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Sassafras albidum
Grows to be a medium-sized tree, and all parts of the plant are aromatic. An essential oil distilled from the roots has been used as a fragrance in perfumes and soaps, and also as a painkiller. In the past, the root was also used to brew tea. Other uses, too. Native to the eastern U.S.
From Wikipedia:
The oily liquid extracted from the sassafras root-bark, safrole, is now recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture as a potential carcinogen. Safrole, and sassafras not certified as safrole-free, have been banned in the United States as food additives or flavoring agents by the FDA since 1976 due to safrole's designation as a carcinogen.
Safrole is commonly used by clandestine laboratories to synthesize various drugs such as MDA, MDMA and MDEA. For this reason, the sale of safrole and sassafras oil is monitored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
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