Restricted herbs.

[teasel]

Is there anywhere I can find a list of herbs that are restricted in the US? I've been googling around, but I can't seem to come up with anything.

[MaDonaVerde]

Hi Teasel,

I'm guessing that might be because each state varies in which plants are no-no's (Hawaii seems to have the most restrictions).

Maybe checking by state would yield more results.

Although - maybe this would answer your question too (not sure if you've seen this already). USDA site that deals with the government's "noxious weeds" list etc.:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/weeds/index.shtml
_________________
"Don't worry so much about 'Not Supposed To'. Hm? Live a little." - Armande Voizin in "Chocolat"

[kavawaka]

I am thinking that you are looking for herbs restricted as food or sale rather than cultivation. If so...
Don't know of a single list. Some herbs like poke are flagged to draw attention from regulators. One source of info is the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) - see their code of ethics and guidance policies.
http://www.ahpa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=56
Here are a few herbs that come to mind...
ephedra (ma huang) and plants containing ephedrine alkaloids are banned.
comfrey and other herbs that contain PAs (presumably unsaturated PAs) are banned.
calamus has been banned in food since around 1983.
any herb containing aristilochic acid is banned.
sassafras is questionable and might technically be banned (not sure).
stimulant laxatives must bear a warning in California.
kava wihtout a warning is greatly frowned upon.
chaparral and lobelia have been under scrutiny but can be sold.
other herbs FDA has looked at and frowns upon to one degree or another... acnonite, germander, tribulus, dogbane, pennyroyal and yohimbe. yohimbe could be banned at some point.
any other herb that can be proven unsafe is banned as a dietary supplement.
Hope this helps.

[teasel]

yes, this was what i was looking for.

how depressing.

[kavawaka]

Realized that i didn't enumerate the plants containing aristolochic acid:
all species of the genus Aristolochia (including Dutchman's pipe and A. serpentaria aka Virginia snakeroot)
and the genus Asarum (inlcuding A. canadense aka wild ginger).

One place these could become important is when GMPs are finalized and FDA evaluates clinics for a potential pass on GMP compliance. The plants in this thread would most likely cause FDA to require GMPs for those clinics dispensing them as they are considered dangerous.

[Herby Canopy]

When this government was founded it was meant for the people to govern the government, but now it is the government that governs the people. This is just one more proof of the government getting into parts of the lives the people with out having the right.

So what is some individual wants to take comfrey, or the like, they do not have the right to stop that individual. I can understand them stopping the industeries for using some herbs, since they do not care about the people that buy the product, nor the people that abuse the product.

The only reason that the government has the power to "ban" any herb for the individual or the small practisioner is because "We the people" allow them to have the power. There are so many people in this country that blindly follow the directions of the government, just because it is easier not to have to have a mind of your own.

It saddens me to think that a small, elite, group of people in this country of millions get to decide what is "right" for everyone else...
_________________
“A weed is no more than a flower in disguise, Which is seen through at once, if love give a man eyes”
James Russell Lowell

[kavawaka]

You have the power to take comfrey or anything else you want to take. No one will stop you. If you introduce it into the public food chain however, someone may stop you.

Unscrupulous or unknowing manufacturers are part of the equation. A number of people were hurt because they took herbal products containing aristilochic acid.

Those people probably wondered why their government did not do more to protect them.

[Yarrowmoon]

i think the real problem is that whatever happens, someone wont be happy. They're bringing in statutory regulation over here in the UK in the next few years, which is something that will probably turn up not long after I qualify - I know a lot of people are in two minds about it. I know I sure am! Our schedule 3 list changes a lot as well, with stuff like Poke being downgraded from schedule 3 fairly recently. Its also looking like Ephedra might get downgraded at some point in the future, or so my supervisors seem to think...
_________________
...can often be found grubbing around in the hedgerows, wearing an odd hat of elderflowers...

www.hearthcraft.co.uk

[kavawaka]

[Herby Canopy]

Why the ban on herbs? Yes some people might have even been killed from the use of them, but what about medical drugs? A lot of the so called drugs out there have a huge list of side effects some of which are death. How many people die every year from drugs that are proscribed from "doctors" compared to people that are "proscribed" herbal drugs from a practitioner. I would say that the natural healers have a much better track record but since the government is really only about money it is the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies that win.

