Is Abisinthe legal in the U.S?

Question

I read something in a blog today that said it was recently legalized. Was this true? Is it legal in Texas?

Answer 1

This is from Wikipedia :

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection literature, "The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain Artemisia absinthium is prohibited."[54] On the other hand, FDA regulations allow Artemisia species in foods or beverages, but those that contain Artemisia species, white cedar, oak moss, tansy or Yarrow, must be thujone free.[55] Other herbs that contain thujone have no restrictions. For example, sage and sage oil (which can be almost 50% thujone[45]) are on the FDA's list of substances generally recognized as safe.[56]

The prevailing consensus of interpretation of United States law and regulations among American absinthe connoisseurs is that it is probably legal to purchase such a product for personal use in the U.S. It is prohibited to sell items meant for human consumption which contain thujone derived from Artemisia species. (This derives from a Food and Drug Administration regulation, as opposed to a DEA regulation.) Customs regulations specifically forbid the importation of 'absinthe'. Absinthe can be and occasionally is seized by United States Customs if it appears to be for human consumption and can be seized inside the U.S. with a warrant.[57][58]

A faux-absinthe liquor called Absente, made with southern wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum) instead of grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), is sold legally in the United States and does not contain Grande Wormwood. This was the first US approval referring to "absinthe" on the front label; the front label says "Absinthe Refined" but the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) classified the product as Liqueur.

In 2007 the first legally available absinthe has been approved for sale in the US. These brands must pass TTB testing, which is performed by the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry method [59] and has a margin of error of 10ppm thujone [60]. Thus brands that are under the limit 'officially' don't contain thujone even if they do. Two brands currently available are Lucid and Kübler, with more to come.


FYI

Answer 2

Jan R is correct. I read an piece a couple of days ago in the San Jose Mercury News that mentioned it was now legal. Lucid and Kubler were the two labels mentioned. There are a few places in the bay area where you can buy it. They are the original recipe using Wormwood, which is a plant, an herb, and has nothing to do with worms or wood. But in my personal opinion there are none of those Anise based liquors that are worth drinking. I was in the Navy in the early '60s and tried them all, even Absinthe, and they all tasted like crap. I have never liked licorice.

Answer 3

Here's the thing, and the average person doesn't know this! There are two types of absinthe. The first is made with real wormwood oil. There is an ingredient in wormwood oil called THC. THC is the active ingredient in pot, too. When taken in concentrate (like absinthe) it causes hallucinations. If you ingest a LOT of wormwood oil, it has been scientifically proven to cause cancer. Unlike cigarettes, this property has made it illegal for purchase in the united states of America. But you can still get it imported from pretty much any European country for fairly cheap shipping and handling.

The second absinthe is made from synthetic wormwood oil. Its all laboratory made, eliminating the cancer causing agents. At the same time, eliminating the hallucinogen causing chemicals. This is the absinthe sold in stores across the US. Whats funny, is the uneducated mind things its ingesting the real thing and can sometimes make up its own hallucinations even though theres no reason for them to be there. This is also exhibited when teenagers "get high" after smoking oregano when they weren't educated enough to know what real pot looks/smells like.

Answer 4

Yes, it was recently made legal in the US.

Answer 5

im happy you asked that question because i just read an article in my local paper about it today. absinthe was made legal in may of this year and there are currently two brands of it in the US, Lucid and Kubler which are both made according to the original recipe. bottoms up!

Answer 6

No because it would probably be on news articles on the web if so. it's still illegal. I live in Texas and it hasn't been legalized here. unfortunately.

Answer 7

It's not legal to my knowledge. It could be one of those deals where it's legal to have but not to sell.

Answer 8

no it is still not legal