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Surprisingly Effective

Skullcap

by Pad R.

Citation:   Pad R.. "Surprisingly Effective: An Experience with Skullcap (ID 35241)". Erowid.org. Aug 1, 2005. erowid.org/exp/35241

I had been aware of scullcap as a plant with psychoactive qualitys for around a year before I finally found some growing wild. In the mean time I had picked a few different plants that I had misidentified as skullcap only to get them home and realise. Being of the labiate family, I have mistook several varieties of mint, woundwort and dead hen bit, for skullcap. Some notes on identifying:
1. Once I've actually come across one, I wont mistake it. Its flower heads are unique.
2. The smell is a good indicator - skullcap has a very faint scent that is slighly sweet. Other labiates tend to have very strong scents.
3. Skullcaps tend to grow in wet, shady places such as pond sides, marshes, etc.

Having found a supply of skullcap growing wild I took about half of the plants growing there, and left the others so there would be a supply next year. I set to drying them out, but a few days after collecting I decided to roll a joint of the still damp leaves to test it out, I mixed it with tobacco to ensure it burned.

before I go any further I should say that I had heard reports comparing skullcap with high strengh marajauna. I was sceptical of this - if it was that good why wasn't everyone doing it? So perhaps I was a little gun-ho in my approach to it, but I've tried that many supposededly psychoactive plants that didn't have an effect or I practically had to consume a field of the stuff for a mild buzz.

Anywise, I lit the skullcap joint, it was a very pleasent first drag, a sweet, woody smoke, a little harsh perhaps. The effects became apparent immediately. I felt very relaxed, lightheaded, a little giddy, but it was very different from a marajuana high. I got an instintive feel that this was a plant that is best smoked outside, in a quite spot, woodland or the like. It was like the plant was telling me that is where it was meant to be smoked.

This initial sensation of relaxation soon turned into sedation. I had difficulty lifting the joint to my mouth. I managed to smoke about two thirds of the joint. I was still able to talk, or mutter to my wife (or I think I was still able to talk) but I have no recollection of what I was saying. I went to bed and fell into a very deep sleep for about twelve hours during which I had many dreams. The dreams themselves were not unusual as dreams go, it was simply the profusion of them.

Towards the end of the sleep I kept waking, feeling grumpy, then falling straight back asleep. I needed to go to for a piss but everytime I woke up to go I fell straight back asleep.

When I finally got up, I felt deeply rested and relaxed and happy.

It is definitely a plant I will further experiment with, although I will be a bit more respectful in the future.

A very pleasent and different experience.