Toad-ally Awesome

Law enforcement authorities have discovered that people are willing to go to greater lengths to get high. "Toad smoking," which is a substitute for "toad licking," is done by extracting venom from the Sonoran Desert toad of the Colorado River. The toad's venom — which is secreted when the toad gets angry or scared — contains a hallucinogen called bufotenine. A person heats up the frog's venom to break down its toxins and preserve the hallucinogen, which is dried and then smoked to produce a buzz.

A Kansas City man was recently charged with possessing a controlled substance after Clay County authorities determined he possessed a toad with the intent to use its venom to get high. Clay County Prosecutor Daniel White said possessing the toad is not illegal, but using it to get high off its venom is.

"It is easier to get it, and law enforcement might not immediately know you use it to get high," White said. "It's sort of a New Age way to get high. You convince yourself it is OK because it is something you get naturally from our environment. There are a lot of things that are created naturally but they are still not legal," he said. According to White, various Internet sites feature instructions on how to extract the toad's venom. (Note from Daily Dude: see here and here.)