So Long, Ephedra…

…it was nice knowing you.

The congressionally approved, medically questionable FDA ban on the popular supplement is upon us, absent divine intervention.

Like campaign-finance reform, banning the "amphetamine-like herb" in an election year can only be seen as job-protection plan for incumbent politicians.

Comments

[Dave S]

Mark, I'm glad you're glad. I think my point is that as far as bans go, this one is pretty silly because you can still get ephedrine at your local 7-11.

[Ken Layne]

Yep, ephedra is "Mormon Tea." The jackasses have banned yet another native plant that, er, grows like weeds.

Here's some of the Mormon Tea growing all the hell over, behind my house in Northern Nevada:
http://kenlayne.buzznet.com/user/?id=159322

If you live in the Western U.S. or the northern deserts of Mexico, you can find plenty of wild-growing ephedra.

http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Ephedra_nevadensis.gif

http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Ephedra_californica.gif

http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Ephedra_viridis.gif

And a photo & short article from DesertUSA.com:
http://www.desertusa.com/april97/du_mormontea.html

[Rod]

This ephedra ban and brouhaha preceding it are as silly as things get. Just what is the difference between ephedra and the pseudoephedrine in virtually every cold remedy on the market? Both make your prostate, assuming you have one, blow up like a bagel and speed your heart up as fast as Carlos Santana plucking 1/8th notes. But as long as you are warned, its your call as to whether its worth the risk.

[Dave S]

No biggie though, because as I understand it, they didn't ban it when used as a bronchodilator. So you can still get the "truckers speed" and/or just buy primatene tablets.

[Quotes on Law]

The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the Prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this. -- Albert Einstein, My First Impression of the U.S.A., 1921

[MP]

Vasopro, a common Bronchodilator product now used by people putting together their own ECA stack, contains an ingredient called Guaifenesin, which is used to liquefy mucus. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some long term consequence to taking it on a regular basis, but I'm no medical expert. As usual, the law of unintended consequences might have this ban causing more problems than it supposedly solves.

Next up for Congress, the Pro-Hormone ban. It's so nice of politicians to complain about Americans being fat, then take away the relatively harmless (when used responsibly) tools used by some to become more fit.

[ron]

i never would have bought any ephedra if i hadn't heard about this ban but i'm glad i did because this shit kicks ass. caffeine hasn't been doing shit for me for about 5 years but a couple stacker 2's in the morning wakes me right the fuck up. of course if i mention it to anyone they spaz out and hide behind a couch so as not to get splattered during the inevitable explosion of my heart. it leads to some good arguments because most jokers never seem to question the fact that maybe the government shouldn't be the one deciding what we can put in our mouths.

[Don]

Isn't ephedra in Mormon tea? The plant used for the tea is common here in the US SouthWest. My dad claims that it can cure just about anything . . .

[Mark Fox]

I feel so much safer now. And I'm getting very verrry sleepy.

Dave: I'm glad it's no big deal to you. That people lose convenience, price, quality, and personal freedom is so obviously irrelevant.

[Joe Majsterski]

Yes, guaifenesin is an expectorant in regular dose sizes, but at higher doses it works more like an emetic, which leads to vomiting. So you can't gobble it down as much as you could if it were just ephedra.

[curtis]

can you buy ephedra in mexico?

[Annie]

Can you buy Ephedra in Mexico????????