The key terms around ethnobotany, compounds and German law, explained briefly and with sources. Each entry links to the article that goes deeper. Legal facts always come with the date they apply to.
Nitrogen-containing natural compounds, mostly from plants, many of which act on the body. Caffeine, nicotine and morphine are alkaloids.
Plants often produce alkaloids as protection against animals. The alkaloid content of a plant varies with species, origin, harvest and storage. That is why two products made from the same plant can differ considerably.
Also: Nymphaea caerulea, blue Egyptian water lily
A water lily from the Nile region (Nymphaea caerulea) that was sacred in ancient Egypt. It contains aporphine alkaloids such as nuciferine.
Not to be confused with the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), a different plant. There are no controlled human studies on blue lotus. As of 10 November 2026, it is not listed in the BtMG or the NpSG.
Also: Narcotics Act, Betäubungsmittelgesetz
The German Narcotics Act. It lists individual substances in three annexes and regulates whether they may be traded or prescribed.
Annex I covers substances that may not be traded (for example LSD and psilocybin), Annex II substances that may be traded but not prescribed, Annex III substances that may be prescribed. Unlike the NpSG, the BtMG names each substance individually, and possession is a criminal offence. Since 1 April 2024, cannabis is regulated separately in the Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG).
Also: Ethnobotanik
The study of how people and cultures use plants: as food, medicine, material and in ritual.
The term was coined in 1895 by the American botanist John W. Harshberger. Ethnobotany combines botany, anthropology and pharmacology. Many plants in our range, such as kanna, kratom, iboga and blue lotus, are known through ethnobotanical research.
Also: 10x, 20x, 10:1
How much plant material went into an extract. 10:1 or 10x means ten parts of plant became one part of extract.
The ratio helps to compare products from the same maker. It says nothing about the content of active compounds, which depends on the raw material and the method. Only a lab analysis shows that.
Also: Hexahydrocannabinol
A semi-synthetic cannabinoid produced by chemically modifying other cannabinoids, usually derived from CBD.
Since 27 June 2024, HHC, HHC-P and HHC-O are covered by the NpSG in Germany (5th amending ordinance, BGBl. 2024 I No. 210). Trading them is a criminal offence.
Also: Tabernanthe iboga
A shrub from Central Africa (Tabernanthe iboga) whose root bark is a sacrament in the Bwiti tradition of Gabon and Cameroon.
The root bark contains several alkaloids, mainly ibogaine. Ibogaine can disturb heart rhythm, which makes iboga one of the riskier plants in ethnobotany. As of 10 November 2026, the plant is not listed in the BtMG or the NpSG.
The main alkaloid of iboga root bark. It is studied in addiction research and can prolong the QT interval of the heart.
QT prolongation can lead to dangerous arrhythmias (Koenig & Hilber, 2015). Deaths temporally associated with ibogaine have been documented (Alper et al., 2012).
Also: Sceletium tortuosum, kougoed
A South African succulent (Sceletium tortuosum) traditionally used by Khoisan communities, often in fermented form.
Its main alkaloid is mesembrine. Because mesembrine affects serotonin, kanna should not be combined with antidepressants or other serotonergic substances. As of 10 November 2026, kanna is not listed in the BtMG or the NpSG.
Also: Mitragyna speciosa, ketum
A tree from the coffee family native to Southeast Asia (Mitragyna speciosa) whose leaves contain the alkaloid mitragynine.
Traditionally, workers in Thailand and Malaysia chewed the fresh leaves. Regular use can lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms (Singh et al., 2014; WHO, 2021). As of 10 November 2026, kratom is not listed in the BtMG or the NpSG; several other countries restrict it.
Also: LSD analogues
Substances built on the structure of lysergic acid amide. The best known is LSD; analogues such as 1P-LSD differ by small chemical modifications.
In Germany, LSD is listed in the BtMG. Many analogues have been added to the NpSG group of lysergamides over the years. Which ones are covered, and since when, is tracked in our NpSG Monitor.
The main alkaloid of kanna. It inhibits the reuptake of serotonin and the enzyme PDE4.
Because of its serotonergic action, mesembrine must not be combined with antidepressants or other serotonergic substances (risk of serotonin syndrome).
Also: Mikrodosierung
Taking very small amounts of a psychoactive substance on a regular schedule, below the threshold of noticeable effects.
The term was popularised by the psychologist James Fadiman (2011). In a large self-blinding study, people on placebo reported improvements similar to those on microdoses (Szigeti et al., 2021). The evidence is thinner than often claimed.
The main alkaloid of kratom. It acts, among other things, as a partial agonist at opioid receptors.
In the body, part of it is converted into 7-hydroxymitragynine, which is considerably more potent. This explains why kratom is discussed in connection with dependence and why combinations with opioids or sedatives are risky.
The main psychoactive compound of the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria). It acts on GABA-A receptors, the same system that alcohol and sedatives affect.
Muscimol forms from ibotenic acid when the mushroom is dried. Its effects differ fundamentally from psilocybin mushrooms. Combining it with alcohol or sedatives is risky.
Also: Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, Novel-Food-Verordnung
EU rule under which foods that were not consumed to a significant degree in the EU before 15 May 1997 need an authorisation before they may be sold as food.
The regulation matters for botanicals because selling a plant or extract as a food or food supplement can require authorisation even if the substance itself is not a narcotic. In June 2026 the Administrative Court of Cologne based a decision on this regulation (case 1 L 1267/26, not yet final).
Also: New Psychoactive Substances Act, Neue-psychoaktive-Stoffe-Gesetz
German law in force since 26 November 2016 that bans entire groups of new psychoactive substances instead of listing them one by one.
The NpSG covers substance groups defined by their chemical structure, for example certain lysergamides, tryptamines and cannabinoids. Trading, manufacturing and placing on the market are criminal offences. Acquiring and possessing such substances is prohibited but not punishable; they can be seized. The annex is extended by ordinance, which is why the status of individual substances changes over time.
An aporphine alkaloid found in blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) and sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera).
In lab and animal studies, nuciferine acts on several serotonin and dopamine receptors (Farrell et al., 2016). Human data is lacking.
Also: Hapé
A ceremonial snuff from the Amazon, made from tobacco (often Nicotiana rustica) mixed with the ash of tree barks and other plants.
Rapé is applied with special pipes called tepi and kuripe. Its main active compound is nicotine, often in high concentration.
Also: Forschungschemikalie, RC
A new or little-studied substance offered as reference material for research. Data on effects and toxicity in humans is usually missing.
Research chemicals are often structural analogues of known substances. The lack of data is the central risk: there are no established safety margins, and interactions are largely unknown. We describe such substances only as molecule profiles.
A potentially life-threatening reaction to too much serotonergic activity, usually caused by combining several serotonergic substances.
Symptoms range from restlessness, sweating and tremor to high fever and seizures. Risky combinations include antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAO inhibitors) with other serotonergic substances, for example kanna. Anyone taking such medication should talk to a doctor before combining it with anything else.
The idea that mindset (set) and environment (setting) shape the effect of a psychoactive substance as much as the substance itself.
The phrase was popularised by Timothy Leary and colleagues in the early 1960s. It is now a basic concept in psychedelic research and harm reduction.
This glossary explains terms. It is not legal or medical advice and not a guide to consumption. Legal facts apply as of the stated date. Spotted an error? Let us know.
