HERB - woad musings

[Wes Will]

>Would you mind sending me your sources?

OK, pinned down like that, I had better do some serious digging, rather
than a light once-over....Let's see what definitive sources (that I won't
be embarassed to post) I can find.
...  (Insert very long interval spent digging through my web and
paper-and-ink resources.)

The conclusions drawn from every herbal journal, book, publication, web
site -  other than the ones which, when backtracked to their origins, turn
out to be purveyors of hear-say, fictional, "magical", neo-"gothic", or
pseudo-"celtic" in nature - or usenet posting, are unanimous in their
agreement that:

The biennial Isatis Tinctoria, commonly known as 'woad', makes a great
dyestuff.  Period.  Punkt aus.  Konets svyazy.

NOTHING anywhere (other than the oddballs mentioned above) concerning
toxicity or psychoactive qualities of Isatis Tinctoria in any form or
fashion.  I do find occasional notes that woad is an astringent, but no
real information about preparing it as such.  Also note that the mention in
"Stefan's Florilegium" (www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/herbs-msg.html)
that begins "... woad is not and never was any sort of hallucinogen. The
raw sap crushed ... " can be apparently traced back (word for word) to a
very odd site concerning the syndicated television program "Highlander: The
Series".... Or maybe vice-versa.  This one is a sort of chicken-and-egg
reference, and I cannot ascertain which site was truly up first.

Deductively, I now conclude from the decided _lack_ of mention of any such
active properties, that woad is in fact more-or-less inert.  If it were
otherwise, we would see blue-painted counter-culturists running amok
everywhere, and loads of information concerning how to grow, process, and
use the stuff in this manner.  Also, there would undoubtedly be a
reactionary, "Ban The Evil Woad Before Your Child Starts Worshipping Satan"
group, bent on stamping the plant out, as their moral imperative.

I hereby RETRACT all mention of woad as a psychoactive and APOLOGIZE for
disseminating misinformation.

In re the noxious weed reference however, depending upon where you live,
you might be liable for prosecution for growing woad.  In the U.S., federal
laws mandate up to $5000 and up to a year in prison per violation of the
Noxious Weeds Act.  Finding a federal _list_ of weeds that are considered
noxious is a bit of an undertaking.  Once located (by telephone call to the
USDA), I find that woad is not on that federal list.

Before you plant woad, do check your local, regional (state/province) (and
national government regulations if not in the U.S.).  Some U.S.counties
regulate woad, as do many states (Wyoming, for instance) .  Other locales
do not regulate it.  In any and all cases, ecological and biological
morality would be to assume that the plant, if not native, should never be
allowed to get out into the wild.  Limit the damage to your local ecology;
keep the stuff in check.

So, grow lots of woad in your gardens.  Seems to be harmless enough stuff.
Let me know if other information comes up refuting this refutation.

--
Eoin Caimbeul
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