absinthe and legality.

[PittPoliSci]

i'm thinking about ordering a bottle of absinthe from the czech republic, the site I'm ordering from says it's perfectly legal for US residents to possess absinthe, just not manufacture it or sell it.

does anyone know anything about this? or are there any users who can recommend me a good site to purchase from?

[democracyindanger]

1. okay to possess in US

I've ordered from absintheonline.com

[PittPoliSci]

2. thanks!

:hi:

[hollywood926]

6. Forgive my ignorance, but...

What exactly does absinthe have that one might find appealing?

:-)

[democracyindanger]

13. There are some that think

the active ingredient of absinthe, thujone, has hallucinogenic properties. It was a favorite drink in Parisian salons, among artists like Toulouse-Lautrec. Sometimes called "the green muse."

Personally, I found it to be a different kind of 'drunk.' I think there are differences between the intoxication of beer and scotch and rum and so on--hard to explain, but it's just my opinion.

[goodboy]

23. good site. also:

http://www.feeverte.net/guide/

[ixion]

3. I think it's absinthe, minus the worm wood

which it what provides the narcotic effect, but I could be mistaken.

[EstimatedProphet]

4. Yup

It is legal to have. You just can't sell it in the US. The couriers are very reliable to my knowledge too, and you shouldn't have a problem receiving it.
One point though-the Czech stuff, from everything I have heard, tastes like rats piss mixed with turpentine. I know it has a higher thujone content, but it's very hard to swallow. There are some much more palatable absinthes out there, like Emilie 68 or Vert de Fougeroles. If you haven't had it before you may want to start with one of those.
Otherwise, enjoy your flight with the Green Fairy!

[Schema Thing]

9. My daughter brought me a tiny bottle back from Prague

should I be worried that my 13 year old thinks that would be a great gift?

I haven't really tried it, because a sip of it confirmed that it "tastes like rats piss mixed with turpentine".

I was also curious as to if it was the real thing. Good to know that it likely is. I'll have to drink it fast and see what happens one day soon, when I feel like taking a trip.

[EstimatedProphet]

10. It does make for an interesting trip

The only way I can describe it is that it's like seeing in 3 1/2 dimensions.

[democracyindanger]

14. You drank it straight?

It's supposed to be diluted with cold water, and a sugar cube if you like. If you took a sip straight out of the bottle, that'd be like drinking straight soda syrup instead of adding the CO2 and water. ;)

[Schema Thing]

18. Heh... guess I better research the "how-to"

Isn't there a surgical rubber band, a spoon, and a flame involved?

[PittPoliSci]

11. thanks everyone!

i'm going to work now, i'll check back around midnight, so keep the good stuff comin'. :hi:

[goodboy]

25. Est knows what's up. Notice our recommendations are the same.

stay away from the czech absinthe.

[yardwork]

28. Here's an Absinthe fan site that says the same

http://www.feeverte.net/

Lot's of info on absinthe here. It says stay away from ebay absinthe.

[northzax]

5. it is not legal to import absinthe

if it is real absinthe (made with wormwood) there is no federal law specifically banning the possession of absinthe, but since it is illegal to buy, sell, import or use, they don't really need one. It is perfectly legal for US citizens to possess absinthe while in the Czech Republic.

In addition, your state or locality may have other laws governing the shipping of alcoholic beverages (it is no legal in Mass, for instance) that this would violate. It is the responsibility of the recipient to know the law and follow it, not the shipper, in this case.

now in reality, you are unlikely to get caught, but that doesn't mean you aren't committing a crime.

[EstimatedProphet]

8. Not exactly

It isn't legal to buy or sell, but it is legal to import and use-as far as Federal regulations go.

[northzax]

15. well, I don't know about the CFR

but according to the Good People at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#Absinthe%20Alcohol">Customs and Border Protection:

Absinthe (Alcohol)
The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain Artemisia absinthium is prohibited.

and since they're the people who are in charge of what you can import and not import, I tend to believe them.

ahh, here would be your CFC citation:
TITLE 19 - CHAPTER 4 - SUBTITLE III - Part V - Sec. 1595.
Sec. 1595. - Searches and seizures

(1) If any officer or person authorized to make searches and seizures has probable cause to believe that -
(A) any merchandise upon which the duties have not been paid, or which has been otherwise brought into the United States unlawfully;
(B) any property which is subject to forfeiture under any provision of law enforced or administered by the United States Customs Service; or
(C) any document, container, wrapping, or other article which is evidence of a violation of section 1592 of this title involving fraud or of any other law enforced or administered by the United States Customs Service,

is in any dwelling house, store, or other building or place, he may make application, under oath, to any justice of the peace, to any municipal, county, State, or Federal judge, or to any Federal magistrate judge, and shall thereupon be entitled to a warrant to enter such dwelling house in the daytime only, or such store or other place at night or by day, and to search for and seize such merchandise or other article described in the warrant.

please tell me how you read this as allowing the importation of absinthe in any way shape or form?

