Auto-SummaryThe post discusses herbal smoking mixtures, emphasizing that coltsfoot should be used cautiously as an expectorant and can cause excessive coughing. Good bases for smoking mixtures include astringent herbs like Kinnikkinik, Manzanita, Dogwood bark, and willow bark, which provide a "thick" quality with minimal mental effects. Flavoring herbs such as sages, mints, and aromatic herbs should be mixed with a base to avoid overpowering the blend. Lobelia, containing the ingredient lobeline, should be used sparingly due to its strong nature. Barks were a standard ingredient in Native American smoking mixtures, acting as astringents and providing a dull thick flavor to the smoke. Proper curing and mixing of herbs, maintaining slight moisture, and achieving an even distribution of ingredients are crucial for a palatable smoking mixture. Commercially available blends often lack proper preparation and curing, making homemade mixtures preferable for a satisfying alternative.
MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS: HERBAL SMOKING MIXTURES 
here is some more info that might be of use (BoHF):
"Coltsfoot has been used in many smoking mixtures, however it is an expectorant and can cause excessive coughing if used alone or in quantity. This could be good if you need to clean you lungs.
Good bases for a tobacco like smoking mixture would include astringent herbs and barks like Kinnikkinik, Manzanita; Dogwood bark, willow bark, and others. These have a "thick" quality with a minimum of mental effects. They can be too strong to smoke alone.
Flavoring herbs include the sages, mints, aromatic herbs and roots. Sometimes these are too strong to smoke alone, so mix with a base.
Lobelia has lobeline in it, an ingredient that your body "sees" as nicotine and is used in prescription chewing gum for quiting smoking. Dosage is important as this is a strong herb not to be used alone, at most a tspoon with an ounce of other herbs.
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Barks were a standard ingredient of Native American smoking mixtures, at least on the West Coast of the United States. The good smoking barks are usually astringents, and have medicinal value for external burns, cuts, etc. Smoked, however, they have no medicinal effects, and no apparent psysiological effect other than the act of smoking. They have a dull thick flavor that adds "body" to the smoke. They can be too "raspy" to smoke alone. Willow and Dogwood bark are two common barks. Use the thin barked willows, or inner layer of the thicker barks for best results. If possible, cut the bark into very thin strips to approximate a fine cut virginian tobacco.This isn't always possible, but it helps to make the smoking mixture easier to deal with for rolling and mixing other herbs.
Another astringents you can use for hearty smoking mixture bases are:
* Madrone Bark or leaf (very strong, mix a little in the mix),
* Manzanita bark or leaf (also very strong).
* Pipsissewa, Price's Pine, Chimaphila umbellata, is a very mild astringent and can be smoked alone. The lightest smoke on this list. Use the leaves.
* Pyrola, Pyrola sp. is almost exactly the same chemically as Pipsissewa, use the leaves.
* Kinnikkinnik, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Bearberry is the standard for the Northwestern smoking mixture. Its not as strong as the barks, but stronger than the last two. The leaves are usually used, but it is possible to smoke the bark. Kinnikkinnik is an Indian word for smoking mixture. It is true they smoked Kinnikkinnik (the plant), but usually the "kinnikkinnik" they smoked also contained willow bark and other ingredients. This confused some of the ethnobotanists cataloging their herb usage, so be aware of this when reading "Indian Uses for Herbs" type books..
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A number of factors contribute to making a smoking mix palatable. First and foremost is the way you cure the herbs. If you take fresh tobacco and dry it like any medicinal herb, it becomes an unpalatable obnoxious smoke that the most hardcore smoker couldn't stomach (or lung, as the case may be). Tobacco is semi-dried slowly, allowing for chemical changes, and is never dried to a crisp. It is packaged slightly moist in air tight containers. If it dries out, the smoker adds an apple slice or sprays it with water. Dried out tobacco is harsh.
Herbal smoking blends are similar. In most cases you do not want the herbs to be dried crispy. It's OK for some of the ingredients, but as a whole the mixture should be ever so slightly moist. Try spraying your mixtures, or adding an apple slice. Experiment with it. Some of the most flavorful smoking ingredients need to actually dry slow, and cure, but the majority are best picked fresh and just not dried completely. Package in an airtight container.
Next is the consistancy of the mixture. The herbs should be well mixed. Finely shredded barks can help. By far the best physical base for a smoking mixture is mullein, Verbascum thapsus. It is a fine medicinal for the lungs, even smoked. It soothes imflammed or infected lungs, and prevents coughing until infection or inflammation is broken. Then it aids in expectoration, helping to break up congestion and promote "effective" coughing. It was smoked to stop the coughing of tuberculosis years ago. It is wonderful for any kind of lung cleansing. It has no physical psychological effect. It also has almost no flavor and is a very light smoke. The average smoker would feel like they're smoking air.
Crispy dried crushed mullein is a lousy smoke. Mostly dried mullein should be rubbed for the best results. Roll the leaves in your hands for a while, it will become very fluffy and puffy. This fuzzy rubbed mullein will evenly burn when smoked in papers or pipe. It will hold other herbs that are in the form of small pieces and powder, and keep them evenly distributed. And it has no flavor! Ideal for a smoking base. I like the light green baby leaves found in the center of the first year basal rossette, but its a matter of personal choice. Any leaf will work.
Sometimes I put the mullein in a blender before mixing. It becomes very fluffy, but it lacks the "personal" touch hand rubbing gives.
Finally, the amounts and kinds of flavoring herbs you use will change the palatability. You need to just play with it until you get it right.
Unfortunately, most commercially available herbal smoking blends don't properly prepare, cure, and package the herbs. They often have good recipes, and I have to assume the manufacturers have the best intentions but lack of resourses or knowledge. Some are still good enough to smoke. Very few rival even the simplest hand picked, rubbed and/or cured, and semi-dried do it yourself mix.
Hope this helps you in your quest for a satisfying alternative."
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) and I don't think I could taste the Mug in the smoke much, although the Mug itself had a pleasant and rather strong aroma. Will have to try smoking it by itself next time, hehe.
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