Ingesting the seeds of the common morning glory plant can cause hallucinations, common knowledge in the 1960s that apparently is being relearned by a new generation of youth.

The Washington Post reported May 3 that garden shops in the Washington, D.C., area have reported a spike in sales of morning glory seeds to young buyers, and local poison-control centers have fielded calls about bad "trips" related to morning glory ingestion.

Morning glory seeds contain lysergic acid amide, similar to the active ingredient in LSD; they can be chewed or brewed into a tea to release the substance.

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"They are certainly being used," said Chris Holstege of Virginia's Blue Ridge Poison Center. "Kids are getting brighter. Between the Internet and magazines like High Times, they are learning about this ... These kids have a misconception that it's natural, that it's more safe ... They are not. It alters your perception, and that puts you at risk."

Kristy Peterkin, whose family owns Ayers Variety and Hardware in Arlington County, said the problem came to light when a pair of teenage boys were caught stealing about a dozen packs of the seeds. The store is now tracking sales more carefully, but has not restricted access. "We don't sell pocketknives to children under 16, but can I keep them from buying morning glory seeds?" Peterkin asked.  "We struggle with this."

Both local law enforcement and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration told reporters they were unaware that the seeds could cause intoxication, and few addiction-treatment programs knew about morning glory, either. A National Institute on Drug Abuse spokeswoman said, "We really don't have enough information on it to make comments," referring inquiries to researcher Lloyd Johnston, the principal investigator of the Monitoring the Future study of teen drug use.

"I am afraid kids are ahead of me in that case," Johnston said. "Over time, the regulatory agencies and Congress begin to catch up with these things, but there's usually a pretty long lag."

Action has begun in some states, however. The Ohio Early Warning Network recently issued an alert about morning glory, and the Louisiana legislature included the seeds in a law banning the use of a number of common plants for purposes of intoxication.

"It is more for kids that want to be druggies but aren't really. It is sort of them dipping their toe into the waters of drug use with something that is legal and easily accessible," said drug counselor Mary Ellen Ruff. "These are bright kids.  They are getting information and they are like, 'Ooh, I could do that.'"