It’s seen a worldwide resurgence thanks to popular culture, and now, for the first time in 95 years, absinthe can be legally enjoyed in the U.S. – but only in select states.

The opaque green liqueur was initially banned because it was found that the drink contained thujone, a potentially toxic chemical that supposedly accounted for the wild hallucinations experienced by some who have imbibed it.

“From what I’ve heard, you see things when you drink it, like a green fairy, but I also did hear that there was some sort of poison in it,” said Patrick Kohn, sophomore in geology.

But since early May, one approved brand of absinthe has been available in three states – New York, New Jersey and Illinois.

Leading the resurgence into the states is Lucid. The thujone-free absinthe created by Viridian Spirits LLC located in Manhasset, N.Y.

“Over the past decade, we’ve seen absinthe truly re-emerge on the European scene,” said Jared Gurfein, president of Viridian, in a company press release. “The re-legalization of absinthe in Europe as well as its recent appearance in popular culture has led to a resurgence of interest in the U.S., and we wanted to fill that demand.”

Although enthusiasts have gotten around the regulations on absinthe by ordering online or smuggling it through customs, Lucid’s approval by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau may help curb the influx of illegal varieties.

The bureau expressed concern over the marketing of the product, considering it has the age-old reputation of causing drinkers to hallucinate.

“They wanted to make sure that we were going to market this responsibly, that we didn’t intend to piggyback on some of the myths,” Gurfein said in a New York Times article.

Interestingly, the company hired French absinthe guru T.A. Breaux to develop the unique blend required to pass U.S. restrictions.

“T.A. Breaux has spent many years testing vintage bottles of absinthe produced in the 1800s,” Gurfein said. “In those years of testing, Breaux found, quite remarkably, that absinthe made in its heyday actually contained few or none of the impurities that might otherwise have made it illegal under modern U.S. law.”

Breaux said that by keeping to traditional recipes, Lucid’s absinthe will be historically true to form.

“I think this would be something I’d want to eventually try because of all the times you see it in the movies,” Kohn said.