Hi Can anyone confirm if it will still be possible for the individual to import banned herbs from USA for their personal use.

Michelle x

I guess it would be possible, but probably not advisible. If packages are checked by Customs they are liable to confiscate them and you could be in trouble.

I think it depends what you understand by banned. If you were importing kava kava roots into the UK, you might have an issue, although herbalists only accepted a voluntary ban on the product, so I'm not sure what the legal status of the plant is.

I've haven't tried this yet, but if I can't get hold of saw palmetto tincture from the UK shortly, I shall be ordering the berries to make my own tincture from somoene reputable in Florida soon.

My usual method of sending dried herbs through customs to the US is to label them as Pot Pourri (which they could be) and I haven't had a problem.

Sarah

Sarah,
Look for your source sooner rather than later!

I have just read "The effect of legislation on herbs.What you need to know."section on the website of Woodland Herbs,Glasgow.Very sad.Not so sad for the huge German phytochemical companies with their range of licensed products and a large French manufacturer specialising in herbs in capsule form.Of course their prices are unlikely to be the same as the "own label" products which will soon disappear.

Looking at it from afar I find it amazing that in a time of recession and high unemployment European Governments,British included,have nothing better to do with their time than enforce a Directive which will lead to the closure of small companies and long established family businesses.Actually I am not really amazed.

Here in Thailand traditional herbal medicine is the norm and most hospitals have a clinic for Thai or Chinese medicine.Amongst other things it is cheaper,often more effective,than Western drug therapy.Not that much in the Western herbal line,some products from Germany or Australia.In neighbouring Singapore many Western herbs are available in capsule form,mostly from America.

Bearing in mind the dire state of the British NHS you would think the Government would be delighted if individuals took care of themselves{In Canada herbal medicine is sensibly regulated to take pressure off the health services] or am I stupid?
Kevin

Hello Kevin,

No your are not mad. It's the power-crazed idiots in Brussels who are mad. Pontificating on anything and everything to justify their vast salaries and individual paper filled empires. Roll on the revolution. Oh dear I shall probably get a visit from the thought police.

Jane

Hi Kevin

I won't go into my thoughts on this subject as it will raise my blood pressure to an unacceptable rate and I'm in my office so don't have access to any dried bay leaves to put under my tongue!

It looks as if single tinctures may be ok. I've just ordered from Baldwins and there wasn't any problem.

It does raise the question of how important it is to become knowledgable about local herb uses and grow your own as much as possible. Looking for an alternative to saw palmetto, I have recently come across the use of willowherb for prostate issues. This is widely used in Germany/Austria, Eastern Europe and Africa, but completely forgotten here. We had a query about it on the forum several years ago, but relating to rosebary willowherb rather than the small-flowered variety. I wish I'd known then what I know now so I could have given a more informed answer.

I'm also looking to increase the number of adaptogens I grow. Most of them originate in India and south asia and can only be grown as annuals here, but they can be grown outside. This is my third year of growing ashwagandha from seed. The first year I had two seedlings from Debs which both flowered and produced fruit. I sowed seeds from those fruit last year but unfortunately the difficult summer meant none of my 20 plants flowered or fruited and I lost the lot to frosts without harvesting the roots.

Luckily, one of the plants I'd given to one of my apprentices did fruit and she gave me them this year and I currently have 64 seedlings growing in the greenhouse. Some will stay with me and some will go elsewhere, but I shall be bringing them inside in October to hopefully nurture a few plants through to their second year.

I'm also growing Tulsi (holy basil) from seed for the first time this year. The seeds were from Poyntzfield. Their stock is always very hardy and I reckon if it will grow in Scotland, it will grow anywhere. It's been a very fiddly task, but I currently have over 150 seedlings potted out in the greenhouse and am hopeful they will react like their sweet basil cousins and eventually grow so I can start to work with them.

Rhodiola and schisandra have also been planted in my Cotswold garden so are being systematically ignored in the hope they will copy the vitus tree and thrive in unsuitable conditions.

I realise not everyone has the opportunity, space or resources to grow their own herbs, but I do think it is possible to do something no matter where you are or what your circumstances are. Obviously overall health does have a bearing on this, which is why it's so important to do it anyway, before something happens.

Apologies for the soap box.

Sarah

Dear Sarah and Jane,

Please feel free to get onto your soap boxes on this subject.
On the itinctures I thought along the same lines,but if you look at the blog on Baldwins website it looks like there may be some doubt over this issue,but we shall see.

I also agree with looking at more local herbs and I believe research has been done on nettle root in connection with prostate enlargement.Having said that we have become very reliant on saw palmetto,as it really seems to work.

The whole subject is distasteful and interferes with individual freedom of choice.
Kevin

The EU Directive has allowed a breathing space for suppliers to sell any pre-existing stocks of tinctures etc. After they're gone, they're gone, and from that point they will be permitted to sell only licensed/registered products.