Experimenting

To understand the purpose of this hub you would have to read my hub Synthetic Weed (currently banned from HubPages). Writing it inspired me to experiment with a variety of herbs particularly those used in herbal smoking blends. To my knowledge, all the herbs used in these blends are safe, although there are some herbs that are harmful and toxic to the human body, but many have extraordinary qualities and medicinal uses and have been used by a variety of cultures for thousands of years.

Slowly the products I ordered are arriving giving me the opportunity to experiment at a slow pace. I ordered from different companies depending on price, reviews, and reports of the quality. The JWH-018 compound arrived last so I was able to experiment with all the herbs before adding the synthetic compound. I just ordered my JWH-018 from Mountain Industries. They seem to have the best quality and ratings. You do not want to buy from a poor source or unknown source.

Salvia - I was so excited... I was so ready to try it, and I was so disappointed when I did. I rolled it into a joint (which later I read is the worst way to smoke it)... nothing happened. So I decided to grind the entire bag into powder (in my dad's coffee grinder).

I just smoked a few bowls of freshly grounded powder, and I feel pretty intoxicated. I added a little weed in the mix, but not enough to make a difference. I rate smoking it a pretty good but weird buzz, but look forward to researching how to make my own extract, tea, or tincture. I cannot forget that I have babybean coming, and it is supposed to quadruple the effects of salvia. I rolled a blunt mixed with weed, peppermint (for flavor), and powered salvia. Didn't work well at first... ran bad. The last half of the blunt smoked nice. I still did not achieve the desired effects I was looking for.

Remember: I ordered the leaves... NOT EXTRACT. Companies make the extract much more potent, but from smoking enough of the powdered leaves I personally didn't like the salvia experience. I did make a tincture, and I have mixed it with orange juice but no effects to my satisfaction. I really don't trust how companies make their own extracts after doing my research.

Peppermint - I brewed some peppermint tea, and it tasted really good with a few teaspoons of sugar.

Rock Blooms - I was really hoping this product would give me some visionary experience (like advertised), but I felt little to nothing at all. One article I read stated orange juice may activate an important ingredient in Rock Blooms. Sorry, but that didn't work either.

Baybean - The leaves were very dry. Remember I only bought this as a potentiator for salvia. I did not notice much of a difference, if any at all.

Blue Lily - The smoke was nice and mellow. I smoked two bowls. It made me feel... disappointed.

Wild Dagga - I smoked this with the Blue Lily to enhance any effects, but I was not satisfied. It leaves a horrible after taste.

Red Clover - It has arrived, but I do not plan to try adding it to any herbs at this time. I may make some tea with it and add peppermint for flavoring.

The baybean and red clover smoke well rolled as cigarettes. The smoke didn't taste bad and wasn't too harsh. But WHY smoke baybean and red clover? I guess because it is what I'm going to use to spray my JWH-018 on.

I tried to make tea out of a powdered blend of salvia, blue lily, rock blooms, baybean, and peppermint, but the tea was gross... even undrinkable (I am still waiting on my tea infuser). I even added a lot of sugar... needed honey and probably could have just tried blue lily (will wait on tea infuser to make individual teas).

I can definitely conclude that what I smoked from the head shop was mixed with the JWH-018 compound.

These herbs alone do very little to nothing at all for a regular cannabis user.

Well I just couldn't wait around with all these herbs and disappointment, so I decided to go ahead and order the JWH-018 compound... I just couldn't wait till next month. It will arrive in 4 days.

JWH-018 (1 gram - $40) - an analgesic compound (fine white powered substance) developed by Dr. John W. Huffman that produces effects very similar to that of THC. Users may experience more of an intense effect than that of cannabis. JWH-018 or herbal blends containing the compound are becoming illegal in some countries and in some parts of the United States. Many people are smoking JWH-018 because it is currently legal, and they can pass drug tests, although, little has been researched about JWH-018 and the negative affects it can have on a person's body.

