Catnip is a plant which belongs to the mint family.
It's scientific name is Nepeta catariais. The plant has multiple effects both
on humans and animal including refreshment, amusement, wobbliness. It can consume
in several ways. The word originates from the fact the plant causes some
noticeable behavioral changes in cats. However,
does the plant have any significant impact on human beings? Can smokingcatnip get you high? Let’s explore the fact.
Cantip's marijuana like effects on humans first
reported in the late 1960s. Some researchers claimed that smoking catnip could
have the same effects on human beings as smoking marijuana does. It was great
news for people particularly who are suffering from depression since catnip is
cheap, legal. But later it was turned out that the researchers mixed up two
plants not just catnip while making the catnip mixture.
We need to look at the chemical composition of
catnip to find whether smoking catnip gets you high. One of the active chemical
ingredients of catnip is nepetalactone. Nepetalactone is an organic chemical
compound. It was extracted from catnip plant in 1941 by steam
distillation. The compound is also
present in tartarian wood. Chemical analysis shows that the compound consists
of ten carbon atoms. The compound has two fused rings-a cyclopentane ring and a
lactone ring. It has been found that when a cat consumes catnip, the cat gets
sedated. When the cat inhales the compound, it becomes crazy. So, what about
human beings? Does the compound have the same effects on human beings?
It has been observed that smoking catnip make people
calm if they are in distress, suffering from mental disorder, and are in
anxiety. But at the same time, smoking catnip has some other side effects.
Catnip smokers get nauseated, feel dizziness, headaches. Side effects of catnip
smoking and cannabis smoking have some similarity. Though smoking catnip gets
you high, scientists did not find any conclusive evidence that the existence of
Nepetalactone in catnip is responsible for making people sedated.
Unlike cannabis or marijuana smoking catnip is not
illegal because the plant has a number of health benefits. Let’s know some of
these health benefits.
· Remedy to insomnia
· Improves digestion
· Keeps the body warm
· The remedy for tooth aches
· Regulate menstruation in women
· Sedation
Remedy
to insomnia:
Smoking catnip may ensure a good night sleep since
the plant has a sedative effect.
Improves
digestion:
Smoking catnip is believed to ease the constipation
problem. Smoking habit reduces abdominal cramping and fights against stomach
infection.
Keeps
the body warm:
Smoking catnip increases body temperature starting
from the throat and then travel down to the neck and chest.
Sedation:
The popularity of catnip is thanks to its sedation
power. Smoking can reduce anxiety and can soothe you after a long hectic day.
Regulate
menstruation in women:
Many women are suffering from irregular
menstruation. Mensuration is a physical process of women. women of childbearing age which is 14 to 45
discharge blood and other things each month from their genital area. It happens
in some specific days of the month. Mensuration
is not a disease, rather it indicates that she is healthy. But some women
experience irregular Mensuration. It means their mensuration does not happen
each month. Smoking catnip can regulate their menstruation.
In conclusion, we can
say that smoking catnip gets you high though the fact does not have any
scientific backing.
