Wild Lettuce Tincture

Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) is grown worldwide. This herb thrives in sunny locations, such as along riverbanks and roadsides. It can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in height.
Wild lettuce has bright green leaves, which sprout from a green stem that’s occasionally spotted purple. When scratched, the plant secretes a milky white substance known as lactucarium.
When dried, this compound resembles opium, a pain-relieving agent extracted from unripe seedpods of the opium poppy. Opium was commonly used as a pain reliever and sedative from ancient times into the 19th century. Lactucarium may deliver similar effects as opium — but with fewer side effects. In fact, wild lettuce is often referred to as “opium lettuce” due to its purported pain-relieving qualities.