Wild lettuce is used frequently as an herbal medicine. It’s closely related to dandelion and is believed to have sedative and analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Lactuca virosa is often used as a natural remedy for stress and chronic pain. It is often called wild bitter lettuce, laitue vireuse, opium lettuce, poisonous lettuce, tall lettuce, great lettuce or rakutu-karyumu-so.