Hazardous Substances
Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa)
Street names: Lettuce opium, Lactucarium, Opium lettuce, Acrid lettuce
Overdose? Act now. Call emergency services — say "unresponsive, not breathing". Give naloxone for opioid-like signs. Hotlines
⚡What it does
- Mild sedative bitter (lactucin/lactucopicrin) — the 19th century's patent-medicine 'lettuce opium' is 99% placebo
- Sold as a legal opioid alternative
⚠Key risks
- The marketing vastly exceeds the pharmacology — but the placebo works on desperation
- Wild-harvest misidentification risk (lookalike plants)
- The real danger: people in opioid withdrawal wasting time on inert herbs instead of treatment
- Mild allergic reactions
✚Overdose signs
- None documented at sane doses
📋Quick facts
Also known asLettuce opium, Lactucarium, Opium lettuce, Acrid lettuce
CategoryHazardous Substances
Schedule / classUnregulated herb; legal
AppearanceDried herb or sticky 'lactucarium' extract from tall wild lettuce; smoked or brewed
Street price$8–$20 per ounce herb; extracts $15–$40
Legal statusLegal everywhere; sold as incense/ethnobotanical
Last updated2026-09-18
Sources: PubMed, Erowid
Category comparison — Hazardous Substances
| Substance | Class | Top risks | Street price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) | Unregulated herb; legal | The marketing vastly exceeds the pharmacology — but the placebo works on desperation; Wild-harvest misidentification risk (lookalike plants) | $8–$20 per ounce herb |
| Poppy Seeds & Poppy Seed Tea | Seeds legal | BATCH VARIANCE IS THE KILLER: morphine content swings wildly by origin and washing — the same cup size can be mild or fatal; multiple deaths documented; Positive drug tests for morphine — job/parole consequences from 'just tea' | $5–$15 per lb food-grade |
| Akuamma (Picralima nitida Seeds) | Unregulated herb | Weak but real opioid pharmacology — dependence possible with daily heavy use; The withdrawal-aid marketing loop (like kratom) creates its own dependence | $10–$25 per 100 g powder |
| Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) | Not federally scheduled | Opioid-like dependence and withdrawal (insomnia, muscle aches, irritability, diarrhea); FDA links to seizures, liver damage, hallucinations | ~$10–$30 per ounce powder |
Street prices are regional estimates. Potency and cuts vary constantly.
?Frequently asked questions
What does Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) look like?
Dried herb or sticky 'lactucarium' extract from tall wild lettuce; smoked or brewed
What are the signs of a Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) overdose?
None documented at sane doses Call emergency services immediately.
How addictive is it?
The marketing vastly exceeds the pharmacology — but the placebo works on desperation Dependence can develop with regular use.