View from the cop: Crime & punishment
View from the Cop is moving to a new site on Wordpress. Blogger Steve Rose of the Sandy Springs Police Department gives his take on crime, offers safety tips and give his weekly picks from the police blotter. Follow Steve Rose to the new blog site.
AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2008 > March > 10 > Entry
Just say ‘no’ to toad
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some folks in Arizona contacted me recently, wanting to use a column that I wrote a while back for a crime prevention magazine. I pulled up their website and looked at the December 2007 issue of Arizona Crime Prevention Association News. Right there in front of my eyes read the following headline: “Toad Smoking”—A New Way to Get High.
With something sounding so utterly stupid and moronic, I was amazed I hadn’t heard of it before.
It seems these toads are called psychoactive toads, named for the psychoactive substances from bufotoxins that can be derived from the toad— not just any toad but the Sonoran Desert toad, also known as the Colorado River toad.
When angered or scared, they secret bufotoxins and as such, provide the toad licker with a psychedelic trip, au natural.
The newest form, smoking the toxins, occurs when the toad smoker collects the bufotoxin, dries it out and then smokes it. The article says the hallucinogenic effect lasts for about twenty minutes, about as long as a one-hour version of “Lost.”
The article addressed the legal ramifications of toad smoking (or toad licking for that matter) by pointing out that one man was arrested and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia—the toad. Apparently, in California, it’s a misdemeanor to possess the Colorado River, AKA Sonoran toad. What an idiot! What was wrong with this guy? He had to walk around with the toad in his pocket? I mean, couldn’t he leave the toad at home? Did he have to “bump up” on some toad now and then while he was out?
Being from the South, we don’t rub elbows with many toad smokers so I decided to poll the general area of northwest Forsyth, east Cherokee and south Pickens counties to see if people knew what toad smoking or toad licking was. Some figured it had something to do with getting high although many wondered aloud: “How do they keep the toad lit—bein’ it’s probably a jumpin’ around and such.” Which was the first cheesy thought you had after the words “toad smoker” wasn’t it? We all think alike at times.
Others were sure it was a code name for a sex act and a couple of guys over at the “515 Club” were convinced it was a Ted Nugent song.
Toad smoking and licking stories go back to the 1970’s when it was said that the last of the hippies were licking toads to get high. Some said the Cane Toads were sought in Australia by the Aborigines and Australian hippies. Much of what is written about toad licking is still in question as far as it’s valid sources but scientist do know much about the process.
The toad has venom glands and to obtain the venom, one must stroke the toad. This is known as “Strokin’ the Toad” and involves rubbing the toad under its chin. The venom is collected and dried and then smoked. Many amateurs, who do not know how to collect the venom, end up with warts. As to how, we won’t elaborate. This procedure does not harm the toad and it takes about a month for the toad to re-stock the ol’ bufos. Many toad report they actually like the procedure.
What does all this toad-smoking nonsense have to do with us? Simple. Most fads start on the west coast and work their way east. Some make it and some don’t. (Remember Pogs?)
By the time most fads get here, they morph to take on characteristics of the local flavor. That, and false rumors may lead to such nonsense such as snipe smoking. It’s hard enough to catch them at night with that paper bag.
Remember kids, say No to Toads!
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Bubba, Jr.
March 10, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this
Thanks for saving me from myself, Lt. What I said in the previous post was probably best left unpublished.
This toad’s for you, Dude!
By Cindy
March 10, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this
It was published Bubba Jr…in the other topic…not this one.
By ElBubba
March 10, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this
Jr. It’s OK man, I’ve calmed down somewhat. I’m hippie-happy today because it looks like all of the angry young people are going to vote out the old war mongers in November. Jr, you should smoke a toad. That twenty minutes of enlightenment could change your life! Just don’t carry it around in your pocket, they’ll p** on ‘ya…
By Mike K.
March 10, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this
You’ll get chills all through your body and you’ll lose all control of your bladder and your sphincter, that’s your bum hole.
‘Cos if you use toad, then I’m telling you… You can kiss your life goodbye.
