PLANT ON LEGISLATURE GROUNDS SPARKS DRUG CONCERNS

High-times are the order of the day at the Alberta
legislature.

More than 100 hallucinogenic plants growing in the legislature's
postcard-perfect grounds will be torn out following revelations
youngsters looking for a cheap - but potentially deadly - high are
eating parts of the plants.

Groundskeepers will spend the last weeks of summer plucking white
flowers and prickly seed pods from small leafy shrubs, a type of
Datura which has upright trumpet-shaped white flowers.

Infrastructure department spokesman Martin Dupuis said it's commonly
called a thornapple or angel's trumpet.

Once the growing season is over, the plants will be torn out and
replaced with another variety for next year.

Dupuis said the move was deemed necessary after receiving two
complaints about the plants in the past week. One call was from a
mother who said her child had become ill after boiling the contents of
the seed pods and drinking the mixture.

A second person phoned with a more general complaint that some people
were boiling the pods in the hopes of getting high on the juice.

`We contacted them and we told them what we are going to do and they
were happy with that.' Dupuis said. `For the remainder of the growing
season the plants will be checked on a regular basis to remove flowers
and flower buds to prevent seed formation. So this will help eliminate
any potential health problems.'

It's the first time complaints or concerns have been raised about the
plant, an annual that has been part of the legislature gardens for
about three years.

`The plant is sold locally at greenhouses,' said Dupuis. `You can find
it across Canada. It's a pretty common plant.' Michael Hickman,
assistant director of the Devonian Botanic Garden, said he was not
aware of anyone trying to use certain types of Datura for
hallucinogens.

But after a brief check of his library shelves, he said a book by
Gregory L. Tilford, called Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West,
warns that the plant `has strong narcotic properties and ingesting it
may lead to convulsions, hallucinations, respiratory arrest or death.

`It has earned recognition in recent years among drug users who have
named the plant Hell's bells. It is unfortunately becoming
increasingly popular among teenagers who are seeking hallucinogenic
experiences.'

The Encyclopedia Britannica notes that several species of Datura are
collected for use as drugs. It notes Datura stramonium, is ` the
source of stramonium, a crude drug with narcotic and hypnotic effects'
and Datura innoxia which has `long been used by various peoples,
including Mexican Indians in their religious ceremonies.'