# What's the SD on Absinth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929 "2004-09-19T01:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/1 "2004-09-19T01:20:57Z")
No idea whether I spelled that correctly. I saw a program on TV last night in which a pub landlord described a coctail which included Absinth. I assumed a) that mention of illegal activity outside of news programs on TV was a bad ideal, and b) that Absinth was illegal. I am also led to believe it has psychotropic properties which in my experience of UK law would make it illegal. Is it illegal in Britain? What are it’s effects on perception? ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/2 "2004-09-19T01:22:31Z")
It makes the heart grow fonder. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/3 "2004-09-19T01:23:36Z")
[Was the legendary liqueur absinthe hallucinogenic?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011026.html) ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/4 "2004-09-19T01:32:54Z")
Hey, that is my joke! (waits…) ---
**Author:** ![TWOTfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@TWOTfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWOTfan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/5 "2004-09-19T01:35:59Z")
It’s apparently legal in the Czech Republic: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/6 "2004-09-19T01:41:00Z")
I was in a diner in Vancouver, BC a few months ago, and they had absinthe on the drinks menu. (I would have tried it, but they were out.) ---
**Author:** ![TWOTfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@TWOTfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWOTfan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/7 "2004-09-19T01:43:27Z")
It was apparently relegalized in EU countries in 1981: [http://pernod-fils.wikiverse.org/](http://pernod-fils.wikiverse.org/) ---
**Author:** ![TWOTfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@TWOTfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWOTfan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/8 "2004-09-19T01:44:31Z")
And just this summer relegalized in Switzerland at the same time that marijuana legalization was rejected: [http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/342/rejected.shtml](http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/342/rejected.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/9 "2004-09-19T02:00:56Z")
I coulda sworn I posted about absinthe in a previous thread, but I can’t find anything that looks right. Anyhoo: Yes, absinthe is legal in Britain. It’s illegal in the U.S. No, it’s pretty much not the same thing as the old-time absinthe (e.g., lower thujone content). No, it’s not hallucinogenic, but yes, it affects your perception (though the effects will vary depending on the brand of absinthe and on your body chemistry). In my experience, absinthe made me focus very strongly on visual stimuli–e.g., waves, clouds, and passing traffic all seemed to have sharper focus and more of a 3-d effect. I can totally understand its appeal to visual artists. Bear in mind, however, that absinthe tends to have a high alcohol content and a very strong flavor–generally an anise flavor, but sometimes a more generally herbal flavor. I don’t think it tastes very good (and I’m somebody who will happily drink room-temperature green Chartreuse), and IMO the effects just aren’t worth the bother of dealing with the flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/10 "2004-09-19T06:55:42Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > It’s illegal in the U.S. > > . This past Tuesday I saw a bottle of Absinthe…plus the special sugar spoon…in a South Jersey liquor store. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/11 "2004-09-19T07:06:55Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > This past Tuesday I saw a bottle of Absinthe…plus the special sugar spoon…in a South Jersey liquor store. Maybe so, but it would have been the pastis that doesn’t have any thujone. Was it labeled “Absente”? ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/12 "2004-09-19T07:16:54Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > Yes, absinthe is…illegal in the U.S. [Cite](http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/leavingarrivinginUS/vacation/know_beforeu_go.xml#15), in case you were wondering. > [@The U.S. Customs Service](#): > > **Absinthe (Alcohol)** > The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain Artemisia absinthium is prohibited. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-sd-on-absinth/264929/13 "2004-09-19T08:37:51Z")
Most of the questions are answered in Cecil’s column, linked to above. Questions on the message board about absinthe are troublesome because thujone-containing absinthe is illegal in the United States, which is where the SDMB server is located. (Similar products that don’t contain thujone can be legally sold). I have deleted the link in **TWOTfan** ’s post because the company ships (or claims to ship) thujone-containing absinthe to the United States, which is illegal. Please do not post links that could encourage illegal activity or activity of questionable legality. I’ll close this thread because I think the factual questions have been answered and threads like this always seem to tempt people to post inappropriate links. bibliophage moderator GQ