Prickly Lettuce, also known as Wild Lettuce and Lettuce Opium, is commonly found growing wild throughout North America  where it has become naturalized. Prickly Lettuce is pain relieving in general and especially when mental anxiety is involved. It relieves tension, especially in the musculoskeletal system, and is calming to the nervous system. Called Lettuce Opium for its use in helping treat people with opium addiction as it has a similar hypnotic affect but without being toxic or addiction forming. Prickly Lettuce is also a sleep aid, helping with insomnia and encouraging dreaming.
Interestingly, our modern lettuces—like iceberg, Romaine, butter, green leaf lettuce, and stem lettuce or celtuce—are cultivars of Lactuca sativa, thought to have been bred from prickly lettuce thousands of years ago in Egypt.
 
Cautions/Contraindications: Use with caution with deficient stomach HCl and depression. May cause drowsiness so take caution with driving.