i want to introduce you with marasotu. Rustica leaves are mixed with (oak) ash 1/1 ratio and the moisture is 50%. It is used like snus but gives a tingling sensation. It is sold in 25g loose packs so you need thin cigarette papers to make your portion. As far as i know from the press it is also sold in UK at some turkish markets. History: it is told that in WW I french soldiers came to maras and some other cities with this type of tobacco and the local people learnt how to make it. 
It looks dangerous!
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@Juxtaposer i think it is dengerous with extreme nicotine content. I gave up smoking with it. I used it +14 hours a day even when sleeping. one pack lasts for 2 days. when my teeth began to look brownish i stopped using it and swiched to nasal snuff(now my teeth are white again). Sure it has the strongest nicotine kick.
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Where is it available ?
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@perique In turkey. It’s used almost entirely by truck drivers.
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Looks so tempting! And very simple formula of this chema.
Sounds very similar to iqmik which is used primarily by the native peoples in Alaska and NW Canada. The ash content in marasotu seems excessive, though. Chronic nicotine overdose is one way to shorten ones lifespan. It puts a strain on the heart. Building a tolerance to that much nicotine seems like a slippery slope.
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Not to promote the consumption of that kind of stuff at all, I dug out this old Marash powder thread as a curiosity. However, there’s definitely more to it than a spontaneous excitement of smokeless tobacco aficionado who just discovered something new. It is an integral part of tobacco realm and is related to the modern makla-type products, which evolved from similar powdered rustica and ash mixture.
Also, interesting to know the odd route of chema spread along the Mediterranean: Algeria - France - Turkey. Just like @linguist mentioned, its movement reflects a piece of history, namely - a Battle of Marash (to be precise, Franco-Turkish War, not the WWI), where many Algerians fought among the French troops.
As any other tobacco product, it’s obviously not safe. Still, instead of obscurely demonizing, let’s enlighten and warn, pointing at the specific dangers and naming them. Let the facts and figures talk.
The greatest concern of Marash otu users should be the high content of toxic heavy metals in ready-made product, which might be resulted by a faulty mfg tech (i. e. metal contamination, caused by machinery/equipment used in the process of manufacturing) or ingredients contam. Here’s a link to the research paper on metal contents: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327340164_Maras_Otu_ve_Turkiye’de_Satilan_Farkli_Sigara_Markalarinin_Metal_Icerik_Analizleri , which indicates very high concentrations of Cd, Pb, Al, Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu and Mn and states that “Marash powder addicts should be warned towards serious health problems, such as alzheimer, lung, kidney and pancreas cancer”.
Then, surely, there’s a certain amount of nicotine, enough for habituation to occur approximately after one month’s usage (sic!). Surprisingly, nicotine content numbers indicated in the following research article on HPLC analysis of N. rustica and Marash powder are not that high as one could expect from a rustica product: 1.17% (possible bias 0,03) in three samples tested: http://dergi.fabad.org.tr/pdf/volum23/Issue2/3.pdf
- less than in makla, snus, and some European nasal snuff, when compared to the results of this research:
https://www.bat-science.com/groupms/sites/bat\_9gvjxs.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO7AXL9M/$FILE/medMD7DTDGU.pdf?openelement . Still, less doesn’t mean safer. A number of studies have shown negative effects on the humoral immune system, increase of the oxidative stress and genotoxic effects (Effects of Smokeless Tobacco “Maras Powder” Use on Nitric Oxide and Cardiovascular Risk Parameters - PMC). There’s also a risk of oral cancer, “[…]observed in subjects with 15 or more years of exposure” (http://dergi.fabad.org.tr/pdf/volum23/Issue2/3.pdf), not to mention damage to labial mucosa and gingiva and increased risk for cardiovascular diseases.
@linguist, what is the legal status of Maras otu in Turkey?
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@volunge excellent research!
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A while ago I gave it a whirl:
A 1:1:1 mixture of coarse rustica flour, firewood ash (sifted through 150 micron mesh) and water. I found it absolutely usable right after the mixing. It’s not unlike Makla Ifrikia in terms of taste, texture and nicotine delivery, only milder. The gum sting is more humane, ammonia is there, but not that upfront as in Makla.
Will definitely repeat when I get hold of some rustica again.
Many thanks to @Johano for mahorka seeds and @Neill for growing some of them and gifting me his whole harvest!
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