Ginseng and Tobacco Snuff: An Unexpected Pleasure (Long)

I just reread this thread.

Here’s an update 3.5 years later.

I enjoy powdered ginseng mixed with tobacco snuff every bit as much as I did when I started this thread in March of 2014 and I agree with everything I said in this thread as well.

FWIW. Just in case you were wondering…   :)>-

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@fredh Will any old powdered pure ginseng work or do you recommend a particular brand?

Hi Will @willynelson. I just looked at the link I left in the opening post to this thread 3 years ago and it is still working. Here it is again.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AVO3LLK/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The only difference is that the product itself now has 10% ginsenosides instead of 7%, which of course, is very good thing. I also looked up the quality of that particular brand on a supplement rating website and it is rated as very high quality ginseng. 

Let me know if you try it and how you experienced the effects.

@fredh Would you be interested in selling me some of your concoction, sounds really good.

I used to drink Ginsing tea ( from the root ) daily. But I have not been able to find it lately. 

@fredhanna I have done a number of home made snuffs using coffee, cinnamon and menthol crystals with mostly no ill effects. I say mostly as when I first used cinnamon powder I did end up with nose bleeds until I added a larger portion of tobacco flour. I had originally mixed up the cinnamon and menthol as way to treat chronic sinus infection due to a botched dental procedure. I still take that one on a regular basis and very much enjoy the huge punch it provides. Jim

 I’ve been taking ginseng powder under my tongue for years. When I discovered snuff I  tried some up my nose and liked it, so now it’s a regular morning routine for me. I think i’m going to try my hand at mixing soon. 

@Captainblackboogers I am in your debt (and OPs) for bumping this thread. Sincere thanks. Time to go shopping …

Interesting… Keep us posted. Think it’s about time the @Basement_Shaman chimes in! Can only hope he is still only sidelined and able to do so.

@fredh or any others using Ginseng nasally … does it seem to make you more mentally adept? I swear I’m getting smarter (contrary to the evidence)

@ar47  

Ginseng has always made me feel like that, it’s what it does. Doing it nasally just helps you feel smarter faster…it hits almost instantly, maybe even  faster than doing it orally.

@nicmizer I used to mix it with Dholakia White . It was an eye opener. A bit earthy for my taste now. 

By the way I am not doing very well at all. Everyday a new pain or difficulty with the cancer killing me super slowly. I survived 4 years so far as of this month. I don’t know what I did to deserve this punishishment. Must had been in my drunken days I can’t recall… 

Be healthy my friends!     

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We wish you the best @basement_shaman.   I know your loved on this forum and facebook too probably.

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@basement_shaman we all appreciate you and your great snuff knowledge which you so freely share. I have learned from you and am grateful for your posts here on Snuffhouse.

As for a ginseng and snuff blend, yes indeed, I still do it regularly and am still amazed by it potency and positive benefits.


As I mentioned in the original post of this thread, research has shown that ginseng enhances the capacity for conceptual thought and also produces a sense of well being.


However, different kinds of ginseng contain varying amounts of ginsenosides, which are the active ingredients of ginseng. I have experimented with several different ginsengs, some of which are in powder form and others I have gotten as a powder by simply emptying the capsules. It is important to remember that some ginseng formulations on the market lack ginsenosides or have very little of them, and what this means, of course, is that they are useless without ginsenosides. I wish I had more extensive knowledge of all of this but I guess you can chalk this up to just one more thing of which my knowledge is insufficient.


Some are smoother than others in the nose. But beware, pure ginseng powder taken orally is very bitter, and so is the backdrip of ginseng even when blended with tobacco snuff. This is another reason I prefer to take ginseng nasally.

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Ginseng in snuff is a great idea. Thanks to all the contributors to this theead- I

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I imagine, just like snuff, that not all Ginseng powders are created equal

Is there one that the community recommends?

@ar47

 I imagine taste-wise the powders would be about the same though there are different ginsengs for different 

 effects: 

http://www.herbslist.net/siberian-ginseng.html

https://www.verywell.com/the-benefits-of-ginseng-89

http://blog.healthkismet.com/ginseng-health-benefits-different-types


pretty much in my experimentations some are more mental and some more physical. I believe what i’ve been taking is Panax.


Probably all are good for snuffing as long as they’re powdered enough.

I got some ginseng extract powder with 7% ginsenocides. 

Mixed it with some rustica and the scent was quite pleasant- reminiscent of marzipan. 

The grind of the powder is a little course, so I’m planning on working it with a mortar and pestle.

I noticed a slight but definite euphoric and focused effect which might be expected that to accumulate with regular use. 
It would be useful to know if the absorption of the ginsenosides would be facilitated by alkalization- or if that’s even possible.

There has been some research into additives that improve the nasal absorption of the ginsenosides (link to abstract below). In the study, there were 2 additives that improve absorption without toxicity: 0.5% borneol and 0.5% chitosan. Both of these are available commercially- the first as an aromatherapy extract and the second as a powder used as a nutritional supplement (white licorice extract). The ginseng to additive ratio is steep (200:1), so the chitosan powder is probably not practical unless it has high solubility and can be applied in liquid form. The borneol is a brighter prospect as it’s in liquid form, but what I found was “therapeutic grade” (aromatherapy) and not food grade. Maybe some member who has a chemistry background could shed more light on this?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16671546/

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My apologies for misinformation in the previous post. Chitosan is not sourced from white licorice but from shellfish. 

Borneol is a terpene derivative extracted from genus Artemisia which includes mugwort, wormwood, and sagebrush. This alone could add some interesting flavor if only a food-grade extract could be found.

Very interesting information and daring experiment. Not for this nose that nose better.