Absinthe Blog

Aside from alcohol, the other main component in Absinthe is thujone.  Although thujone’s mechanism is not known, it is considered to be a convulsant.  It is believed that there are structural similarities between thujone and tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the active component in marijuana.  This made people think that both substances have the same site of action in the brain.  But these chemicals have been used for ages for medicinal purposes because of their therapeutic claims when taken correctly.

Thujone makes up about 40 to 90 percent of the essence of wormwood, a major ingredient in Absinthe.  This would make thujone appear to be a good candidate for a second active component in Absinthe.  Thujone is shown to cause adverse effects and it is believed to be the component responsible for the ban of Absinthe in many countries.  It has long been considered that thujone is the neurotoxic cause of absinthism.  Thujone has been suggested to cause addictions, hyperactivity, hallucinations and psychedelics.  But there is no direct evidence to support this.

Absinthe is composed of 75 percent alcohol, the alcohol’s effects will control the amount of thujone a person can ingest.  Even with just a moderate amount of Absinthe, you can become drunk from the alcohol.  The thujone would have to be either active at a very low dose or be present in high quantities in order to have a considerable effect.  In a regular dose of Absinthe, there is 2 to 4 milligrams of thujone, which is way below the level wherein acute pharmacological effects are observed.  But frequent intake may cause thujone to build up in the body, and increase the chance of getting seizures of hallucinations.  As with any other drug, each individual’s reaction is different.  But a single serving of Absinthe would unlikely have any lasting effects.