Indian Tobacco

This delicate lobelia is native to North America, where it is known by the names pukeweed and Indian tobacco. The plant was used ceremonially by the North American Crow Indians and played a role in the love magic of the Pawnee and Mesquakie (Ott 1993, 411 *) . Lobelia is one of the ingredients in kinnikinnick and other smoking blends. The Indians also smoked the plant medicinally for asthma, bronchitis, irritations of the throat, and coughs. The herbage is finding increasing use as a tobacco substitute (see Nicotiana tabacum), especially among people who are trying to quit tobacco. Smoked by itself, lobelia is clearly psychoactive. It has both sedative and stimulating effects, which can surprise those who have no prior knowledge of the plant. The herbage contains more than twenty piperidine alkaloids. The main alkaloid, a-lobeline, is a nicotine antagonist (Szoke et al. 1993) and is used as a nicotine substitute for medical withdrawal (Krochmal et al. 1972,216). The a-lobeline content is almost twice as high in cultivated plants as in wild specimens (approximately 1.05 to 2.250/0 of dry weight; Krochmal et al. 1972,216). In Mexico, a closely related species, Lobelia cliffordtiana 1., is numbered among the hierbas locas, the ('herbs that make one crazy" (Martinez 1987, 427*; Reko 1938, 185*). It too may be suitable as an inebriating ingredient in smoking blends. An Asian species, Lobelia nicotianaefolia, is known as rasni or "wild tobacco:' The long, tobacco-like leaves of this plant, which can grow up to 3 meters in height, are said to be poisonous but can be smoked (Macmillan 1991, 430*). The name Lobelia longiflora 1. is an outdated synonym for Hippobroma longiflora (1.) G. Don, which is one of the ingredients in the South American cimora drink (Zander 1994, 312*) .

Literature Krochmal, Arnold, Leon Wilken, and Millie Chien. 1972. Plant and lobeline harvest of Lobelia inflata 1. Economic Botany 26:216-20. Szoke, E., A. Krajewska, and A. Nesmelyi. 1993. NMR characterization of alkaloids from Lobelia inflata. Planta Medica 59 suppl.: A704.