soda, Cinnamon and used some drops of homemade mead to moisten it. this made about two doses. The effect was rather psychedelic in some sense, but I must admit to have vaporised some nice herb beforehand. but the snus made me feel like I was floating. very nice