Catnip is illegal now?!

icklemiss21

icklemiss21

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I actually heard about it too, seemingly they made it illegal to import more than 1kg of catnip without a license, which is more to do with how long it takes them to prove it is catnip and not anything else... however the same restrictions were placed on lots of organic products (including some types of tea - even in tea bags)
 
sar

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Originally Posted by icklemiss21

I actually heard about it too, seemingly they made it illegal to import more than 1kg of catnip without a license, which is more to do with how long it takes them to prove it is catnip and not anything else... however the same restrictions were placed on lots of organic products (including some types of tea - even in tea bags)
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That makes a lot of sense! Especially as I have just received 2kg of Catnip!
 
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livedeeply

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Okay, guys, here it is.

After emailing back and forth a bit, we've found out that yes, it was a joke, and the poor guy on the news got taken in by it.

I am so relieved. I swear, I would have organized some kind of nationwide protest if it had been true.
 
epona

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Originally Posted by icklemiss21

I actually heard about it too, seemingly they made it illegal to import more than 1kg of catnip without a license, which is more to do with how long it takes them to prove it is catnip and not anything else... however the same restrictions were placed on lots of organic products (including some types of tea - even in tea bags)
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In the UK we have a lot of restrictions on importing plants or seeds, and you need a licence to import anything in quantity. This is because, as an island, once a plant disease or pest has been eradicated, we need to keep it from coming back - things like potato blight or colorado beetles for example. So imports need to be checked for disease or pests and have a health licence issued by a government approved plant health inspector. If the paperwork is not correct when it arrives on these shores, it is destroyed or sent back.

Which makes sense really


Glad to hear that the catnip thing has been proven to be a joke
 
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livedeeply

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On another note, I found a bag of catnip last night when I was cleaning. I have no idea how long it had been tucked in that drawer. I put it down for the cats, and they didn't really look interested. So can catnip go bad? Stale? Or was it just lousy catnip to begin with? The response was so disappointing I just threw it out.
 
sar

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If the bag wasn't tightly sealed, then there it generally will lose it's potency.


(this is from what I have noticed with some of the shop bought ones that I have bought, anyway!)
 
pat

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Originally Posted by livedeeply

On another note, I found a bag of catnip last night when I was cleaning. I have no idea how long it had been tucked in that drawer. I put it down for the cats, and they didn't really look interested. So can catnip go bad? Stale? Or was it just lousy catnip to begin with? The response was so disappointing I just threw it out.
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I do think some catnip is better than others, and the active ingredient in catnip is UV sensitive, so light exposure will break it down. But...the grower I get most of my catnip from (I import from Canada), did his masters thesis concerning catnip, and had a sample from I think early 1900. Just a teense and his cat still reacted to it. So.....the active ingredient - nepetalactone - is quite long lasting!

The best catnip (in my experience of 10 years in dealing with catnip products) will contain minimal stalk, contain some portion of the flowering buds (which is where the highest concentration of the essential oil is), and if not certified organic, at least be certified grown without herbicides.
 
tiffanyjbt

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Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

I do think some catnip is better than others, and the active ingredient in catnip is UV sensitive, so light exposure will break it down. But...the grower I get most of my catnip from (I import from Canada), did his masters thesis concerning catnip, and had a sample from I think early 1900. Just a teense and his cat still reacted to it. So.....the active ingredient - nepetalactone - is quite long lasting!

The best catnip (in my experience of 10 years in dealing with catnip products) will contain minimal stalk, contain some portion of the flowering buds (which is where the highest concentration of the essential oil is), and if not certified organic, at least be certified grown without herbicides.
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LOL! This SOOOO sounds like you're talking about 'something else'
 
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