There is a new drug on the scene, and unlike Meth, Crack Cocaine, or Marijuana, this one is legal. Its name is Salvia Divinorum or Salvia for short. It is also commonly referred to as Sage of the Seers, Maria Pastora, or Diviner’s Sage. As a member of the sage family, Salvia is not known for its ability to spice up your food. It is known for its hallucinogenic properties and has been compared to LSD. The main difference between Salvia and other hallucinogenic drugs is the fact that you can legally purchase Salvia and many people are choosing to purchase it over the Internet.
Salvia is native to Mexico and it is believed that shaman have used it for many years, however it wasn’t until the 1950’s that Salvia made its appearance in western civilization. It may be smoked or its leaves chewed and it induces a state where one will feel as if they have experienced a deep spiritual realm or expanded consciousness. However, Salvia’s effects do not last as long as other drugs and due to the fact that it is legal, many concerned citizens and parents are concerned as to what Salvia’s lasting side effects will be. Research has shown that if Salvia is smoked, the effects will last between one to five minutes. If it is chewed, the effects may be experienced between thirty minutes and one and a half hours.
One of the most pressing concerns regarding Salvia is that there simply isn’t a lot of documentation on the subject. In fact, for those who have taken it, the most frequent comment is that the experience is over very quickly. There is no “coming down” period as there is with other drugs. It is as if one minute you are gripped in a hallucinogenic state and the next minute you are back to reality. However, this does not imply that Salvia is safe. Like any other natural substance that man uses, Salvia is not always sold in its natural plant like state. Other forms of Salvia include concentrated extracts that can produce results that are extremely intense. And there are reports surfacing of negative reactions associated with Salvia. In fact, the parents of a high school Delaware student are convinced that the use of Salvia led to their son’s suicide.
Brett Chidester was using Salvia. He purchased it from the Internet and after four months of using Salvia, he tragically committed suicide. His parents have been leading a fight to get Salvia banned throughout the United States. Brett’s home state, Delaware has banned Salvia under what is referred to as Brett’s law, but many other states have not instated any laws banning Salvia’s use. One thing that is interesting is the fact that the Internet has been spreading the popularity of Salvia amongst teens via YouTube. In fact, if you Google Salvia, you will come across a number of YouTube videos that show teens using the drug as well as many educational documentaries on the plant as well.
What most kids don’t understand is that Salvia is the world’s most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen. Scientists say salvia produces large amounts of Salvinorin A which makes it stronger than LSD. This Salvinorin A targets receptors that are involved in consciousness and our perception of reality, and they are located in brain neurons that have a role in depression, drug abuse and schizophrenia. Tests on rats have showed that it causes depression. Kid’s brains are not fully formed and they are playing w/ fire when they experiment with salvia. No way should salvia be legal. Stay away from it, it’s total bad news.
Comment by Chuck — October 31, 2007 @ 1:53 pm