Herbal smoking blends

Many people have battled addiction with tobacco for years due to its addictive and otherwise dangerous properties. For those who enjoy smoking, alternatives exist in the form of herbal smoke blends.

Why smoke herbal blends?

Herbal smoking blends provide an opportunity to smoke without the addictiveness of tobacco. In fact, many herbal blends are quite pleasurable to the palate. Each unique blend provides its own benefits (e.g., aiding physical or mental relaxation, calming the lungs). Although, when dealing with smoking of any type, there are also some detrimental health risks involved.

Smoking mixture bases

Barks are often standard ingredients of herbal smoke blends and have been used as such by Native Americans for hundreds of years. Although these barks often have external healing powers (e.g., cuts, burns), they provide no physiological or medicinal effects when smoked. Barks have a dull thick flavor that provides a tobacco-like thickness to an herbal blend. Examples of smoking bases include:

• Willow bark is a plant that comes in a variety of strength, flavors, and texture. Major benefits of the bark (e.g., reducing fevers and inflammation) are lost when smoking this plant.
• Dogwood bark also provides texture and body to an herbal smoke blend. Any Cornus tree or shrub will share these characteristics.
• Pyrola is a mild yet effective ingredient that adds body to the mixture. This plant may be smoked alone (due to mildness) and is easily broken up into smaller pieces. Varieties of pyrola include Pipsissiwa, Chimafila, and Pyrola.
• Kinnikinnik, or Bearberry, is a thick mixture base mild enough to be smoked on its own. Although leaves are commonly used for herbal blends, red bark may be used as well.
• Manzanita is powerful and flavorful to the extent that it is difficult to smoke on its own.
• Madrone is a tree with fiery red bark and powerful leaf and bark. Madrone should be used in small amounts when forming herbal blends.

Calming Herbs

Calming herbs are antispasmodic in that they relieve muscle cramps, sore muscles, menstrual cramps, tight muscles, hiccups, and other related conditions. These herbs also relieve psychologi cal problems such as anxiety, fear, anger, irritability, and pain. Calming herbs aid in relaxation without the impairment of judgment or thought. Increased relaxation as a result of herbal smoking often leads to an improved ability to fall asleep as well. Popular calming herbs include:

• Skullcap that is a plant with a green leaf that rolls easily and blends well with a wide variety of smoking mixtures.
• Pedicularis which is a muscle relaxant and tranquilizer that provides a pleasurable flavor with varying amounts of strengths. Elephant's head is the mildest form of this plant but provides the best flavor. Other variations include Parrot's Beak and Indian Warrior.

Flavoring Agents

• Mints are the most easily accessible and highly used of ingredients. Mints provide the user with a pleasurable menthol flavor. Varieties include peppermint, spearmint, and apple mint. Failure to engage in light smoking of mints may result in throat and lung irritation.
• Mugwort is a mild yet strongly aromatic relaxant used to ease depression and nervous tension.
• Sagebrush is a shrub that has historically been used to purify the environment. Sagebrush is an anti-bacterial that kills airborne bacteria. Sagebrush is often found in deserts in the Western United States.
• Salvia Sages are in the mint family and are not related to sagebrush or mugwort. White, black, purple, and garden sages can be used as flavoring agents in smoking blends. Some Native Americans have traditionally used sages for purification rituals.
• Lemon Balm is an extremely mild and pleasurable calming herb. This ingredient has a tasty lemon flavor that adds zest to any blend. Lemon Balm grows wild in Pacific Northwest cities and can often be found in everyday gardens.
• Angelica is a flavoring agent that should be used in small amounts. The dried and powdered root of this plant is typically used in herbal blends. Leaves and green seeds may also be used as they provide various strengths a nd flavors.
• Osha is a flavoring agent that has been highly regarded by Native Americans as a powerful and sacred plant. Although dried and powdered roots may be used, the root hairs best serve as a flavoring agent for herbal blends.
• Clove: The powder version of this common kitchen spice may irritate the lungs and esophagus if used in larger amounts.

Herbology is a science that is open to a great deal of discovery and experimentation. Fortunately, a great variety of herbs are available to provide a pleasurable experience. These traditional ingredients and blends come in a variety of strengths, flavors, and uses as described above. As with any other physical activity, exercise caution when creating and using herbal smoke blends. When used responsibly, herbal blends offer the smoker an enjoyable experience. Herbal smoking is a tradition that has been, and will continue to be, passed on through generations.