Salvia: A Plant that Effects Perception, Emotion and Behavior

Salvia is a powerful psychoactive plant, meaning having an altering effect on perception, emotion, or behavior. Salvia is a genus of plants including the sage which is a suffriticose labiate plant with grayish green foliage. Some people use salvia as a cooking herb. The effects of salvia varies depending on a number of factors potency, ingestion method and dosage.

The dried leaves can be made into paste and chewed or smoked to induce a hallucinogenic effect. There are different varieties of salvia divinorum with different potencies. If you smoke salvia you will begin to feel the effects in seconds, which can last 15 minutes up to 3 hours, but it could subside sooner. Some people say salvia is good for a cooking herb,and not harmful at all, while others say it's an out of body experience and that it should be illegal in all states immediately. Some states has already made salvia illegal such as Louisiana it's only illegal if sold for human comsumption, it is still legal to own the plants, but a simple possession would be considered a illegal form of salvia and is a felony. Salvia dininorum has become a schedule 1 substance in the state of Missouri.

On January 23, 2006 a Delaware teenager Brett Cidester took his own life by climbing into a tent with a charcoal grill and, he died of carbon monoxide it has been reported that salvia was apart of his suicide note. Now in Delaware it is considered a schedule 1 controlled substance. In state of Tennessee has pass a law that makes producing, possessing, manufacting, distributing, or possessing with intent to produce, manufacture, or distribute the active chemical ingredient in the hallucinogenic plant salvia a class a misdemeanor. New York is considering a bill that would place heavy civil penalties on the sale of salvia. Alaska, New Jersey and Oklahoma are other states that are following suit with proposals for their own individual legislations.

The experience of salvia can be very intense, people can become immersed in a dream like inner visionary state of awareness, you should never smoke salvia alone to prevent anything dangerous like knocking over a lit candle, falling, or driving a car, never drive a car while impaired with salvia. Salvia can make you move around as if you are sleepwalking, or can make you feel something is happening, but it is difficult to say just what. Thinking becomes less logical and short term memory lost can occur. The use of salvia can make you feel lazy, difficulty of thinking verbally or thinking at all, you can feel like you are grinning without inner rejoice or happiness. Overall not a pleasant experience very unpleasant effects. You be the judge should salvia be a street drug and illegal or, a good cooking herb with other intentions and legal. What do you think?