The usage of plant-based drugs is no less dangerous than that of commercially and/or synthetically produced ones, though, which is very much the case with a poisonous plant called moonflower. Moonflower has been used in recent years by young people to induce a cheap high, and is particularly dangerous as it is unregulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Let’s look at what moonflower is, its effects and what can be done after someone has ingested the flower.
What Is Moonflower?
Named for the fact that its blooms open up after dusk, moonflower is one of several names for a vespertine plant whose flower has a trumpet-like shape. Moonflower is a member of the datura flower species and goes by a few other names including:
Jimsonweed/Jimson WeedThornappleDevil’s trumpetHell’s bells
It has the scientific name of Datura inoxia, and belongs to the Solanaceae flower family. Though the flowers look similar to that of the morning glory plant, they are entirely different plants.
Where and How Moonflower Grows
Moonflowers grow on a vine, and they thrive in warm climates. They are described as having “large, heart-shaped, dark green leaves on robust, slightly prickly stems” and flowers “that are typically an iridescent white and grow around 6 inches long and 3 to 6 inches wide.” Though moonflowers do grow wild in tropical climates, they need to be cultivated in all other climates. However, once they have been intentionally grown in an area, their seeds can spread by the wind and that can lead to them growing wildly in additional places they are not native to.
How Moonflower Is Used as a Drug
To use this poisonous flower as a drug, the seeds, leaves, and/or roots are eaten or boiled into a tea. This type of usage was first reported in the early 2000s by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where a group of teens consumed it in Ohio. Another instance occurred in 2009 when one Nebraskan teen landed in the ER after ingesting moonflower, and it again made headlines in 2016 after five adolescents in Denver ate it and fell sick. Moonflower has also been consumed accidentally, as in the case of a sixty year old man in 2010 who thought that the seeds were flax seeds. Moonflower may have been used historically in spiritual practices by Indigenous societies; this is claimed by modern day users, but it hasn’t been validated.
Effects of Ingesting Moonflower
This poisonous flower has a variety of effects. According to the CDC, it takes about an hour for the drug to kick in, and once it has it can last between 24-48 hours. The effects of ingesting moonflower include:
Anticholinergic
An anticholinergic effect relates to the control of muscles in the body. While it is also a category of drugs for uses such as asthma and incontinence, the term means that certain muscle functions of the body are altered. In this case, one anticholinergic effect of moonflower is the retention of urine, meaning a user may experience a lack of ability to urinate. Though this isn’t too big a problem if the occurrence is brief, an inability to urinate can quickly become very dangerous.
Tachycardia
A heart experiencing tachycardia is one that is beating too quickly. Rapid heart rate is considered anything above 99 beats per minute. While tachycardia can be benign, it can also be lethal.
Hallucinations
This effect is presumably the one that people taking moonflower are looking for. Hallucinating can involve any or all of your senses, such as seeing something that is imaginary, hearing something that is not actually occurring, or smelling something that has no physical source.
Difficulty Controlling Behavior and Impulsivity
In the case of the Nebraskan teen who ate moonflower, he became violent and assaulted a police officer. It was reported that those under the influence of moonflower might obsessively pick at their clothing, commit acts of violence or even remove their clothes in public.
Other Effects
Other effects of this drug can include dilated pupils, blurred vision, dry mouth, dry skin, and disorientation. Poison symptoms of moonflower can include:
NauseaVomitingDiarrhea
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that the ingestion of moonflower can result in central and peripheral toxic anticholinergic effects. Central toxic effects include:
ConfusionAgitationAnxietyHallucinationsSeizuresComa
Peripheral toxic effects include:
Dry mucous membranesThirstFlushed faceBlurred visionHyperthermiaUrinary retentionDecreased gut motility
In large enough dosages, moonflower can be fatal.
Treatment For Moonflower Ingestion
Luckily, none of the people who have consumed moonflower for its hallucinogenic effects are reported to have died, though many have had to go to the emergency room. A common treatment for someone who has ingested moonflower is benzodiazepine, which is used to calm the agitation that the drug can induce. Activated Charcoal can be used to facilitate the removal of the drugs from one’s system, and in severe cases physostigmine, which is an antidote for anticholinergic poisoning.
A Word From Verywell
Using drugs for recreational purposes can result in dangerous and severe consequences. Since moonflower is not regulated, you will never be certain of what you are consuming and it’s best to steer clear of using this drug.
