Does Mad Honey Make You High?
If you haven’t heard of mad honey prior to reading these words, you’re definitely not alone. For centuries, mad honey was known only to native populations in present-day Nepal, Turkey, and areas along the Black Sea. Once word got out, wealthy people in Europe and Asia began importing the stuff like crazy.
Why go to these great lengths for honey? Well, mad honey is not just like any regular honey you put on your biscuit. It makes you feel things. Good things! So, does mad honey make you high? Yeah, you can say that. But there’s a lot more to mad honey than its psychoactivity.
Let’s take a closer look.
What is Mad Honey?
Mad honey is special honey you can’t just get at the grocery store—not even at an endcap. It’s honey that comes from the nectar of particular plants from the family Ericaceae. A few flowers belonging to the Rhododendron genus contain the good stuff, called grayanotoxins, responsible for mad honey’s psychoactive effects.
In case you don’t remember everything from middle school biology, here’s a little refresher on honey gets made:
- Forager bees have 21 days to grow up before they must buzz off from the beehive in search of nectar and pollen. The hive’s gotta eat, man.
- The bees use their crazy eyesight to find flowers with nectar, which they start collecting with their long tongues.
- Once forager bees have all the nectar their little honey stomachs (yes, that’s what they’re called) can hold, they start swapping the nectar with other bees.
- Grossed out yet?
- After nectar gets passed around enough times, it collects the sugars, amino acids, and other essential parts of honey.
- The worker bees seal up the honey in combs. Some lucky animal or person will get to feast on it.
The only real difference between mad honey and regular honey, at least in the pre-consumption stages, is the nectar source. Grayanotoxins are the key to mad honey’s magic.
Where does mad honey come from?
The Rhododendron flowers that contain grayanotoxins grow abundantly in Nepal, Turkey, around the Black Sea, and among the Caucasus Mountains. You can occasionally find mad honeycombs hiding out in the Appalachians, but the conditions have to be just right.
Is mad honey a drug?
You could definitely consider mad honey to be a drug. That’s especially true in South Korea, where authorities outlawed it in 2005.
Although mad honey is legal in the U.S., it can still be considered a drug because its consumption produces biological effects. In that way, alcohol, nicotine, and even caffeine are drugs. You shouldn’t worry about those three substances showing up on a drug test unless, of course, you try to drive home after imbibing a few too many IPAs. But you don’t do that because you’re a responsible, caring human being!
The Big Question: Does Mad Honey Make You High?
Now, to the real question: How does mad honey make you feel?
If you take the right amount, it can certainly give you a high. Native peoples of Nepal and Asia Minor have used mad honey recreationally for a long time. Mad honey often makes users feel giddy, more sociable, and content as a cucumber. Eat enough mad honey, and you may start experiencing some hallucinations.
Mad honey intoxication may be a little different from the high you get from marijuana or shrooms, but every experience is a little different. Your environment and the amount you ingest can both impact your mad honey experience.
Will mad honey show up on a drug test?
We cannot be 100% sure that mad honey won’t show up on a drug test, but we can be 99.99% sure. It’s legal in the U.S. and almost every country (sorry, South Korea), so it shouldn’t be an issue even if your employer found out you were eating mad honey. Your boss probably won’t find out unless they have a liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer lying around.
Other Mad Honey Effects & Potential Benefits
Mad honey has also made a name for itself in folk medicine. Because mad honey has various cardioprotective effects, some people use it to lower their heart rate and blood pressure. Plenty of people also use mad honey as an aphrodisiac, as it can aid in arousal, performance, and pleasure.
Other conditions mad honey may help in treating include:
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Gastrointestinal disorders (especially gastritis, peptic ulcers, and dyspepsia)
- The flu and common colds
- Wound healing
- Physical pain
How to Use Mad Honey
As with non-intoxicating honey, you can eat mad honey straight from the jar or add it to food or beverages. Raw mad honey that hasn’t been refined or flavored can be a little rough on your throat, as the grayanotoxins give it a somewhat bitter taste.
How much mad honey should I take?
The amount of mad honey you consume is up to you, but we recommend starting with a lower dose for your first experience. The unofficial standard dose to get the intoxicating effects is one teaspoon, but we recommend taking a little less than that before you know how your body reacts to the stuff.
Half of a teaspoon is a good starter dose. Another reason to be cautious is the variance between grayanotoxin concentrations among mad honey products. Mad honey harvested in the springtime is usually more potent than mad honey harvested at other times of the year, for example.
What are the potential side effects of mad honey?
Okay, it’s time to talk about the not-so-pleasant side effects of mad honey. You can decrease your chances of experiencing them the less you take.
Some of the common mad honey side effects include:
- Bradycardia
- Atrial fibrillation
- Low blood pressure
- Slowed breathing
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Vertigo
- Nausea or vomiting
- Tingling, prickling, or numbness of the extremities
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
The good news is that mad honey is hardly ever fatal; in fact, there’s only been one recorded death from mad honey intoxication since the 1800s. Negative side effects rarely last longer than 24 hours. Overall, mad honey is a relatively low-risk psychoactive substance.
Ready to Give Mad Honey a Try? Shop Top Products at Green Dragon
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate mad honey as strictly as it does many other foods, so it’s understandable if you are a little wary about buying it online. We can assure you, though, that all of Green Dragon CBD’s mad honey products exceed our company’s rigorous standards.
Still not sold? Our staff would be more than happy to answer any questions about mad honey or any other products we sell. Let’s chat soon!
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When used in small, controlled doses, mad honey can be safe for most people, but it does come with risks. Overconsumption may lead to side effects such as confusion, lightheadedness, or, in rare cases, severe symptoms. It’s best to start with a small amount and consult a healthcare provider if you have concerns.
Mad honey is a rare type of honey produced by bees that gather nectar from rhododendron flowers, which contain grayanotoxins. These compounds give mad honey its psychoactive properties, resulting in effects like mild euphoria, relaxation, and in some cases, hallucinations. It has been used historically for both recreational and medicinal purposes, though it should be consumed cautiously due to its potency. The honey is mostly found in areas like Turkey, Nepal, and parts of the Himalayas.
Mad honey can cause euphoria, relaxation, tingling sensations, and mild intoxication. Some users also report dizziness, bodily weakness, and even enhanced sexual performance. However, consuming too much can lead to side effects like nausea, lowered heart rate, and vision changes.
While both mad honey and magic mushrooms can alter perception and mood, mushrooms are more likely to cause hallucinations and deep emotional shifts. Mad honey’s effects are generally milder, similar to an alcohol buzz, and less likely to induce paranoia or depersonalization.
