The effects of oral ingestion of the seeds are comparable to LSD, although significantly less potent. The experience is usually reported psychedelic usally depending on the dose and the cultural background of the user. Visual, with some open-eye disturbances and closed-eye patterns. The most notable induced changes are cognitive, with changes in auditory perception also often reported.Time and space perception is seriously altered causing the typical tripping feeling of "5 minutes seemed like an hour and an hour seemed like 5 minutes". During the experience it is known for a user to feel tired. Short-term memory is diminished, leading to "Mind Clarity". A low dose of the seeds produces a light ecstasy and a mood lift.

The street name for Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seed is the "brown pill" or "tropical pebbles".

The common dose is about 7 or 8 seeds, which are ground or chewed and eaten. The experience duration can range from 4 to 12 hours with mild effects occasionally lasting about a day and is usually accompanied with gastric discomfort, including severe nausea and flatulence. The removal of the outer coating of the seeds is often recommended to reduce such effects, although vomiting is said not to affect the experience quantitatively. A simple water extraction of the seeds has also been reported to be effective. A Lemon Juice extraction has been reported as effective as well. This method also tastes good when it goes down.

Note that the seeds, as LSD does, can cause uterine contractions, which may lead to miscarriage if the seeds are consumed while pregnant.