I can see it coming when "We the people" will not be legally allowed to make are own herbal products...
_________________
“A weed is no more than a flower in disguise, Which is seen through at once, if love give a man eyes”
James Russell Lowell

[Yarrowmoon]

I think the issue there is that there's been rivalry between orthodox medicine and traditional medicine for hundreds of years now or perhaps even longer - the current hoo hah between herbalists and drug companies is just a continuation of that. That, I believe, is ultimately why incredibly damaging drugs get marketed then pulled after a couple of years but very little is heard about that or about how many people died, whereas all it takes is one liver toxicity case arising from use of comfrey for the media to be all over it like a rash. And yes, I am aware that there's probably more than a couple of such cases, however I am trying to look at it in terms of comparing several thousand deaths from iatrogenic illness brought on by orthodox meds as opposed to a handful of deaths brought on by use of a herb that has been around for thousands of years.

I think the whole thing is rather silly to be honest but then, I didn't make the modern world, I just have to try and live in it (and change my small corner of it as best I can, heh)

In its simplest form, the way to look at it is that there are some herbs out there that really aren't safe to be used by lay people, and which need to be treated with respect. And with the current atmosphere of 'sue where you can' that seems to be all over the place - its showing up over here in the UK now as well - as herbalists we have to be doubly careful of what we do. Plus, speaking from a UK perspective, we don't have big, wealthy governing bodies over here, whereas the doctors and NHS do - which means if the doctors mess something up then they can afford lawyers, but if we mess something up then we are up the proverbial without a paddle.

Either way, i think getting steamed up over it is kinda pointless - might as well try and fight the tides. Best bet is to learn where we stand and learn how to make the best of it, and hopefully leave things a little bit better for the rest of the herbalists when our time on this planet is done. Over here, I think the general move is towards trying to work with the doctors rather than against. I think they already do this to some degree in France and Germany - Henriette might know more about this?

Just my tuppence worth :)
_________________
...can often be found grubbing around in the hedgerows, wearing an odd hat of elderflowers...

www.hearthcraft.co.uk

[Bear_Medicine]

I do think it is worth getting upset about, to the point we can effect/change the situation... Personally, I don't feel that any amount of regulation is helpful, or even acceptable. There's too many insane laws that come from the rational that we silly little laypeople need protection from plants, ourselves and each other.... Yarrowmoon is certainly right that this is just the continuing conflict between folk and mainstream medicine, and the commercialization of medicine itself.

As I've said before, this is a good reason for herbalists to focus on education, so that everyone who wants to, can know how to gather effective medicines from their area....
_________________
~*~ Kiva Rose
Anima Lifeways & Herbal School http://animacenter.org
Anima Healing Arts Health & Herbal Clinic:
http://animahealingarts.org
Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference: http://traditionsinwesternherbalism.org

[Yarrowmoon]

hmm i think the reason why it doesnt steam me up so much is that I've pretty much been educated inside the idea of regulation... so while I may not be too happy about it, I'm aware that it will happen whatever I say or do. I do intend to do whatever i can to make the best of it, for myself and for everyone I get involved with... education is certainly a big part of it, when I've got some experience in herbalism under my belt i would love to do local weed classes, weed walks and how to make medicine at home. Its on my 'to do' list, hehe. i would also love to get involved teaching kids at some point.
_________________
...can often be found grubbing around in the hedgerows, wearing an odd hat of elderflowers...

www.hearthcraft.co.uk

[crabapple]

It's also harder to get mad about this in a UK context, since the regulations are so entrenched there. Here, it's new.
_________________
Rebecca Hartman
Crabapple Herbs: http://crabappleherbs.com/
The Herbwife's Kitchen: http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/

[Yarrowmoon]

yeah that pretty much covers it, lol.
_________________
...can often be found grubbing around in the hedgerows, wearing an odd hat of elderflowers...

www.hearthcraft.co.uk