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Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight
Umm, what's the legal situation here?
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From
http://www.free-definition.com/Absinthe.html
According to the United States Customs (
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/le...stricted.xml#2) office, "The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain an excess of Artemisia absinthium is prohibited.".
The prevailing consensus of interpretation of United States law among American absinthe connoisseurs is that:
It is probably illegal to sell items meant for human consumption which contain thujone derived from Artemisia plant species. This derives from an FDA regulation.
It is probably illegal for someone outside the country to sell such a product to a citizen living in the US, given that customs regulations specifically forbid the importation of "absinthe".
It is probably not illegal to purchase such a product for personal use in the US.
Absinthe can be and occasionally is seized by United States Customs, if it appears to be for human consumption.
Despite a call to the press officer for the local US Customs office, it has not been possible to define what amount of Artemisia Absinthium is considered "excess".
An absinthe-like liqueur called Absente, made with Artemisia Abrotanum instead of Artemisia Absinthium, is claimed by the importers to be sold legally in the United States; however, the FDA prohibition extends to all Artemisia species, including even, in theory, tarragon