Does Absinthe Make You Hallucinate?

Alcohol related misinformation is all over the place, but no drink is really subject to this speculation more than absinthe. Absinthe, simply is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium (“grand wormwood”), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Wormwood is the main ingredient that gives absinthe its signature bitter taste, which has been associated with magic and mystery since old times. Absinthe was one of the only spirits to have been banned by governments in the early 1900’s due to its surge in popularity during times when prohibitionist leanings were cropping up in the USA and europe. But does it really have hallucinatory effects?

Why do people think absinthe will make you hallucinate when it is simply not true? It is a fact that there is nothing in absinthe that will make someone have hallucinations. What people may be picking up on is simply that there is a chemical found in wormwood (which is absinthes primary flavor) which is called thujone.

This odd ingredient is known to act as a convulsant in very high doses. To get to this point, however, one would have to drink quite a bit of the alcohol. Someone consuming this much absinthe could be at risk of alcohol poisoning.