Drugs:Fact and Fiction/Salvia

Salvia (Sage) is a common perennial herb that grows throughout the world. The plant grows to be several feet tall and has large light-green leaves. Salvia is a member of the mint family, and is considered a common garden plant. Most common forms of Salvia can be found in plant nurseries. They are not hallucinogenic and will only give users a headache if smoked.

A Salvia divinorum plant.

Diviner's Sage, Salvia divinorum - commonly referred to as "salvia" - is one of the hundreds of species of the Salvia genus. It is not native to any place, although it is commonly grown in some parts of Mexico, and now grows wild in some parts of the Sierra Mazatec region.

General

Although some users take salvia recreationally at a very low dosage, it is not a "party drug." Daniel Siebert, ethnobotanist and salvia advocate, remarks, "...salvia is not 'fun' in the way that alcohol or cannabis can be. If you try to party with salvia, you will probably not have a good experience." [1]

The active chemical - salvinorin A - is the strongest naturally occurring psychoactive known to date. It has been used by natives for thousands of years to seek divine spiritual insight. The internet brought the plants psychoactive qualities to wider attention. In recent years several countries have introduced legislation to make prepared forms of the plant illegal. It remains legal in most of North America because of the lack of media attention, and the very small abuse potential. (See legality section below.)

There is no known lethal dosage of Salvia divinorum. However, it is very strongly recommended that a trip sitter be present. Because of its short-lasting effects (when smoked), users can take turns being a sitter.

Before setting forth to explore the potential of this substance, please read this entire page!

Legality

This substance is illegal in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Brazil.[2] It is legal in many other countries, including Austria, France, and has differing levels of legality/illegality in different states of the USA. As of 2017, it is illegal to possess, distribute, or sell Salvia in Kansas, Delaware, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana[3], North Dakota, and Oklahoma. It is legal for individuals over the age of 21 to buy, possess and use in California, but requirements re: it's retailing demand diligent current research.

Methods of Ingestion

Dried salvia leaves.

Salvia can be ingested in several ways that produce varying effects. A large amount of leaves can be chewed thoroughly to produce light but long lasting effects. More common is to smoke prepared extracts where the salvinorin A has been concentrated to several (Five to twenty-five times) the natural amount by weight.