With over 7,000 chemicals in a tobacco cigarette, smoking herbs can be a healthier alternative. The right organic herbs can help you kick nicotine addiction, be healthier, and enjoy their natural benefits.
There are countless herbal smoking blends out there, many of which you may never have heard of. How do choose? What are the benefits of smoking herbs?
In this guide, we’ll cover some of the most popular herbs and their effects. All of the smoking herbs below are nicotine free, and each has its own unique benefits.
Let’s take a walk through the smoking herbs garden. Read on!
Damiana Smoking Herbs
Damiana, or Turnera diffusa, is a herb native to Central America, South America, and several Caribbean islands. It is popular in traditional Mexican medicine as a treatment for anemia, bronchitis, fever, chronic pain, gastric illness, and respiratory conditions.
When used in tobacco-free herbal cigarettes, damiana is an ideal substitute for tobacco and can help you beat nicotine addiction. It is also known as an aphrodisiac, and it can have a mildly stimulating effect.
Lavender Flowers
The lavender flower has long been known for its calming properties. Its active ingredient, linalool, has an anxiolytic effect in humans. It works its magic when inhaled as smoke or vapor.
Herbal cigarettes with lavender are ideal for relaxing before bed. By contrast, tobacco is a stimulant and can make it hard to fall asleep. With lavender herbal cigarettes, you’ll drift off into a peaceful slumber.
Lavender smoking herbs can also help you quit tobacco. The anxiety and craving for nicotine can be calmed with lavender, helping you resist until the craving passes. This can take 15 to 20 minutes on average.
Mullein Smoking Herbs
Mullein, or Verbascum thapus, is a herb native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, but it feels at home in America, too. The herbal smoking of mullein dates back to the Native Americans, who used it to treat respiratory illnesses like whooping cough, tuberculosis, and pneumonia.
Mullein helps expel mucus, reduces inflammation, and helps you fight microbial pathogens. This is useful if you are recovering from illness or have recently quit smoking tobacco. Mullein’s expectorant properties could help you clear your airways faster.
Peppermint
Peppermint, Mentha spicata, is the epitome of freshness, but it is ideal in herbal smoking blends due to its beneficial health effects. Peppermint can help improve blood circulation, boost lung capacity, and improve cognition.
Peppermint can be mildly stimulating, yet calming, and is a perfect substitute for tobacco cigarettes. Its flavor alone will bring a smile to your face, and it is ideal for smoking with other organic herbs.
Rose Petals
Rose petals look enticing, almost ornamental, with their shades of scarlet, ruby, and cherry red. Dried in the sun, their fragrance will spark romantic tones even before you add them to herbal smoking blends.
The benefits of smoking herbs with rose petals go beyond aesthetics and olfactory pleasure; they have many beneficial qualities for your body and mind. Rose petals have an uplifting effect when you smoke them, and they can help alleviate mild depression.
The sense of inner peace rose petals invoke makes them ideal for helping you quit a nicotine habit. The inner anxiety of nicotine withdrawal can send you running for tobacco. Instead, follow your nose along the rosy path to better health.
Pedicularis Densiflora
Pedicularis densiflora, Indian Warrior or Warrior’s Plume, yields purple buds with several medicinal benefits. Wait, can we just take a second to think about the sheer awesomeness of its nickname?
Okay, we’re good now. Pedicularis densiflora was used by the Native Americans to treat insomnia, anxiety, and muscular tension. It has a sedative effect but also antibacterial and antioxidative properties which could help protect your cells.
Mugwort
Mugwort, Artemesia vulgaris, sprouts from Europe and most parts of Asia where it was traditionally used as a tobacco alternative. This widespread use earned it the nickname, sailor’s tobacco. Today, mugwort remains a healthier alternative to tobacco with some extra effects on the side.
Mugwort is related to wormwood, the flavoring agent used in traditional absinthe. Like wormwood, mugwort can induce mild euphoria, relaxation, and vivid dreams when consumed.
Mugwort is an ideal addition to flavorful herbal cigarettes as it boosts the flavor of its fellow organic herbs.
Skullcap
Skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora, may sound a bit scary, but its tension-relieving effects will help earn your trust. It acts as a nervine agent and antispasmodic, inducing a deep sense of calm at the right doses.
A herbal cigarette with skullcap can relax you, easing anxiety, and soothing your muscles. It could help you sleep and aid natural rest. Despite its relaxing effects, skullcap will keep you clear-headed and able to go about your day.
Holy Basil
You may know holy basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum, as an aromatic culinary herb famed in Thai and Indian cuisine. Holy basil is sacred in the Hindu religion and is used in ceremonies in its native South and Southeast Asia.
Ayurvedic medicine prizes holy basil for its ability to treat dermatological infections, control blood sugar levels, and lower stress hormones. It has a calming effect when smoked and can be mixed with herbs to aid relaxation.
Marshmallow Leaf
The endearingly named marshmallow leaf, Althea officinalis, is a medicinal herb used by the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks for millennia. The first part of its scientific title, Althea, comes from the Greek word, althainein, meaning to heal.
True to its name, marshmallow leaf helps promote healthy blood flow, relaxation, and dispersal of excessive heat in the body. Marshmallow leaf is an ideal base for your herbal smoking blends.
Explore the World of Smoking Herbs
Smoking herbs can open the gates to new health, well-being, and recreational benefits. Pick the most natural herbal smoking blends you can find, free from additives, isolates, and synthetics.
Experimentation is key, and we hope this guide helps you find your perfect smoking herbs. The herbs on this list are generally considered safe but consult your doctor if you experience any adverse reactions.
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