It is now common knowledge that tobacco smoke contains in addition to nicotine various beta carbolines:

Tobacco smoke contains the monoamine oxidase inhibitors harman, norharman,[23] anabasine, anatabine, and nornicotine. These compounds significantly decrease MAO activity in smokers.[23][24] MAO enzymes break down monoaminergic neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. It is thought that the powerful interaction between the MAOI's and the nicotine is responsible for most of the addictive properties of tobacco smoking.[25] The addition of five minor tobacco alkaloids increases nicotine-induced hyperactivity, sensitization and intravenous self-administration in rats.[26]



How would we go about making a total alkaloid extract of tobacco such that we have a smokable residue of psychoactives?

Peace and love folks

First you would soak the leaves, preferable from Nicotiana Rustica, in water for 3 days to get ~80% of the nicotine extracted, which I would discard.

Then I'd run the extracted leaves through bubble bags the same way you would to make hash. Someone recently PM'd me and taught me this. I think it would work great.

I wouldn't use normal tobacco, or Rustica that hasn't been water extracted first. Too much nicotine is...blegh. Nicotine extracts can also be dangerous because they are active transdermally in minute quantities. May want to wear gloves.

Thanks. Do you know of anyone that has previously extracted mapacho/tobacco?

Also do you have any idea how else to specifically target the alpha-7 nAchR aside from tobacco? Ultimately I'm looking for a means to enhance sensory gating in the brain. One of the driving reasons behind a smoker's desire to smoke lies in tobacco's ability to enhance sensory gating: distinguishing noise stimuli from useful ones. IIRC this has something to do with fast rate dopaminergic burst activity and the nAchRs: some kind of deficit in acetylcholine transmission drives one to smoke. Any help would be greatly appreciated

This is actually kind of dangerous. Keep in mind nicotine is transdermally active and can kill.

..the harmalas may be created in the smoke after pyrolytic reaction, and not be in the fresh plant..in which case you would need re-condensed smoke residue..
also, second the above post by InMotion..deadly levels of nicotine can be absorbed through the skin..
Adults - The mean lethal dose has been estimated to be 30 to 60 mg (0.5-1.0 mg/kg) (Gosselin, 1988 ).
Children - The lethal dose is considered to be about 10 mg of nicotine (Arena, 1974).

Thank you for the responses. Could rustica's psychedelic effects arise from hyperactivation of nAChRs followed by strong desensisation?

..no data handy but N. rustica has a i think has greater diversity of alkaloids than N. tabacum, and is higher in nor-nicotine (anabasine) which has different effects to nicotine, but is also higher in nicotine..get back to you
.