What happens if you drink sassafras oil?
The safrole in sassafras root bark and oil can cause cancer and liver damage. Consuming just 5 mL of sassafras oil can kill an adult. Sassafras can cause sweating and hot flashes. High amounts can cause vomiting, high blood pressure, hallucinations, and other severe side effects.
Is sassafras oil legal?
As a result of the carcinogenicity of safrole, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibited the use of safrole or sassafras oil in food, which resulted in the cessation of its use as the principal flavoring ingredient in root beer.
Is sassafras a stimulant?
The drug known as sassafras is essentially methylenedioxyamphetamine – or MDA, a stimulant and hallucinogenic substance that has been used to create what is described as a smooth or gentle high.
Is safrole a controlled substance?
It is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess or distribute safrole, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, the safrole will be used to manufacture MDMA. The Drug Enforcement Administration thanks you for your cooperation in this matter.
How do I extract safrole?
Safrole can be obtained through natural extraction from Sassafras albidum and Ocotea cymbarum. Sassafras oil for example is obtained by steam distillation of the root bark of the sassafras tree. The resulting steam distilled product contains about 90% safrole by weight.
What does sassafras drug taste like?
It should be strained through a coffee filter to remove solids, then sweetened to taste. You’ll find that sassafras tea tastes an awful lot like root beer. There’s a reason for that. Sassafras was a common ingredient in root beer and other sodas until 1960, when the FDA banned it in commercial food and drugs.
Is sassafras a narcotic?
Sassafras is a common nickname for a recreational drug called methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). It has both hallucinogenic and stimulant effects, which makes it similar to MDMA (also known as ecstasy or molly). As a Schedule I controlled substance, sassafras poses serious health risks, including overdose.
Where can I get safrole?
How do you extract sassafras oil?
Sassafras oil for example is obtained by steam distillation of the root bark of the sassafras tree. The resulting steam distilled product contains about 90% safrole by weight. The oil is dried by mixing it with a small amount of anhydrous calcium chloride.
What is safrole oil used for?
Safrole is found in oils of camphor and saffras. It has been used medicinally as a counterirritant and for parasitic infections. It is also a listed carcinogen and cannot be used as a fragrance ingredient.
Where can I find safrole?
Safrole can be found in anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. Safrole can be detected in undiluted liquid beverages and pharmaceutical preparations by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Why is safrole illegal?
Well, sassafras and sarsaparilla both contain safrole, a compound recently banned by the FDA due to its carcinogenic effects. Safrole was found to contribute to liver cancer in rats when given in high doses, and thus it and sassafras or sarsaparilla-containing products were banned.
What drug is sassafras used for?
Safrole is also a precursor for MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine) and MDMA (Ecstasy). In one 2015 drug lab raid, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police seized 1500 kg of sassafras oil. News media reported that those 1500 kg could ultimately be converted into 4.2 million tablets of MDMA .
Is sassafras in Barq’s root beer?
The flavor of Barq’s differed from other root beers on the market, as it used sarsaparilla instead of sassafras and incorporated more caffeine and less sugar than other brands, giving it a bit of a “bite.” Over the years, the drink grew in popularity and was ultimately acquired by Coca-Cola in 1995.
Is sassafras oil illegal in the United States?
There is a compound in sassafras oil called safrole, which is a known carcinogen. The FDA set a ban on sassafrass oil back in the 1960s. However, extracts from the roots of the plant are still legal as long as they do not contain safrole.
Why is sassafras oil illegal?
Sassafras oil and safrole have been banned for use as a drug and as flavors and food additives by the FDA because of their carcinogenic potential. However, their use and sale persist throughout the US.
What is Sassafras and is it safe?
Sassafras is a plant. The root bark is used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, people use sassafras for many conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. In beverages and candy, sassafras was used in the past to flavor root beer. It was also used as a tea.
Is Sassafras a hard or soft wood?
Sassafras wood is classified as a domestic hardwood lumber that is located throughout the eastern United States. The sapwood is light yellow and narrow; the heartwood is orange to dark brown, occasionally with orange swirls about ¼ to ½ inch in diameter. The wood is ring porous, making the growth rings very distinct.