From: [d--e] at [unislc.slc.unisys.com] (Dale Clark) Subject: MORNING GLORY SEEDS Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1993 14:56:33 -0600 (MDT) ---------------------------------- MORNING GLORY SEEDS ---------------------------------- GENERAL INFO ------------ Ipomea. Mexican scammony (root); Orizaba jalap root. Dried root of Ipomoea orizabensis Ledenois, Convolvulaceae. Active constituent is the resin. Yields not less than 15% total ipomea resins. Different from Ipomoea violacea variety. Convolculaceae and Ipomoea rubrocoerulea variety praecox, morning-glory, ololiuqui, which contain ergot alkaloids. Occurrence of lysergic acid derivatives and of ergolines in Ipomea was described by A. Hofmann in 1960. STRUCTURE --------- ----- / \\ | | HOOC \\ // \----- ----- ----- / \\ / \ / \NH | | | | \ / \ /--------- --N-- ----- | CH3 LD-50 ---- There are no references to the LD-50 of morning glory seeds. ACTIONS ------- LSD is a synthetic, or manmade, drug. But there are also natural sources of lysergic acid. These substances, called ergot alkaloids, can be found in certain members of the Convolvulaceae, or morning-glory family, notably Rivea corymbosa and Ipomoea violacea. Both species are cultivated in several horticultural varieties, all of which contain various forms of lysergic acid, which is only 5 to 10% as potent as LSD. In order to achieve the hallucinatory effects comparable to those produced by 200 to 300 micrograms of LSD - an experience which may last 4 to 14 hours - one must ingest 100 to 300 seeds. Morning glory seeds can be ground and brewed as a tea, but they are generally ingested by being chewed or swallowed whole. The morning-glory species Rivea corymbosa is what the Aztecs called oloiuqui and used in their religious rituals. This and other species of morning glories have been used by Mexican Indians for centuries. The hallucinations caused by the seeds are used by these tribes to foretell future events and to diagnose and treat various illnesses. American drug users became interested in morning-glory seeds in the 1960s, when scientific journals published articles relating them to LSD. However, use of the seeds as a recreational drug has been discouraged by commercial seed producers, who treat the seeds with a poisonous coating that cannot be removed by washing and can cause unpleasant side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. Extremely high doses of the seeds can cause psychotic reactions, heart failure, and shock. The poisonous coating can by by-passed, of course, by simply planting the seeds and then recovering new seeds from the plants. Ololiuqui is a hallucinogenic drug obtained from the black and brown seeds of the Morning Glory plant, which grows in Central America and South America. It contains five closely related compounds that have properties similar to LSD. In addition to chewing, the seeds can be ground into a powder, soaked in water, strained, and then the liquid consumed. Physical effects are intense and include nausea, vomiting, headaches, increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, and sleepiness. Distortion of perception, hallucinations, psychotic reactions, and confusion may appear. Flashbacks have been known to occur, but they are rare. Despite its unpleasant effects, this drug is used because it induces mild euphoria and hallucinogenic experiences - and also, if it is the only thing available, a drug user may decide to take it.