Peganum Harmala: The Hallucinogenic Herb of the American Southwest

by Albert Most

A Brief History

In the early spring of 1935 a now forgotten farmer planted a small handful of tiny bwn seeds several miles east of Deming, New Mexico. The seed, obtained from Europe in pursuit of an interest in unusual plants was from peganum harmala, a perennial herb native to the deserts of nothern Africa, western Asia, and southeastern Europe, Nurtured by the arid climate, P. harmala grow well in the sandy sail of southern New Mexico. The plants fluorished, produced viable seed, and quikly scaped. cultivation.

Now, almost fifty years since its introduction into the American Southwest, P. harmala occurs naturally in arid regions of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada.

Botany

Growing from a perennial woody rottock, Peganum harmala is a bright-green, densely foliaged, herbaceous succulent. Although it's smooth many-branched stems may have a spread of four feet or more, the plant is rarely over two feet tall and generally appears round and bushy in habit. Its leaves are two inches long, born singly and finey diided into long narrow segments.

Each year between June and August, P. harmala produces many single white conspicuous flowers. Measurg one to one and one-half inches across, these relatively large and showy blooms have five oblong-elptic petals as well as five narrow sepals of slightly longer length. Each flower has the potentialtodevelop into a fruit--a leathery, three-- valved seed capsule that stands erect on its stalk. Eac casule measures about three-eighths inch in diameter and contains more than fifty dark-brown, angular seeds.

Chemistry

The seeds, as well as the roots, of P. harmala contain a mixture of the harmala alkaloids, armine and harmaline. These unusual alkaloids are psychoactive derivatives of B-carboline, When admnstered to man, the harmala alkaloids are serotonin antagonists, CNS stimulants, hallucinogens and xtemely potent, short term MAO inhibitors. Interestingly enough, neither harmine, harmaline nor P. armla is included in the Federal Controlled Substance Act. Present at 3% by dry weight, the harmalaalkaoids may be extracted from the seeds and roots of . harmala- and purified as crystalline bases.Hasenratz described this process in 1927.

ISOLATION OF HARMINE AND HARMALINE

The crushed seeds are covered with three times their weight of wer containing 30 g. of acetic acid per liter of water, The seeds swell as they absorb the liquid an orm a thick dough which is pressed after 2 or 3 days. The pressed seeds are once more treated as aov with twice their weight of dilute acetic acid and, after maceration, the liquid is again pressedout To the combined liquors, sodium chloride (100 g., liter of liquid) is added to transform the actate of harmine and harmaline into the hydrochlorides which are insoluble in cold sodium chloride slutios and are precipitated during cooling. The supernatant liquid is siphoned off, the crystaline esiduefiltered with suction and redissolved in hot water. Addition of sodium chloride to the filterd soluton results in the precipitation of the hydrochlorides as a crystalline mush and this processis repeaed until the hydrochlorides have acquired a yellow color. The separation of harmaline from armine isbased on the fact that when a warm aqueous solution of the hydrochlorides is alkalinized wth ammonia harmaline is liberated only after the decomposition of harmine hydrochloride is complete The appearnce of harmaline is readly detected under the microscope since it consists of plates whie harmine foms long needles. The addition of ammonia, therefore, is stopped as soon as crystals of armaline are etected, the harmine is filtered off and the harmaline recovered from the filtrate by he addition ofammonia, The bases are then further purified by recrystallization of their hydrochlordes. Ann. chim 10) 7,15l (1927).

When administered to man-- in seed form or as crystalline bases--the harmala alkaloids are serotoninntagonists, CNS stimulants, hallucinogens and extremely potent, short-term MAO inhibitors. MAO Monomne oxidase (MAO) is an important enzyme in the human body. Located in the outer membrane of mitochndia, MAO breaks down Physiologically active amines and renders them harmless and ineffective in a rocss called oxidative deamination. MAO inactivates biogenic amines like epinephrine, norepinephrin, doamine and serotonin. As the amine binds to the enzymes active sight, MAO "attacks" the carbon-hdroge bond adjacent to the nitrogen. In an extremely rapid, enzyme- catalysed reaction, the amine i conveted into a physiologically inactive metabolite. Any drug which interferes with the function o this ctabolic enzyme is by definition an MAO inhibitor. MAO Inhibitors The harmala alkaloids are epeciallypotent short-term MAO inhibitors. They temporarily prevent biogenic amines from binding to he activesite of the MAO molecule and undergoing deamination. Amine synthesis continues but inactivtion is blcked. The result is an accumulation of physiologically active amines -- dopamine epinephrne, norepinphrine, and serotonin -- within the tissues and at the synapses. MAO inhibitors increasethe action o these neurntransmitters at their receptors, which may account for some of the hallucingenic effectscharacteristic of the harmala alkaloids. For 3 to 6 hours, the harmala alkaloids interere with the potective enzyme MAO, before their action is reversed and MAO activity restored.

