Legal Hallucinogen: What teens don’t know about salvia divinorum

Recently there has been a lot of talk about a legal drug becoming popular with American teenagers. Its called salvia divinorum. Salvia is a leafy plant found in southern Mexico, as well as Central and South America. In many countries where it grows naturally, salvia has been used in rites of spiritual healing or in shamanic practices of divination (attempting to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means).

The name salvia divinorum directly translates to “diviner’s sage.” Among the Mazatec shamans, a group of American Indian people of northern Oaxaca, in Mexico this leafy indigenous plant is used for religious purposes. The drug is typically classified as a strong psychedelic, meaning it can induce hallucinations that accompany its other effects.

The main psychoactive compound in salvia is Salvinorin A, which is the most potent naturally-occurring substance known to man. In pure form, only about a hundred micrograms are required to induce threshold effects. Doses are generally smoked in the form of concentrated plant-material, and effects can include hallucinations (from visual disturbances to full-blown apparitions), a raise in heart and blood pressure, dilated pupils, and strange thoughts. Some users have reported a feeling of insight, improved mood, a sense of calmness and an increased connection with nature after taking the drug. Although these are the most common effects, it is important to note that all drugs (especially psychedelics) will affect people in very different ways.

The substance has a very low potential for addiction and the only long-term effect commonly reported is deja vú, the illusion of having previously experienced something. Thomas Prisinzano, an assistant professor of Medicinal and Natural Products in Chemistry at the University of Iowa said that salvia may help treat cocaine addiction. “You can give a rat free access to cocaine, give them free access to Salvinorin A and they stop taking cocaine.”

Salvia can be put into the body several different ways. The leaves can be chewed, or the chemicals can be extracted from the plant in alcohol and consumed orally, but salvia can also be vaporized and inhaled. Although it is legal in Washington state, many states including Delaware, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee have banned its distribution in stores. Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Sweden list salvia as an illegal controlled substance.

“I have taken Salvia and for me it had no hallucinogenic effect and I strongly suggest other students not to take salvia,” said  senior Paige Duckett. “I felt no different and it was just a waste of money.” It is true that the plant can cost quite a bit, often selling in one-gram vials for prices exceeding $40. As previously stated, the effects of salvia vary from person to person. While there have been no deaths or serious injuries attributed to the use of salvia, but the DEA advises present and future salvia users to give the plant up for good.

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