Nutmeg High: The Psychoactive Properties of a Common Household Spice

Nutmeg is a commonly used spice in cooking and preparation of certain spice-mixes such as mulling spices. However, nutmeg contains an active psychoactive compound called myristicin, which belongs to the deliriant drug family. When taken in sufficient quantities, nutmeg off a spice rack can produce deliriant effects.

Why hasn't the public heard about nutmeg being a drug? Why hasn't there been an uproar from suburban parents demanding that the government do something about their children getting high? Well, the driving reason behind that fact that nutmeg's drug status is largely unknown is the fact that the nutmeg high is not particularly pleasant. Like most deliriants, nutmeg's efficacy at producing a hallucinogenic high is largely in the eye of the beholder and most people consider its effects unpleasant.

The reason nutmeg doesn't get eggnog-drinkers high is because one must consume several grams of it in order to feel any psychoactive effects. There is a dosage threshold based on quantity, metabolism, and body weight that causes nutmeg to cease being a spice and enter the realm of being a drug. Like other deliriants, the effects of nutmeg take several hours to peak. Nutmeg is one of the most bizarre psychoactive drugs in that it often takes up to six hours for an individual to even begin feeling minimal effects of the drug. Effects can range anywhere from a mild high or stoned feeling similar to marijuana coupled with alcohol to a full-blown deliriant experience with auditory and visual hallucinations, closed-eye visuals, and shifts in perception. Because of its efficacy to produce a cheap and legal high, nutmeg is most often used by people who are unable to obtain illicit drugs or by prisoners who have access to it in kitchens.