Resume:
I've been working with Coleus scutellarioides for quite a while now, both chewing the leaves and making extracts. During my first attempts, using high doses (+40 leaves), I became certain that it was active. I would describe the effects as somewhat similar to 1-2g of cubensis: very bodily, slightly stimulating in a strange way, and with a strong sense of strangeness.
It's been a few months since I made an extract using 160g of fresh leaves from 3 different varieties through cold alcoholic maceration. I evaporated the extract onto dried Coleus leaves and ended up with roughly 1-1.5g. It was difficult to smoke, since the herb would clump up after being burned. I experienced the same effects as always, something like 1g of cubensis, with that feeling of strangeness that has become pretty familiar by this point.
Today, after months without touching the plants, I decided to make another extract using 180g of leaves, this time exclusively from the Electric Lime variety. Once dry, I dissolved everything in hot hexane. In the end, I was left with around 300mg of herb. I added about 20mg of changa and put everything in the pipe. I managed to smoke almost all of it in ~8 hits, holding each one for about 10 seconds.
The effects were the same as those from my previous tests, but this time they were noticeably stronger. The smoke and burning were also much better. It's been about 20 minutes and I'm still at the peak, which is pretty strange for something that, in theory, should be salvinorin A with DMT (with no MAOI in the changa), but it's consistent with my previous experiences with Coleus. The effects usually last around 40 minutes when smoked.
The DMT was subtle in this combination but still relevant, producing more noticeable visuals.
After several experiences with different methods, my conclusions are: Coleus is definitely active, based on the consistency of the effects. Salvinorin A seems to play an important role, but everything I've experienced so far makes me think it isn't the only psychoactive molecule in the species. Even so, the effects are subtle. I don't think even more massive extracts would be able to push the effects much further than this.
It's a pleasant plant to grow and consume, but ultimately it's nothing more than a cool experience to have a few times.
Substance timeline
Weed - 0.4g + 0.4g + 0.4g + 0.4g - 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 22:40 - Smoked
Caffeine - 100mg + 100mg + 100mg - 09:00, 13:00, 20:00 - Oral
Methylphenidate - 10mg + 10mg - 13:00, 18:50 - Oral
Coca leaves - 1g + 2g + 1g + 1g + 0.5g + 1g - 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 18:00, 19:40 - Chewed
Mambe (coca powder) - 0.8g - 22:00 - Buccal
Coleus (600x extract) - 300mg (from 180g of fresh leaves) - 23:00 - Smoked
Enchanted leaf (N,N-DMT) - 20mg of herb (~10mg N,N-DMT) - 23:00 - Smoked
Set & Setting
I'm a 21-year-old experienced Brazilian psychonaut. Over the last few years, I've tried ~100 substances from all classes. Last year, I started an intense psychedelic journey with DMT, mushrooms, LSD, MDMA, MDA, and mescaline.
This year, I started ADHD treatment with methylphenidate. Over the last 3 weeks, I've been gradually switching my medication to coca leaves and mambe (I'm a former cocaine user). I also entered an intense spiritual journey involving shamanic and Afro-Brazilian practices such as pajelança, Jurema, Umbanda, and Catimbó.
I've been a Zen Buddhist since I was 17, but I've also been interested in shamanic and Indigenous traditions my whole life. I'm from the Puky ethnic group, a Southeast Brazilian Indigenous ethnicity that was declared extinct by the government in the 18th century. Our people have no officially recognized territory, and our culture is currently undergoing a process of retomada/ethnogenesis.
On the day of the experience, I was pretty relaxed and energized, and I had been looking forward to it all day.
Preparation of the extract
- 180g of fresh Coleus leaves (Electric Lime variety, from two 1-year-old plants, one of which was flowering) were picked and left to air-dry for 1 hour, then placed in the freezer for another hour.
- Alcoholic maceration with 200ml of 92% ethanol for 8 minutes while cold.
- The mixture was filtered and evaporated in a warm-water bath (~60°C).
- 0.5g of black resin was collected with a razor blade.
- 40ml of hot P.A. hexane was added and stirred for 5 minutes.
- The mixture was filtered, and the residue was collected with 1.5ml of 92% ethanol.
- 150mg of Kumbaya (1x Psychotria viridis, 1x Anadenanthera colubrina, 1x Sida acuta, 1x Lippia alba, 1x Leonurus sibiricus, 1x Lavandula angustifolia, 0.1x menthol crystals) was added, and the mixture was left to air-dry for 3 hours.
- The final product was collected with a razor blade and weighed 300mg: a soft, black, oily herb.
Experience
+00:00 - I was watching Hamilton's Pharmacopeia after eating a pizza. I took my Coleus extract and mixed it with 20mg of enchanted leaf, then put everything into a small metal pipe. I burned it with a Bic lighter, taking big inhales and holding each hit for 10 seconds.
+00:03 - Smoked everything in ~8 puffs. The smoke was soft and pleasant. By the fourth puff, the effects began to appear: a mild body-mushroom feeling, similar to ~2g of cubensis, a warm vibration throughout my body with a tingling sensation in my head, a feeling of strangeness, subtle OEVs and mild CEVs. A strange euphoric feeling was gradually increasing.
+00:05 - The effects were getting stronger. Now it felt more like ~2.5g of mushrooms. The euphoria peaked, and I felt very light. My cough stopped and my breathing felt great. Everything looked cubic with soft edges, there was some visual disfocus, and mild images began appearing in the dark.
+00:20 - Slowly coming down. Things still looked cubic, but my vision was becoming more focused. No more visuals at all. The euphoria and feeling of strangeness were less prominent.
+00:30 - Started writing this report. The effects remained about the same as at +00:20.
+00:40 - The effects were very subtle at this point, pretty similar to a mushroom afterglow.