Yeah when you use toad, It will mess you up. It will make your mama cry That’s no lie, You’ll choke on your tounge and die
You’ve got to give it up You got to give up the toad now It’s no joke buddy, give it up You got to give up the toad now Or you’ll croke You’ve got to give it up, And don’t smoke Or you will see, It hurts to pee
There’ll be blood, gushing from ya Everytime that you cough And forget getting lucky, It falls off
Yeah you’d better wise up ‘Cos I’m telling you Toad is what Lando forbids
Got to give it all up Or you’re gonna see Your whole life will hit the skids And your kids will be born without eyelids
You’ve got to give it up You got to give up the toad now Thanks to you And just give it up Give up the toad now Thanks to you
Give it up Got to give up the toad now, Oh-oh-oooh I’m no fool, Lando’s cool YEAH!!!
By Deanna
March 10, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this
Come on Mike, cite your source as “Family Guy” now! :)
By Lee
March 10, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this
This whole article begs the question “Who was the first guy that licked a toad and what the hell was he thinking?”
I can see it now…
10,000 years BC, two good ‘ol boys tracking down a wooly mammoth, one spies a Toad sunning on a log and turns to the other and says “Earl, I bet you wont lick that Toad’s butt.”
And the rest, as we say, is History.
By Fred
March 10, 2008 6:50 PM | Link to this
I hope you burn in a particularly hot spot of the fires of hell Lee. You stole my post: only I would have told it better……….
I heard about that toad butt lickin’ trip 30 years ago when I was a teen. I wondered the same thing as Mike. What possessed that first person to look at a toads butt and say, “Man I want to lick that little toad right on the butt? No, not that one. The one over there, the fine looking one with the big warts.”
By Fred
March 10, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
Oh, and Myra? I left you a post on the earlier blog lol.
By The new gateway drug
March 11, 2008 5:36 AM | Link to this
Why doesn’t some DEA spokesman announce that toads are the new gateway drug and our children are all at risk. Then the politicians can get in the posturing act and pass a law banning toads. All the toads will have to be arrested and put in toad concentration camps. Of course the cops will be allowed to seize the assets of the criminal toads so they can be used to further the War On Drugs.
By Katie
March 11, 2008 5:41 AM | Link to this
First, this is not new. Indians were doing this hundreds of years ago. Second, if people are so desparate to get high, let them. Their brains will give out, eventually.
By Ron
March 11, 2008 6:40 AM | Link to this
I’m thinking I won’t be trying toad smoking.In fact,I’m pretty positive about it.
By Fiddler
March 11, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
I hardly ever post on blogs, but The New Gateway Drug post at 5:36 am was so clever and on point I had to tip my hat to him/her.
By K2K
March 11, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
I’m not not licking toads
By K2K
March 11, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
I’m not not licking toads
By Julie
March 11, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this
That’s just NASTY!!
By ElBubba
March 11, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this
Have you ever seen a dog try to eat the toads we have around here? They only do it once. They start foaming/drooling and acting disturbed.
By Cal
March 11, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
Well Steve, I see all of the TOADIES lined up to respond to your article. I am sure this will cause your readership to increase in a FROGARITHMIC PROGRESSION.
By J.D.
March 11, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
Just don’t Bogart the toad, folks.
By ElBubba
March 11, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this
Bubba Jr. sent me an email and said he likes to do “jenkem”… what’s that? I grew up in the 70s and I’ve never heard of it.
By laughing
March 11, 2008 7:18 PM | Link to this
If a fellow was to lick a toad would it be called toadalingus?
By Lt. Steve
March 11, 2008 7:28 PM | Link to this
Did the indians do toads? I know of the sacred Pey-O-te. I think that’s why they were screaming when they attacked the wagon trains. They wern’t mad—just freaked out a bit. They probably had no idea the wagon train was even there. They were just riding and screaming through the desert and the wagon train just happened up. Some of them probably never saw it and just kept on riding till they hit LA.
By Scott
March 12, 2008 6:00 AM | Link to this
One has to remember there is a side effect to licking this particular toad. If a person touches you afterwards, they my get wee-weed on!