WARNING

There is a very real danger in interfering with the protective function of MAO. The harmala kaloids like other inhibitors, are non-specific. They prevent the metabolic inactivation of many ote drugs and biogenic amines in addition to the neurotranamitters, For example, MAO normally detoxifesbarbiturates, alcohol and narcotic analgesics. MAO inhibitors prevent their inactivation and can rolng and intensify their central depressant effect to a potentially lethal, life-threatening level MAOinhibitors also potentiate the action of many amphetamine-like compounds. They are synergistic ith mst amphetamines, ephedrine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, methyldopa and phenylpropanolamine, smetime precipitating a hypertensive crisis. Often associated with sweating, pallor, nausea, vomittig and fight, a hypertensive crisis in a high blood pressure headache which can lead to cranial hemmrrhage. hypertensive crisis can also result from the ingestion of foodstuffs that contain amino acds normaly metabolized by MAO. The well-known tyramine cheese reaction illustrates this danger. Tyrmine is fomed as a fermentation by-product In many foods. It is a naturally occuring amine normallymetabolizedby MAO. In the presence of an MAO inhibitor, the resulting high levels of tyramine can poduce dangerus increases in blood pressure. Anyone experimenting with MAO Inhibitors should be awar of the potenial for hypertensive crisis. Avoid all foods or liquids with high amine content.

Do not mix MAO inhibitors (i.e. the harmala alkaloids) with any of the following: cheese, especiallyged cheese, beer, mine, pickled herrings, snails, chicken livers, yeast products, figs, raisans, pikes, sauerkraut, coffee, chocolate soy sauce, cream or yogurt. The Harmala Alkaloids The harmala alalids are psychoactive in man at oral doses of 25 to 750 milligrams. A small dose (25.50 milligrams isa CNS stimulant. it increases mental activity and produces a pleasant dreamy state for several hurs.The larger doses-- 200 milligrams up to 750 milligrams-- yield the hallucinogenic effects. The xperince usually begins within one hour and often lasts six hours or more,

The initial effects include nausea, vomitting, increased blood pressure and heart rate, profuse sweang, dizziness and body tremors. During this initial period you may hear humming or buzzing noises adyou may notice a wave-like movement of the environment. You may feel alternations of hot and cold,Yo may even experience the feeling of sinking together with the sensation of flight. These initial ffets can be discomforting. They tend to produce anxiety and encourage a withdrawal from the externl wold. You will probably perceive environmental sights and sounds, especially other persons, as diturbig objects and wish to avoid them. Seek a dark, quiet place where you can enjoy the hallucinatoy trane which follows. The hallucinatory trance consists of three successive stages of hallucinatios.

You will know stage one when your sense of darkness is interrupted by bright flickers of light. Thesphosphene-based sensations first appear as colored dots, specks, stars or simple flowers. They givewy to undulating lines, circles, grids, simple forms, abstract designs and multi-shaped geometricalpaterns. Relax and enjoy a closed-eye contemplation of the floating, ever-changing pattern of theselitle images.

In stage two the abstract designs of stage one give way to slowly moving masses of shapes and colorsLarger shapes take form in a slowly developing pattern of hallucinatory images. These images acquir personal character as your unconscious mind projects your fears and desires upon the shapes and clos of your visions. Do not be alarmed if the horizon seems to collapse in a bright flash of light r i your hallucinations turn into frightening animals. Huge birds of prey, large jaguars and snakesare ommon hallucinations with harmala alkaloids. Observe and enjoy the bright colored imagery as itchangs continually in a flowing transformation of dream-like sequences.

Hours later, in stage three, this panorama of vivid fantasy fades into the slow movement of shapes a colors. These images disappear, in turn, as the last stage of the hallucinatory trance wears off. fyour harmala experiment is part of a group experience, you may be surprised by the unusual similartyin the content of each other's hallucinations. The harmala alkaloids tend to produce collective hlluinations--especially archetypal imagery--among group members. This access to "collective unconscous"is such an extraordinary effect that the harmala alkaloids have earned the name "telepathines".Theseunusual alkaloids are present naturally in harmala, the Hallucinogenic Herb of the American Sothwest

Important Considerations Every psychedelic experience is chiefly a function of set and setting, of pparation and environment. The better prepared YOU are, the better the experience will be for you. Cnider the following instructions: * Do not drink any alcohol or take any drugs or medication when epeimenting with MAO inhibitors (Ie, the harmala alkaloids). REMEMBER: MAO inhibitors interfere withthebodys ability to detoxify certain drugs and fermented foodstuffs. Narcotics, barbiturates, tranqilizrs, antihistamines, amphetamines, all forms of alcohol and foodstuffs containing tyramine are ptentilly LETHAL when used In combination with MAO Inhibitors. * Provide a comfortable setting whichis as ree as possible from unforeseen distractions and intrusions. Make sure you will not be distured for ix to eight hours. * Enjoy your trip! Albert Most Pecos, Texas Summer 1993 Cultivation harmaa can bepropagated either from seed or root. Gather the seed as the capsules ripen and dry thoroughy in the un. Store in a cool place until spring. Then sow the seed in flats of half-sand, half-sailand water paringly. Be careful not to overwater the seedlings. Or. you can harvest the roots in autmn after th tops die from frost.They will keep through the winter if you pack them in damp sawdust nd stare in cool place. In the early spring plant the roots in the ground or in pots before any ne growth start. Although harmala grows well in dry, sandy. sail and can stand considerable drought, ou will find tat richer sail and occasional watering will benefit your plants.

Venom Press
Copyight 1985, Albert Most
All rights Reserved