---
name: Sassafras
molecule: C10H10O2
compound: "Safrole"
era: Ancient
origin: North America
archetype: Milady
ancestor: Native American
swag_score: 3
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/milady_nativeAmerican_sassafras.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/milady_nativeAmerican_sassafras.webp" alt="Sassafras" width="320" />
</div>


# Sassafras

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Stimulant, anti-inflammatory, metabolite, relaxation.

**Natural Occurrence:** Traditionally, sassafras root bark or leaves
were used in Native American and early American medicine for fever, colds, and rheumatism, as
well as a flavoring agent. Found in the root bark, leaves, and wood of this deciduous tree native
to eastern North America.
**Appearance:** Plants with green lobed
leaves, yellow flowers, and brownish root bark. Dried root bark appears as reddish-brown to
dark brown

## History

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) was used extensively by Native American peoples for medicinal teas, poultices, and as a food flavoring long before European contact. Spanish explorers brought sassafras back to Europe in the 16th century, where it was marketed as a cure-all and became one of the first major exports from the New World. Sassafras root bark contains safrole, which was identified in the 20th century as a precursor chemical for synthesizing MDA and MDMA, leading to its regulation under the DEA's List I chemicals in the 1990s, linking this ancient medicinal plant directly to modern rave pharmacology.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Milady](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#milady)

**Ancestor:** [Native American](../../../core-lore/ancestors/native-american.md)

**Tarot Card:** [Three of Cups](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/three-of-cups.md)

**PubChem:** [Safrole](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Safrole)

**Paired With:** [MDMA](mdma.md), [MDA](mda.md)

## Sources

- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Safrole
- https://erowid.org/plants/sassafras/sassafras.shtml
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safrole
- [Sassafras albidum - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras_albidum)
- [Sassafras - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras)
- [DEA Diversion Control: Safrole and Sassafras Oil Advisory](https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/chem_prog/advisories/safrole.html)