Absinthe was supposed to have hallucinogenic effects due to the presence of extracts of the wormwood plant and has been banned in some countries at various times. Does this effect really exist?■ The hallucinogenic properties of absinthe are generally ascribed to thujone, extracted from wormwood. Thujone is bitter with a slightly minty, aniseed-like taste and found in plants such as sage, oregano and juniper. However, because of absinthe's strength -sometimes more than 80 per cent alcohol by volume - and poor production techniques, the drink traditionally contained high levels of methanol. It is more likely that hallucinations, spasms and seizures attributed to thujone were caused by the methanol content, and that this led to bans on absinthe's sale, import and export.
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