SAN DIEGO -- Officials warn teenagers looking for a quick high that Jimson weed is not the way to get it.

The weed's origins go back to the middle ages in history and folklore as a powerful hallucinogen. But experts say it's very toxic and deadly.

"It can cause coma, can cause seizures and convulsions. It can also cause a rapid heart beat, dry mouth and blurred vision," said University of California San Diego Director of Toxicology Dr. Richard Clark.

Clark said people who intentionally abuse Jimson weed mistake it as a party drug. The side effects, including inability to urinate, could last up to several days. And since overdosing is easy, many users end up in the hospital, according to Clark.

Jimsom weed is a tall bushy plant with big, night-blooming flowers and ragged leaves that grow seedpods.

It's officially called Datura Stramonium, but some call it "locoweed." Gardeners might know it as "moon flower" or "trumpet flower."

Eric Sears, a 17-year-old hiker from Carlsbad who was found dead in Joshua Tree National Park in July, apparently drank tea made of Jimson weed the night he disappeared.