Due to recent discussions around a campfire, I decided to do a little research about "the green fairy".
Absinthe originated in northern Switzerland, but was made famous by those dirty French* during the 19th century. Originally thought to be a hallucinogen, this has been disproved through scientific studies starting in the 1970s.
Absinthe got a bad rap due to piss-poor research done by Dr. Valentin Magnan. Magnan believed absinthe was degenerating the French population and let this skew his research results. He studied 250 alcoholics and found that those who drank absinthe had seizures and hallucinations. Turns out, Magnan didn't check these people for narcotics use. The hallucinations have since been debunked.
The ingredient that seems to be the culprit is thujone which is found in wormwood. Originally thought to be in the same family as THC (just like in marijuana, for you squares), thujone just causes seizures and no hallucinations.
Viktor Oliva - Absinthe Drinker
Absinthe was legalized in the U.S. in 2007 as long as it's "thujone-free". Thujone-free equals 10ppm or fewer. For the record, you can buy absinthe in the U.S., but not ship it in from other countries.
Verdict: Absinthe is a legal liquor that has no hallucinogenic effects.
*I don't actually have anything against the French, I just like to talk shit about other people.
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