Processes and methods of manufacturing a synthetic or imitation nicotine product are provided. One process may include the steps of providing a plurality of areca fruits, drying the plurality of areca fruits, dehusking the plurality of areca fruits to obtain a plurality of areca nuts, chopping, shredding or grinding the plurality of areca nuts into a multiplicity of areca nut particles, introducing the multiplicity of areca nut particles into a tank containing water, agitating the multiplicity of areca nut particles to create a slurry, determining an amount of arecoline in the slurry and pumping the water having the predetermined amount of arecoline through a filter and into a holding tank and evaporating the arecoline from the water. An imitation nicotine product that may include 1% to 20% arecoline by weight with other elements may then be manufactured.