Everything You Need to Know About Salvia Divinorum

Salvia divinorum is a legal hallucinogenic plant that belongs to the mint family and shares a genus with the culinary herb sage. Common names for salvia divinorum include magic mint, diviner's sage, shepherdess's herb and sage of the seers. It is hallucinogenic, but is not an alkaloid such as LSD and magic mushrooms. Often available by mail order in magazines, you should know that laws against possessing, ingesting and distributing salvia divinorum exist in some states.

History of Salvia: Jean Johnson made the first recorded mention of salvia divinorum and its ceremonial use among the Mazatecs, according to information gathered by the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR). The Mazatecs are indigenous to Southern Mexico. Gordon Wasson and Albert Hofmann, pioneers in the use of magic mushrooms and LSD, acquired a specimen from the Mazatecs in 1962 and declared it was "a less desirable substitute" for magic mushrooms.

Psychoactivity of Salvia: Salvia Divinorum contains salvinorin A, a strong psychoactive chemical. The Office of National Drug Control Policy says, "Salvinorin A is one of the most potent of the naturally occurring hallucinogens, being effective at 200 to 500 micrograms." In comparison, 50 to 100 micrograms is an orally active dose of LSD (acid).

Effects of Salvia: The Office of National Drug Control Policy says after chewing salvia divinorum, you should feel the effects in about five to ten minutes, but smoking it gets results in as little as 30 seconds. It points out the effects are strong, but short lived. Depending on the method of administration and amount you ingest, anticipate varying degrees of visual impairment, visual distortions, hallucinations, dizziness and physical limitations.

Use of Salvia: Salvinorin A must enter your body through the bloodstream or oral mucosa. CESAR recommends smoking dried salvia divinorum leaves using the same methods you would use to smoke tobacco. It points out that swallowing the leaves is not necessary. Simply chewing them and allowing the chewed-up mass to sit in your mouth is more than sufficient. Extracts of salvinorin A are best ingested via inhalation or vaporization. CESAR adds that the gastrointestinal system deactivates salvinorin A.

Legal Status of Salvia: The U.S. government does not regulate salvia divinorum. It does not endorse it for medical use, and salvia divinorum does appear on the list provided by the Controlled Substances Act. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency does regard it as a "drug of concern." State and local governments have sovereignty to regulate this substance as they see fit, and several U.S. states have laws or proposed laws against selling or possessing salvia divinorum.

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Resources:

1 University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research: Salvia Divinorum
2 Office of National Drug Control Policy: Salvinorum A
3 U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency: Salvia Divinorum