What is absinthe and why was it banned for 100 years?

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Absinthe has a terrible reputation; it’s believed to cause raging drunkenness, hallucinations, and death. Thujone, a chemical found in the wormwood used in absinthe brewing, was thought to be highly dangerous after a series of experiments by Valentin Magnan, where mice died and dogs barked at walls, leading to the ban on the green-tinged beverage. However, this was fuelled by fear and misinformation; Magnan used high concentrations of thujone in levels that absinthe couldn’t hope to reach.
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