Does the Green Fairy Really Fly High?

Absinthe, or the Green Fairy, has long been associated with Bohemian culture, and believed to be hallucinogenic. Artists, poets, and writers such as Ernest Hemingway attributed inspiration to it--but does absinthe really "feed your head"?

To clarify, absinthe is a highly alcoholic spirit distilled from herbs, particularly Artemisia absinthium, or grande wormwood, and is usually mixed with water when drunk. It is anise-flavored, which is said to resemble liquorice, fennel, and tarragon. Wormwood was used for it medicinal properties by the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks, and is said to have first been distilled as a drink in the late 18th century. It surged in popularity in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and gained the moniker "Green Fairy" for its traditional green hue, although it can be clear, as well.

Absinthe has probably gained its notoriety more for the habits of the milieu who so loved it, than any real hallucinogenic traits. It was banned in the US and many European countries by 1915. Like marijuana, it was blamed for murders and other morally degenerate behavior. It was never banned in the UK, however, and according to Absinthe: History in a Bottle by Barnaby Conrad, it was customary to ask for a "spot" with one's cocktail, that "spot" being absinthe.

Wormwood does contain thujone, a toxic chemical similar in molecular composition to THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana. Traces of this can be found in absinthe. However, most people you talk to who have drunk absinthe say it has no hallucinogenic or psychoactive effects. It is likely that since the Bohemian artists and writers consumed hallucinogenic drugs and were known to live a somewhat hedonistic lifestyle, absinthe was incorrectly portrayed as a mind-altering drug. It is now legal in many countries, including the United States.