[democracyindanger]

17. Come to think of it, you're probably right

I remember now that my absinthe came packaged as "reading material." Shhh...

[goodboy]

26. printed materials is what mine said.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

32. Not mine...

Mine came in a box that said "FRAGILE-GLASS." It was funny, because when I ordered it (less than a week to get here) my mom ended up signing for the package. I'm driving to school and my cell rings. It's my mom saying, "Hey, I just had to sign for a big box that says fragile all over it and comes from Europe. What is it?" "Oh yeah, that's just some absinthe I ordered..." "Okay, well good luck on your test today."

Then again, this is the woman that thought my sister's friends were puking in the backyard from eating too many cheetos, because they're good kids and it could never be a result of cheap vodka.

[yardwork]

22. Artemisia (wormwood) is poison. Do you really want to drink it?

Goodle artemisia to find out the physical effect on your body. It's not pretty.

Why not get high through meditation?

[democracyindanger]

27. Googled it

Lots of links about its use in landscaping and as a herbal medicine.

Absinthe was attacked in the late 19th century the same way marijuana was/is in the 20th/21st.

:shrug:

[PittPoliSci]

37. scary stuff

http://www.genhealth.com/wormwood.htm

[EstimatedProphet]

29. What the regs said I didn't look up

I ordered it anyway, and it arrived. Good enough for me.
Also, there is a thriving business importing absinthe to the US, and they're not getting busted. So, maybe the rule says no, but they don't seem to be enforcing it.
SO, I made an assumption based on my experience.

[northzax]

34. and there is a thirving business importing cocaine as well

doesn't mean it isn't illegal, no?

look, you arevery likely to get away with almost any customs violation, especially through the mail. unless you get caught. as a metter of practical experience, it is probably easy to import almost anything besides radioactive material or scheduled drugs through the mail. We are lucky to have a mail system that is relatively open. I know people who've fedexed cocaine. it can be done. doesn't mean it's not a crime.

however from looking farther, it appears that the crime is on the part of the sender, not the recipient, although it appears that 'aiding and abetting' the importation of anything intended to avoid customs duties is a civil offense.

[PittPoliSci]

36. thanks for the info!

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

7. I have had some before and I did not get drunk or anything ...

and it was with wormwood .

[amazona]

12. is it legal in France or Germany?

About to visit "Old Europe" soon and wondering if I might sample a taste while I'm there.

For some reason I had the idea it tastes like Pernod and if so I would not want to buy an entire bottle. :-)

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[goodboy]

21. It doesn't taste like pernod. Get some in France...go to the Absinthe

Museum at LaFeeverte.com

[Taverner]

16. Legal to buy, imbibe and posess

Just illegal to sell. It's not listed as a contolled substance.

[northzax]

24. illegal to make and import

which limits the ability of one to buy it, no?

[goodboy]

19. czech absinthe isn't all that...try some Verte de Fougerolles 72

or un emile 68.

They are among the best. Here is a link to a buyer's guide, and I can review any bottle you're thinking of. I've sampled most of the one's on this site:

http://www.feeverte.net/guide/

[NervousRex]

20. I bought some last year...

Real Czech Absinthe..with full strength wormwood...Make sure you burn off the alcohol a bit...otherwise you get completely shitfaced and never feel the "other" effects. After some experimentation I pour about 3 oz., then dilute it with 6 oz. of COLD water and torch it with a lighter...after it burns out drink the whole thing quickly, 'cuz it tastes like crap. Wait, and you'll feel pretty good in about 30 min or so. Have a beer or something. It feels like you took a couple of tokes...but it's seriously nothing special.

[bif]

30. They sell it in Canada

But when I went to a state booze store, it was extremely expensive, so I passed.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

31. Czech stuff sucks! but absinthe is legal to posess in the US

I personally liked La Fee Verte. I think the website is eabsinthe.com

Now they're offering a czech version too, so order their "Parisian" one.

The deal is that you can't sell or manufacture it in the US. Possession is legal, as is importation. My first time buying it was while I was in London. The only limitation was that you could only bring two bottles through customs, which is the same as standard alcohol.

[PittPoliSci]

33. thanks everyone!

[PittPoliSci]

35. anyone know anything about this?

http://www.erowid.org/ask/ask.cgi?ID=2693

But as far as I know, the FDA's rules don't allow them to prosecute buyers of unapproved foods & drugs, only the sellers. Unfortunately we don't know anyone who is an expert in this area of law nor anyone at the FDA willing to answer our questions.

So, the situation, as I understand it:


It is illegal to sell thujone containing absinthe in the US for human consumption.
It is illegal for someone outside the US to sell thujone containing absinthe to someone inside the US.
It is not illegal to purchase thujone containing absinthe for personal use in the US.
It is not illegal to purchase thujone containing absinthe for personal use from outside the United States
Thujone containing absinthe can be seized by US customs (if it appears to be for human consumption).