Cool post, Capnkirk...thanks for bringing your science background to the arguement. Ted Breaux told me it would take thujone equivilant of 100 bottle of modern absinthe for a lethal dose. He should know, he is the man in France.
Look if it was logic and reason behind laws, Cuba would be a wide open trading partner with us and my bar would be stocked with Havana Club Anejo constantly, and my humidoer with Cohiba Siglo V.
Some Swiss blue collar drunk went bizerk on an absinthe fueled rage and brutally killed his wife and children in 1908, and it caused a scandal and reactionary ban as a result. The legal status by Nation below.
Australia
Absinthe containing Thujone at around 7.8 mg per litre and 60% alcohol is scarce but legal and available in Australia. [
E.U.
EU rules allow beverages to contain 5 mg/kg thujone in beverages with less than 25% alcohol, 10 mg/kg in beverages with more than 25% alcohol and 35 mg/kg in bitters.
Canada
Thujone containing absinthe is available legally in 3 provinces (Ontario & Quebec allow 10ppm thujone, BC has no limit). All other provinces have laws against thujone containing absinthe.
Czech Republic
Absinthe is legal and common in the Czech Republic. Thujone containing absinthe is available in stores.
France
The sale of Absinthe has been prohibited in France since March 16, 1915. In 1988, a law was passed which specified that the 1915 law only applied to products that do not comply with European Union regulations on thujone content and products which explicitly call themselves "absinthe". Thujone containing beverages are now available, often labelled as "spiritueux à base de plantes d'absinthe." Higher thujone content absinthes are also produced in France for export.
Germany
Thujone-containing absinthe available at bars and stores in Germany, in 2002 it is quite popular in some parts of Germany and Austria.
Hungary
We have been told that Absinthe became legally available in Hungary in early 2004 but that quality and potency is generally low.
Israel
Absinthe sold in some liquor stores in 2004.
Italy
Absinthe sold in some smartshops.
Malta
Absinthe is available in bars and clubs.
Netherlands
1909 ban on absinthe sales lifted Jul 2004. Thujone-containing absinthe sold in liquor stores, as long as thujone quantity remain within European-accepted levels.
New Zealand
Absinthe sold in liquor stores. Hell, you can distill your own liquor in NZ!
Norway
We are told that absinthe is legal in Norway and available in liquor stores but only with low thujone content.
Portugal
Thujone containing absinthe sold in liquor stores, bars, clubs, and supermarkets.
Russia
Absinthe (with as much as 50-75 mg thujone) available, mostly in stores geared towards foreigners.
South Africa
Absinthe is being legalised in South Africa, effective January 1, 2005.
Spain
Absinthe widely available.
Sweden
Absinthe sold in all liquor stores marked as containing wormwood extract:
"In Sweden absinthe can be bought in all liquor stores (Pere Kermann's Absinthe, made in France). And the way it works in the EU is that if a product is legal in one country it is automaticaly legal in all EU countries.
It says on the front label "Spiriteux aux extraits de plantes d'absinthe" and on the back label " ingredients: alcohol, water, aroma, wormwood infusion, sugar, colouring: E131-E102. It is sold as containing thujone."
In June, 2004, the Swiss parliament voted to end a 96-year ban on absinthe. Although absinthe had been available in most of Europe for 20 years, it had remained outlawed in Switzerland until June 14, 2004.
United Kingdom
Thujone-containing absinthe sold in some stores (liquor stores, Tesco, Harrods) and small number of pubs, as long as thujone quantity remains within European-accepted levels. Absinthe was never banned in the UK, as the market for it ended with the banning of French exports and the belt-tightening during and after the first world war.
