CALAMUS

 Chapter: Entheogens

AKA: Acorus calamus, flag root, grass myrtle, myrtle flag, rat root, sweet calomel, sweet cinnamon, sweet flag, sweet grass, sweet myrtle, sweet root, sweet rush, vacha.

Effects: Stimulates, energizes, and in high enough doses, produces a psychedelic effect similar to LSD. It contains the substance asarone, which is similar to mescaline and amphetamines, but may not create the feeling of tension that amphetamines do. It is used by some to treat such ailments as asthma, bronchitis, diarrhea, fever, hangover, headache, and toothache. According to James A. Duke, Ph.D., the root can kill lice when ground into a powder and applied to the infected area.

Precautions: It may cause vomiting in high doses. The plant is very similar in appearance to the highly poisonous blue flag. The calamus leaves give off a sweet smell when scratched and the roots have a pleasing aroma and sharp taste; blue flag does not give off any smell, and the roots have a bitter, unpleasant taste. The various species native to India, Europe, and North America may each have very different pharmacological properties.

MAO inhibitors should not be taken less than a week before or a week after taking calamus.

Dosage: An initial dose should be a 2-inch length of root the thickness of a pencil, which can either be chewed or brewed in a tea. This will produce stimulation and euphoria. A 10-inch length is said to produce mild LSD-like hallucinations. It should be taken on an empty stomach to prevent vomiting. The root should not be stored for more than a few months, as it will lose potency.

Questions and Answers

can anybody inform me of the leaf diseases of Acorus calamus?,

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu7oK3phH0W...

calamus root?, where can i find calamus root

Cop shop garden?

Calamus Sweet Flag?, Let be honest here, I want to trip with what good ol' mother nature gave me. I don't use illegal "herbs" nor do i use processed stuff. I understand that Calamus root can give some psychoactive effects. Is it just one species or can i just find any of the marsh plant and chow down? also how can i identify it?

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu7auuIZIiU...

Where can I buy powdere calamus root (acorus calamus) in the U.S.?,

http://www.iamshaman.com/default.htm

If this link doesn't work, the website is I Am Shaman. It's legit.

are there any harmful effects when you use acorus calamus to see visions??? aka: "sweet flag"?,

This plant apparently has lots of medicinal purposes...See the site below.

Currently, the FDA considers Calamus root to be carcinogenic. This assertion is the result of lab studies that involved supplementing the diets of lab animals massive doses of isolated chemicals (beta-asarone) over a prolonged period of time. The animals developed tumors, and the plant was labeled carcinogenic. Again, these tests were Lab tests of isolated chemicals in massive doses over an extended period of time.

Chewing on Calamus seems to sharpen vision noticeably, but ironically, this effect is more pronounced when you’re just taking things in, and less so when you try to focus on something specific. When you do try and focus, the clarity diminishes somewhat; to return when again you return from “looking” to “seeing”. This effect seems to extend, as well, into its more energetic effects.

Clearly, given such suggestive descriptions, it would be easy to assume that Sweet Flag is a hallucinogen, which indeed has been done. This opinion has been widely popularized by Hoffer and Osmund’s The Hallucinogens, which briefly covered its use and said that it produced an experience comparable to LSD. More suggestions were made because Calamus Root can be used in the synthesis of TMA-2, a synthetic hallucinogenic phenothylamine that is similar in structure to Mescaline. It has been erroneously reported that the body converts the asarones in Calamus into TMA-2 as they are metabolized, and that Calamus contains hallucinogenic compounds similar to (and more powerful than) Mescaline, and that it produces “strong visual hallucinations”. Web searches on Calamus will turn up as much information on its purported hallucinogenic activity as they will on its medicinal actions... more, perhaps. Most often, they depict accounts of (presumably) adolescents consuming very large quantities of the root along with beer, Mountain Dew, corn chips and doobies because they are “pyschonauts” looking for a “plant ally” to teach them all about life; emesis is often the result. This misguided course of action (which, incidentally, definitely does not impress plant spirits) is rather ironic in that Calamus can indeed serve as a “Plant Ally”, and you can indeed learn a lot of interesting things from chewing on it.

(All of the above was taken from the website below)

The ointment mentioned biblically is it made w/ calamus or cannibus ?, please read this first
http://www.freeanointing.org/cannabis_in...

because of the sedating and euphoric effect of cannibus, it was considered sacred to the Jews; who sometimes made cannibus oil or burned it has holy incents.

what the hell is cane blossem?

Cannabis is mentioned in Ex. 30:23 but King James mistranslated it as 'sweet calamus'?, Is there a language expert around who could tell me if that is possibly true? I sure hope it's not illegal to post this question and I apologize in advance if it is.

I found this on a website. I hope this helps "clear the air!" ----------------------------------------...

The Word "Calamus" in the King James Bible is Correct!
Calamus, Acorus calamus
"This ancient herb is mentioned in the Bible and is chewed by the Natives of Northeastern Canada on a daily basis. It is also used in ayurvedic medicine for canceling out the negative effects of consistent marijuana smoking. This makes it an especially good smoke for those who are quitting long term marijuana use. In small doses it is a stimulant. In large internal doses it is hallucinogenic. It's main ingredient (TMA) is more psychoactive by weight than mescaline. However, smoking it will not cause psychic pyrotechnics. It appears to provide a relaxed, pleasant, mild psychotropic effect very different from Marijuana. It is very unlike calming herbs used to quit Marijuana because it will make your head cloudy." -SOURCE
The English word "calamus," was derived from the Latin word for "cane," and is used to translate the Hebrew word "qaneh" (pronounced "Kaw-neh"). Calamus is mentioned in the Scriptures as one of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil used by the Levite priests in the Old Testament. Calamus is also often translated as "sweet cane," "sweet flag," or "fragrant cane." Probably indigenous to India, Acorus calamus is now found across Europe, in southern Russia, northern Asia Minor, southern Siberia, China, Japan, Burma, Sri Lanka, and northern USA. It refers to a plant originally found in India which was dried and used in precious perfumes. It was traded in markets widely through the Middle East, as the Lord even mentions Himself...

"Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil." -Exodus 30:22-25

Carefully notice that God is giving Moses a formula for making holy anointing oil and; NOT, a herbal formula for Moses to get high on. It is ludicrous for anyone to claim that the Bible endorses Marijuana usage. Even the word "sweet" indicates that the Bible is referring to calamus (often called "sweet cane") and; NOT, cannabis, which is not sweet.

i am trying to make an annointing oil and i need the liquid of cassia and i live in los angeles but i don't k, i am trying to find out what 500 shekels is in liquid form and 250 shekels is in liquid form and i need some myrrh, sweet cinnamon, calamus root, cassia . and i need it all lin liquid form and i am having a hard time findiing it

Well 500 shekels is a lot! One shekel is roughly 8 gms. As for the other ingredients, some can be found at health food stores. On-line is a place called Simplers Botanical Company. They have all sorts of essential oils - even myrrh. you can also try a place called Well, Naturally Products. They have whatever the first place doesn't. good luck!