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I've made tinctures of herbs at least a half dozen times now, and everyone I share them with say that they taste strongly alcoholic.   A couple of my friends even assert that the effects of the alcohol outweigh the effects of the ingredients of herb (regardless of the potency of herb or quantity used in relation to alcohol).

I'm certain other people must have the same problem, how do you fix it?  I'm not trying to get my friends drunk, I just want to get the active ingredient out of the plant so it can be consumed by itself.

[smoking is bad for you]

Hi all, I'm new here, I registered to ask about herbal smoking blends.  The most popular at my usual source (shamansgarden.com) is called "Chill," there is a partial list of ingredients at the manufacturers website.  I did some research on the herbs contained in the blend, and found they had many agreeable effects.  One of the main ingredients, however, is woodruff, which has a pleasing scent but according to wikipedia can cause central paralysis and cessation of breathing in high doses.  In order to get any of the beneficial effects of the other herbs, one would likely have to smoke enough of the blend to get the toxic levels of woodruff as well.  Does anyone have knowledge/experience with this blend, this herb, or any similar to it?

Also, can anyone recommend any herbal smoking blends?  I know smoking is bad for you, but there's a certain level of convenience to it, and the beneficial qualities of some herbs are still active through combustion.  I'm not looking for blends to get high, or even commercial blends.  If you have a favorite combination of herbs for smoking that are pleasing and provide any sort of cognitive or physical benefits, that is what I'm looking for.