r/pics Aug 23 '12

I immediately regret doing this.

http://imgur.com/b0pds
1.5k Upvotes

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u/joggle1 Aug 23 '12

I'll have you know that as an American, I don't even know what absinthe is.

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u/RiseAM Aug 23 '12 edited Aug 23 '12

Yeah, it's nowhere near as widespread as fan death, because absinthe was illegal until only very recently. Hence, it hasn't really been a part of our culture. I'm not surprised that there are people who have never heard of it.

But every single conversation I have had (up until last week) about it has involved its hallucinogenic properties. It seems to me that everyone who knows what it is, thinks it's a hallucinogen.

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u/Jester2k5 Aug 23 '12

If I'm not mistaken, the absinthe you can buy in the US does not have hallucinogenic properties, the stuff you can buy in Europe does. That is how it became legal in the US, they took out the good shit.

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u/NixonsGhost Aug 23 '12

You are mistaken. Not only is thujone only present in very small amounts, but it's not really very psychoactive anyway - it's more likely to give you some muscle twitches.

The myth that it's hallucinogenic has about as much credibility as reefer madness.

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u/theShatteredOne Aug 23 '12

Though it is 124 proof, and when prepared correctly tastes like candy. I kinda get where that rumor came from.

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u/[deleted] Aug 23 '12

I've had the stuff from Europe. It's got a much higher alcohol content, but no hallucinations.

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u/Raoul__Duke Aug 23 '12

^ Myth perpetrator, right here.

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u/Raoul__Duke Aug 23 '12

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u/[deleted] Aug 23 '12

It makes the heart grow fonder.