Banana Freak Out

Banana peel smoking....hippie hoax to confuse the squares, or economical and accessible high?
Recently, Music For Maniacs made available an oddball tribute to the banana peel high, discovered on a 1960s Fania compilation entitled “Latin Soul”.

The then-raging psychedelic pscene inspired two of the album's most head-scratching (if foot-tapping) highlights: The Lat-Teens "Now You Know," a shing-a-ling sing-along that promotes pot smoking, and drops in a story about a Vietnam soldier who lost his legs that may or may not be relevant; and "Banana Freak Out" by George Guzman. As for "Banana Freak Out"...it's called "Banana Freak Out." What more do you need to know?

Bananadine extraction recipes abound online, as do disturbing warnings about the effects of the alleged hallucinogen.

“I’ve heard of some people injecting it (Although this is dangerous because bananadine has strychnine in it, permanently binding the bananadine to the spine, where crystals may form if taken too often)…
The high is very very intense, and one can get addicted to it the first time you take a hit, mostly because of the action of strychnine, …. which can eventually lead to a fluctuation in hormone levels causing men to grow breasts…
….it also makes sex the most intense thing ever experienced… orgasms are heightened to the extent that some people are known to have gotten heart attacks…”
But outside of that…..good times. GOOD times.

Above image from The Washington Banana Museum.