How Does Mad Honey Compare to THC?

Take a journey deep into remote Nepalese villages nestled among the Himalayan foothills, and you might find troves of truly unique honey tucked away into the crevices of craggy cliffs. Local populations, including the Gurung people, hang on to bamboo ladders hundreds of feet above the ground to pluck these magical honeycombs.

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What’s this special honey called? Mad honey, of course. It doesn’t look much different from the honey you can pick up on aisle five at your local supermarket. Try some, though, and you’ll know how it got its name. 

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If you’ve spent some time researching psychedelics, you might have encountered some information on mad honey. Consumption can result in a type of high, not unlike ones you can get from alcohol, marijuana, or magic mushrooms. 

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But is mad honey a drug? Which plant does mad honey come from? We’ll answer these questions and a whole lot more in this article. Come explore with us below!

What is Mad Honey?

Mad honey is a special type of sweet, viscous, amber-colored liquid produced by certain honey bees. A handful of rhododendron flowers that grow in Turkey, Nepal, and a few other places contain grayanotoxin, a neurotoxin that can cause psychoactive effects in humans. 

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The mad honey production process starts when a bee collects nectar from a grayanotoxin-containing rhododendron. These mad honeybees may pass around this special nectar to other bees for a little while before it eventually gets deposited into a honeycomb. 

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Bees flap their little wings as hard as they can to remove unnecessary moisture from their nectar deposits to create honey. At least twice a year, mad honey harvesters brave dizzying heights to collect the substance that fetches a pretty high price in markets across the globe. 

Does mad honey make you high?

Yes, consuming mad honey can give you feelings of euphoria and giddiness that many people may consider a high. Eat enough mad honey, and you may start to experience hallucinations. 

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Each user experiences mad honey’s effects a little differently. Furthermore, the particular effects you feel can depend on the particular area where the mad honey was harvested, the time of year the harvesters collected the mad honey, the amount you consumed, and so many other factors. In most cases, the effects of mad honey wear off within 24 hours—often much sooner.

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Many people who use mad honey recreationally do so for boosts in libido, as mad honey is one of the most common aphrodisiacs in the areas around the Black Sea.

Is mad honey addictive?

The short answer is that scientists don’t know for sure. Other than anecdotal reports from regular mad honey consumers, no evidence exists to show that mad honey is addictive. The best way to consume mad honey is to start out with a small amount—no more than a teaspoon, perhaps—and see how your body reacts to it. You can gradually increase the amount you consume to find out the best dosages.

Physical Effects of Mad Honey

Bad news: the high you can get from mad honey may not come without some potentially unpleasant side effects. We guess that news isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but it’s worth knowing what your body could experience before downing the sweet stuff.

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Some of the most common physical side effects of mad honey include:

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• Nausea and vomiting
• Excessive sweating
• Stomach cramps
• Body aches
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Low blood pressure
• Low heart rate
• Vertigo
• Muscle weakness
• Impaired speech
• Tremors
• Unconsciousness

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In extremely rare cases, termed mad honey poisoning, users’ blood pressure and heart rates can decrease so low that their organs do not receive the oxygenated blood they need. Death can occur in these circumstances, but only one person has died from mad honey poisoning since the 1800s. 

How Does a Mad Honey High Compare to a THC High?

One of the most common substances people use to get high is marijuana. More specifically, they crave Delta-9 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). That’s the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis plants that causes many users to feel relaxed, euphoric, drowsy, and a little hungry.

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You can infer some rough parallels between the high from mad honey and the high from marijuana. In the best-case scenario, users can watch their worries melt away and, in general, feel more at ease with their present circumstances. They may also feel more sociable and be quicker to erupt in raucous laughter.

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However, there are more differences than similarities. THC, for one, often distorts users’ sense of time, while mad honey rarely has that effect. Broadly speaking, the high one can get from THC can result in more intense emotions and feelings. THC may also be more likely than mad honey to cause hallucinations.

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Another important distinction is that even a small amount of mad honey, especially for first-time users, can cause a number of physical side effects. Many people report that even slight psychoactivity comes with nausea, diarrhea, and muscle pain. Anecdotally, THC may be a little easier on the body—though it is not without its side effects.

Does mad honey have similar biological mechanisms to THC?

Although the highs from mad honey and THC can overlap in some ways, the underlying physiological mechanisms making those highs happen are quite different.

THC and other exogenous (external) cannabinoids bind to receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system. While the body makes natural endocannabinoids in response to certain stressors—pain, hunger, and emotional stress, to name three—it does so in a limited fashion. Consuming marijuana floods the endocannabinoid system, so to speak, which means you may feel very relaxed.

As far as scientists can determine, mad honey does not bind to cannabinoid receptors (or any other internal receptors). Instead, the grayanotoxin interacts with the body’s sodium ion channels. 

Normally, these sodium ion channels come into contact with cells and quickly close off communication after fulfilling their limited purpose. However, for reasons unknown, mad honey can cause these sodium ion channels to stay open longer than they’d normally be open, which can overexcite or vibrate the cells. This activity is thought to be the main driver of mad honey’s psychoactive effects.

Green Dragon Offers High-Quality Mad Honey and THC Flower Products 

The Western world is only starting to realize the power of various nootropics and other natural substances, including mad honey. In fact, mad honey products might be perfect if you’re looking for an all-natural reliever for periodic stress.

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Although THC is not legal in many states, THCa, its biological precursor, can provide many of the same effects and health benefits. Our online store offers a wide array of delicious products. Our staff is also here to answer any questions you need answered before you click "order."