Despite the fact Salvia Divinorum is the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen on the planet, it is still completely legal to obtain in most parts of the world, including the United States. The recent rise in popularity of Salvia Divinorum among drug enthusiasts as a legal alternative to other more dangerous hallucinogens, has created a new curiosity about the drug and also about the plant that it comes from.
Background
Salvia Divinorum, which grows naturally in southeastern Mexico, is from the mint family and is commonly used as a cooking and medicinal herb. The active hallucinogen it contains, Salvinorin A, is not listed as a controlled substance in the U.S. Currently, the only country that has criminalized Salvia is Australia, although there has been increased interest in America to push for the drug to be included as a Class I controlled substance. Researchers have found that the drug in Salvia, Salvinorin A, can be used therapeutically for diseases such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
Recreational Use
Salvia Divinorum is most commonly used as a recreational drug, and the most common form of the plant is a ground-up, powder-like substance that can be either ingested or smoked. A substantial amount of Salvinorin A must be absorbed into the blood stream in order for the psychoactive effects of the drug to be experienced, thus the most common way for a person to use Salvia is to smoke it and inhale the smoke into the lungs. Another possible way to ingest the drug is by chewing and swallowing the Salvia Divinorum plant, allowing the drug within the plant to be absorbed orally through the mouth.
Psychological Effects
When Salvia is smoked, in a manner very similar to the way marijuana is smoked, the effects of the drugs can last anywhere from 10-15 minutes. However, the psychoactive traits of the drug can severely distort one's perception of time and the user's trip can often seem like much longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Adversely, when the Salvia plant is ingested by chewing and swallowing and the drug is absorbed into the blood stream through the person's mouth, the psychoactive effects of the Salvinorin A can typically last for much longer, with more vivid and intense visual hallucinations sometimes occurring. With oral ingestion, the effects of Salvinorin A can last for up to two hours. Depending on the amount of Salvinorin A that was ingested, the hallucinations can range from, "sensations of traveling through time and space, of floating or flying; sensations of twisting and spinning, heaviness or lightness of the body," to less intense hallucinations involving, "various patterns and shapes."
Physical Effects
In addition to the many psychoactive effects that can be brought about by ingesting Salvia Divinorum, there are also several physical effects that are felt by the user during and after taking the drug. Dizziness, nausea and lack of coordination are all common physical side effect to ingesting Salvia, as well as some other less common side effects such as intense headaches, lowered heart rate and slurred speech.
Legal Issues
Recently, North Carolina became the 13th state to criminalize the possession and use of Salvia Divinorum in the United States. In addition to this, several other states have begun to follow suit in pushing for legislation to outlaw the drug, and there is a nationwide interest in possibly banning the drug across the U.S. and adding it to the list of controlled substances, although it doesn't seem like it will happen anytime soon.
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