This article was first published in .
At high enough concentrations? Yes, nutmeg really can be a hallucinogen, creating effects similar to MDMA compounds. It owes its psychoactive side effects to , an anticholinergic (it blocks the action of a neurotransmitter acetylcholine). There is also some potential effect from another compound in nutmeg鈥�, which also has anticholinergic-like effects. Symptoms include hallucinations, vomiting, dizziness, and sleepiness. Intoxication takes several hours to reach maximum effect, and the effects may .
So how much nutmeg is too much nutmeg? The that can cause a psychogenic effect is around five grams of ground nutmeg, which contains one to two mg of myristicin. So, unless you鈥檙e using some seriously unconventional recipes, you should be fine.
