Do today's legal absinthe's have the same Absinthe Effects as those from the Belle Epoque?

Currently, there are over 200 absinthe brands approved for sale in the USA. To meet approval standards, each absinthe is tested by the TTB (Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau) and must to be "thujone free" as per the FDA's (Food and Drug Administration) regulation 21 CFR 172.510. Thujone free is defined as containing less than 10 parts per million of the ingredient thujone.

So what is thujone and how does it cause absinthe effects? After over 100 years of testing and debate, this question still remains unanswered. Here are a few facts about the chemical moiety thujone: Thujone acts on a receptor in the human brain responsible for alertness, lucidity and clarity. The best description of the absinthe effect is that it is like experiencing life in HD. All of your senses are heightened and slightly altered. I have also noticed that creative people are more prone to the effects of absinthe.

I have personally consumed most, if not all, of the imported and US legal absinthe brands. I found that the degree of absinthe effects varies greatly from very noticeable to nothing at all. Given that some absinthe brands exhibit effects while others do not leads me to believe there is something in absinthe causing psychotropic effects. This goes against some studies that conclude there is no effect form absinthe other than that of alcohol.

The interesting thing is that most of the studies debunking absinthe effects focused on thujone. We know that there are several herbs used in absinthe production that have exhibited effects on the CNS (central nervous system). It is possible that in differing concentrations and ratios these mind altering substances effect the human brain in a multitude of ways. Let me make this clear, when I say mind altering, I definitely do not mean hallucinogenic. It should also be considered that like any medication, the effects produced can vary greatly when considering the physiological differences from one person to the next.

In conclusions we can extrapolate that:

1.) There is a substance in absinthe that may have stimulating effects on the brain of some people.

2.) Absinthe sold in the US may or may not have an effect. Whether it does or not may be attributed to the absinthe or the individual drinkers physiology.

So what is the take away? Should you avoid the legal absinthe brands and buy the imports for the absinthe effect? Absolutely not. If your local liquor store has an absinthe that pleases your palette and has what you are looking for, save the exorbitant shipping fees and enjoy a home grown. Conversely, if you cannot find your preference locally, try an import.

3.) An absinthe that has effects on you may not have an effect on another person (imported or local absinthe).