I bought a 5th of everclear and mixed about 400 ml with my blended herds (all except peppermint), including salvia to make a tincture. I have been shaking it every few hours, and I will do this for 1 -2 weeks.  It has been two weeks, and the tincture is totally gross.  I can't bear to drink it with anything because of a overpowering dirt taste.  I do not know if any flavor can save this stuff.

After trying all the herbs, I decided to mix bay bean and red clover for my herbal blend. It blended to a pretty green and reddish color. Few stems and of course you have no seeds.

One HUGE advantage to making your own herbal smoke is

YOU KNOW WHAT'S IN IT!!

Facts about Bay Bean:

• Bay Bean is a vine found in tropical and subtropical beach dunes throughout Mexico and parts of South America.
• It is considered sacred by South Americans and ancient cultures of the Gulf Coast.
  
• It is know to be potentially psychoactive.
• Bay Bean is a known to be a strong potentiator for other herbs (like marijuana).

Facts about Red Clover:

• Red clover is a perennial herb that commonly grows wild in meadows throughout Europe and Asia and has now been naturalized to grow in North America.
• It has also been used medicinally to treat a number of conditions such as cancer, whooping cough, respiratory problems, and skin inflammations
• Red clover is a source of many nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.
• It has been found to be helpful in quitting smoking.

I've gone a whole day smoking nothing but my own herbal blend, and I am baked. I just put a joint out, and what blows my mind the most is that this is completely legal. LEGAL FOLKS! Do not get me wrong there are negative and positive impacts involved here, and if your thinking about feeling stoned... this stuff will do it. I do not condone this over smoking marijuana. This is NOT the safe alternative. WHY? Simple because we know little about the compound, and it's man made. Although there ARE benefits, it's legal in most states (for now).... and just because it's legal does not make it safe.

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA!

My friend wanted to try my blend, and she was stated that she was high... she claims she even got lost in a gas station, but she is just as concerned as I am about the safety of this relatively new legal  drug.  I'm satisfied for now smoking my blend.  I actually enjoy the high.  I am very creative and inspired after smoking it.  I will be finishing a hub that I started last night within a couple of hours called The History of Drugs.  This whole experience inspired me to piece it together.

I've been smoking my blend regularly.  I've noticed no negative side effects yet.  I actually drank a little in some orange juice and slept like a baby.  I noticed that every time I smoke it I think of a new hub or begin editing a new or recent one.  I'm still NOT pro-JWH-018.  I believe it gives more of a reason the prohibition of marijuana should end.

Its been two weeks, and I've gotten 3 people STONED off my herbal blend. It is all I've been smoking, besides a bowl of real bud every few days. The highs compared between JWH-018 and marijuana are exactly the same with a few exceptions. There maybe a more addictive quality to JWH-018; I smoke several joints a day... the buzz only seems to last 30 to 45 minutes. Your eyes do get blood shot, it does affect short term memory like marijuana. I do not notice the munchies, but there are other reports on the internet that people do.

I plan to purchase another gram of JWH-018 as well as another synthetic cannabinoid called JWH-250. I will purchase more Bay Bean and Red Clover. I plan to mix 3/4 of a gram of JWH-018 with 350 ml of everclear and do the same with the JWH-250. This will make my blends a little more potent. I will be able to save the liquid mixture to combine with tobacco, my herbs, and put in a drink. I also plan to combine the JWH-018 with the JWH-250. There are several other synthetic cannabinoids, but besides JWH-018... JWH-250 and JWH-073 seem to be the most popular. Some studies suggests JWH-250 is safer than JWH-018.

Be sure to come back in a few weeks for more updating!

My final conclusion after my research and experimenting is that if marijuana were legal we would not have people trying these alternative legal highs. If you have to pass a piss test, and you still want to get high, buy an herbal blend with JWH-018 in it or purchase some online, along with some herbs and make your own herbal blend. Just remember, even though this stuff is legal for now, it is NOT a safe alternative to smoking marijuana. Marijuana is a natural plant with many medicinal purposes. JWH-018 is a synthetic compound with little known about it's short and long term effects on the human body.

Be careful! Stay green!