It's not hallucinogenic.
Any of it. It doesn't have now, and has never had, in any country, a high enough concentration of wormwood in to be hallucinogenic. In fact Czech Absinth is, effectively, coloured flavoured strong vodka. French Absinthe does at least have some wormwood in it, but it's not enough to even drag the tiniest trip out of a mouse.

What happens is that it's got more alcohol in it than most things. That, coupled with idiots talking themselves up over "ooohh absinthe" and the bollocks of the ritual, means people convince themselves it's having a special effect.

tl/dr - Absinth makes you drunk. Nothing else. Never has done, never will do, no matter if you're an 18 year old in a pub in Droitwich or Lautrec in a seedy strip bar in turn of the century Paris.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 19 Feb 2013, 13:39, 2 replies)

This, I drank a bottle with a mate in 2002 and we just got very drunk

( Peej, Tue 19 Feb 2013, 14:54, closed)

Indeed, but a LOT more alcohol in it!
I too seem to be in a not-very-exclusive club of people who tried it in Prague in the early '90s. There's a pic of six of us, with me holding up a beer mat with 24 ticks against the Absinthe. No one mentioned diluting it with water and sugar (as was done in the past).

Worst. Hangover. Ever.

Only time I was hungover the whole day, and woke the next day still feeling shit!!
( da5id <YOUR SIG HERE>, Tue 19 Feb 2013, 21:14, closed)