# Weed Every Prepper Should Know About



## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

For those interested.....



> During a SHTF situation, pain could become an annoyance for some, but unbearable for others. If doctors are scarce and medicine becomes even scarcer, this one little weed, found all over North America and similar to morphine, could be a saving grace.
> 
> Lactuca Virosa is the scientific term for the morphine-like plant, and many people have used it in place of addictive prescription pain medication, like opioids. The plant is called "wild lettuce," and it's fairly abundant. Known as a weed to most, it gets plucked from lawns and tossed in compost piles, but it's important to know what it can do, and how safe it actually is.
> 
> Wild lettuce is a leafy and tall plant, with small yellow buds, and could be growing right outside your door. More commonly found in North America and England, it's a cousin to the lettuce we typically see at the grocery store. It's also referred to as bitter lettuce, or more appropriately for the purpose discussed here, opium lettuce.


Similar To Morphine: The Weed Every Prepper Should Know About


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## Stockton (Jun 21, 2017)

My condo association fees go to eradicating these. 

This was definitely the best post I've read all day.


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## No Body (Feb 8, 2017)

Have some drying out in the barn:tango_face_smile:


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Nice to know. I have a number of books on local, regional and other plants and herbs and how to prepare them for different needs. Maybe priceless someday.


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.......


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Lot of plants like that for sure. As you read in the link they mak tea and vape it smoke it. They aren't doing that for pain relief it just another high. I have had morphine a few times in my life out side a hospital from injuries. I am dam glade I can go down to the Walgreen and pick some put. Dam that warn rush that hits your head and all is good . 
I amazed at how many people in Wisconsin don't know of the many use of the Burdoc weed.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

No Body said:


> Have some drying out in the barn:tango_face_smile:


Reminds me of my old pal Vandene DeVinney ..... oh well, I would have to kill ya if I went on any further.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

So how do you folks process it? Do you dry the whole plant & make a tea? My understanding is the most chemical is in the milky sap & that the native Americans would harvest & dry this.


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## No Body (Feb 8, 2017)

******* said:


> So how do you folks process it? Do you dry the whole plant & make a tea? My understanding is the most chemical is in the milky sap & that the native Americans would harvest & dry this.


Since I'm just learning about it and I'm going to be the guinea pig, I'm starting with drying the leaves out to make a tea. I also didn't want to take the whole plant down till after it goes to seed so I can save some of them. Thought I only had one plant that I could actually identify. Found a couple more the other day.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

No Body said:


> Since I'm just learning about it and I'm going to be the guinea pig, I'm starting with drying the leaves out to make a tea. I also didn't want to take the whole plant down till after it goes to seed so I can save some of them. Thought I only had one plant that I could actually identify. Found a couple more the other day.


My understanding is you get some benefit from the leaves but the compound is concentrated in the milky sap and most concentrated in a mature plant that has flowered. They say you cut off the top of the plant & scrape the sap, then every day or so, come back & cut a bit more off & keep harvesting the sap.

Seems the hard part is distinguishing this wild lettuce from a relative... prickly lettuce. Prickly has some of the compound but not as much as wild lettuce.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Ivé seen lots of plants that are good for various reasons. The problem for me, there seems to always be other plants can be confused with them. Unless, there is someone standing right next to you saying "this is it, and that is not it"......... all I am saying, a person had better be pretty sure of what he's doing. 
There are some very good plants out there, and others that will show you a shortcut to the bone yard.
The one you posted looks to be easy to identify, I'll start looking for it.


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## Greyman (Aug 9, 2017)

Nice! I'm adding this to my comfrey & valarien plot!


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## No Body (Feb 8, 2017)

If anybody's interested I took a few pictures of the wild lettuce here. I don't like most of the ones I find online because their small and it's hard for me to tell what things actually looks like. I used internet pics and a wild edible plants book to identify it.

I had my husband stand next to it so you can see how high it can grow. Looks like this one is about 10 feet tall if not taller. It's growing in a drainage area for the hills behind us. Nice black loamy soil there. The flowering seed heads look like regular lettuce flowers when you let them go to seed.


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## No Body (Feb 8, 2017)

******* said:


> My understanding is you get some benefit from the leaves but the compound is concentrated in the milky sap and most concentrated in a mature plant that has flowered. They say you cut off the top of the plant & scrape the sap, then every day or so, come back & cut a bit more off & keep harvesting the sap.
> 
> Seems the hard part is distinguishing this wild lettuce from a relative... prickly lettuce. Prickly has some of the compound but not as much as wild lettuce.


Thank you. I'll remember that and keep looking for more info. I don't need anything for pain so it's just an experiment to see what happens. I read that to much could slow your heart down to a dangerous level. The leaves sound like a safe beginning to me after reading that.


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## Gunn (Jan 1, 2016)

******* said:


> My understanding is you get some benefit from the leaves but the compound is concentrated in the milky sap and most concentrated in a mature plant that has flowered. They say you cut off the top of the plant & scrape the sap, then every day or so, come back & cut a bit more off & keep harvesting the sap.
> 
> Seems the hard part is distinguishing this wild lettuce from a relative... prickly lettuce. Prickly has some of the compound but not as much as wild lettuce.


First of all thank you for posting this. I just ordered seeds. Second, cultivation sounds like opium harvesting.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

A bit more info on Opium Lettuce.....

https://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/opium-lettuce-useful-shtf-plant-or-harmful-myth_04302019


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Just for the sake of conversation what part is dried to smoke the leafs or stem?
Are the roots good for anything?


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## AndyFrank (Jul 20, 2018)

The leaf. The sap is a bother to collect and people usually let the leaf and stalk hold it for them. All above ground parts are useable. Roots are not useful.
We have kratom and some places here people are growing it, but its just getting started. Its a lot stronger and saves the lettuce for littler ones that can take it. Made me think one use of messing with the sap is teething, if you didnt have any orajel.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

That looks like what we call milk weed around here. Very good for removing warts and other skin problems. Just break off a leaf and daub it on the problem area. Had no idea it is psychdelic thanks. Bound to be better than the crappy dirt weed commonly available. Never seen one bloomed out but they claim it looks like this. 
https://www.thespruce.com/milkweed-plants-monarch-butterfly-host-2132954


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

POT must be top of the list man that CBD oil cures everything.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Real Canabis oil works much better according to them who take it for various ailments and my cousin in Maine who makes the stuff under some kinda legal medical permit. He says CBD oil is not as good for what ails a person. A person needs to know how to make strong 190 proof moonshine to gently simmer the green leafy stuff. Not to hot or it turns it to CBD. He started out buying Everclear for a solvent but that stuff is too pricey.


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## JamesGrant (Dec 12, 2019)

I can conform, it is Definitely a well workin and easy to prepare painkiller.


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## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

The sap is latex just like every other lettuce. Or dandelions for that matter. I wonder how it's chemically any different.


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## ErickthePutz (Jan 10, 2021)

Well, the PMS bit should help quit a few posters on here…

Nice necropost.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

ErickthePutz said:


> Well, the PMS bit should help quit a few posters on here…
> 
> Nice necropost.


FYI, responding to spam bots in order to troll members is not a good look.


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