Salvia divinorum may be a legal and unscheduled drug in the United States, but the use of this powerful hallucinogen is being carefully monitored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Derived from a herbaceous plant in the mint family native to Mexico, salvia divinorum's long-term risks are unknown. The immediate effects can be profoundly unsettling or ecstatic, usually lasting less than five minutes.
Dissociation
Salvia is usually smoked and its effects are nearly instantaneous. Temporary disorientation takes hold for up to half an hour. Users may not remember where they are, what they are doing and even who they are. Similar to the effects of LSD, this profound dissociation from reality may also include visions and out-of-body experiences, as well as the complete dissolution of selfhood or the merging of identity with inanimate objects. This cognitive state, however brief, has led to government concerns about driving under the influence of salvia, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). However, currently there are no statistics linking salvia use to traffic violations.
Also, the common association of salvia with LSD may be premature and the product of popular media hype. A 2009 study published in the "Journal of Psychoactive Drugs" suggests that research subjects described their experiences "as most similar to marijuana instead of more traditional psychedelics." The researchers further note that any traditional comparison is still not certain, as salvia is metabolized in the body as a kappa opioid receptor agonist, a unique path toward intoxication.
Temporary Impairment of Motor Skills
The immediate physical effects of salvia are also quite powerful. Adverse physical effects include "incoordination, dizziness, and slurred speech," as reported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This temporary impairment of motor skills, combined with the cognitive dissociation, may be a dangerous mix for those who experiment with salvia as a recreational drug. Besides driving under the influence, operating any heavy machinery could be disastrous. Also, users could be at risk of falling from heights or other ordinary dangers of urban life.
However, most users under the immediate effects of salvia do not feel inclined to move at all. In a review of Salvia divinorum, the NIDA states,"Because of the nature of the drug's effects---its use may be restricted to individual experimentalists, rather than as a social or party drug."
Depression and Suicide Controversy
The biggest controversy surrounding salvia pits concerned parents against medical researchers. The debate springs from a series of state laws initiated by lawmakers and parents who are concerned that the use of salvia might be linked with the depression and suicide of a Delaware teenager. According to "Salvia divinorum," a publication of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, there is a possible but unproven link between a type of receptor in the brain, which might be related to psychiatric disorders, and salvia use.
On the other hand, in 2009 NIDA reports that 5.7% of high school seniors reported using salvia within the past year. The link between salvia use and depression and suicide is far from proven.
References
- "National Institute of Drug Abuse": NIDA InfoFacts: Salvia
- "Journal of Psychoactive Drugs": Subjective effects of Salvia divinorum: LSD- or marijuana-like?
- "U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration": Salvia Divinorum and Salvinorin A
- "Office of National Drug Control Policy": Salvia Divinorum
- "National Institutes of Health": Salvinorin A
