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Dr. Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
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Is Salvia Dangerous? It’s Legal, So It's Safe, Right?
I started getting this question from my younger patients about 3 years ago, and realize now that it’s more popular than we think. “It’s legal” is what my patients say, so it must be safe right?
Salvia divinorum (salvia) is a plant that is enjoying increased popularity as a legal hallucinogen in many areas of the United States. Salvia is an herb of the mint family. Plants, leaves, and extracts are available for purchase over the internet, where it is marketed as a legal and safe hallucinogen on many websites.
The active ingredient is salvinorin which is poorly absorbed from the GI tract, and that’s why many smoke it. The usual dose is 10 to 20 fresh leaves chewed or 2 to 5 dried leaves smoked. Salvia divinorum is not yet a federally controlled substance in the US, though the US Drug Enforcement Agency has listed it as a Drug of Concern and it is now a controlled substance in Australia and several European countries.
Salvia is a hallucinogen. A "hallucinogen" describes substances whose main effects are alteration of sensory perception, mood, and thought patterns. The hallucinogenic effects of Salvia normally last one to two hours, but less when it is smoked. Like other drugs in this class, it can produce sensory distortions and many users report a sense of calm, elevated mood, and introspection. There have been no deaths or cases of severe toxicity reported, yet.
How common is it? A sample of college students from a large public university in the southwestern U.S. in 2009 revealed that of 1516 college students, 4.4% of them reporting using salvia at least once within the past 12 months. Those most likely to use salvia were whites, males, fraternity members, and heavy episodic drinkers. While other hallucinogens have been studied (LSD, PCP, Peyote, Dextromethorphan, and Psilocybin found in mushrooms), there are no studies yet to identify whether there are any negative consequences experienced by a user of Salvia.
I anticipate the DEA will move to make this a controlled substance and having seen the known effects of the other hallucinogens listed above when used frequently, I don’t like that our kids have access to Salvia. Neither should you.
Dr O.
Salvia divinorum (salvia) is a plant that is enjoying increased popularity as a legal hallucinogen in many areas of the United States. Salvia is an herb of the mint family. Plants, leaves, and extracts are available for purchase over the internet, where it is marketed as a legal and safe hallucinogen on many websites.
The active ingredient is salvinorin which is poorly absorbed from the GI tract, and that’s why many smoke it. The usual dose is 10 to 20 fresh leaves chewed or 2 to 5 dried leaves smoked. Salvia divinorum is not yet a federally controlled substance in the US, though the US Drug Enforcement Agency has listed it as a Drug of Concern and it is now a controlled substance in Australia and several European countries.
Salvia is a hallucinogen. A "hallucinogen" describes substances whose main effects are alteration of sensory perception, mood, and thought patterns. The hallucinogenic effects of Salvia normally last one to two hours, but less when it is smoked. Like other drugs in this class, it can produce sensory distortions and many users report a sense of calm, elevated mood, and introspection. There have been no deaths or cases of severe toxicity reported, yet.
How common is it? A sample of college students from a large public university in the southwestern U.S. in 2009 revealed that of 1516 college students, 4.4% of them reporting using salvia at least once within the past 12 months. Those most likely to use salvia were whites, males, fraternity members, and heavy episodic drinkers. While other hallucinogens have been studied (LSD, PCP, Peyote, Dextromethorphan, and Psilocybin found in mushrooms), there are no studies yet to identify whether there are any negative consequences experienced by a user of Salvia.
I anticipate the DEA will move to make this a controlled substance and having seen the known effects of the other hallucinogens listed above when used frequently, I don’t like that our kids have access to Salvia. Neither should you.
Dr O.
RELATED POSTS
has anyone read / experimented with this drug? i know nothing about it...literally just read about it. would love to hear what anyone knows about it. here's link to NYTimes article:
Posted on 09/10/08 06:59:54 pm
How the hell is this legal and Pot isn't??? Salvia is messed up? have you ever tryed or heard of it? you can find several videos on youtube
Posted on 10/09/07 04:45:06 pm
has anyone on here ever tried the plant called salvia?? if so, what was your experience?? :)
Posted on 03/11/08 10:04:55 am
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This doesn't sound like it is coming from the mind of an opjective scientific person...I think it is unfair to tell people what they should and should not like. I also feel you have obviously displayed a disdain for Salava despite, in your own words, 'There have been no deaths or cases of severe toxicity reported, yet.'and 'there are no studies yet to identify whether there are any negative consequences experienced by a user of Salvia. ' I don't like the manner in which you have clearly showed your personal views in what should be a scientific and honest look at the effects of a drug of which little is conclusively known. I find it hard to believe you are a doctor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H797...
I talked with him after, and he said it was one of the scariest experiences he has ever had. And that means quite a bit coming from him, who has tried most things once or twice.
I done far more than my fair share of drugs over the years and I would not recommend anyone to try any of it, not even Salvia. It can be a potential gateway drug like alcohol (not marijuana like most people believe).
Salvia should be studied closely however to see if there is any medical benefit.
we have a tendency to want to regulate everything without knowing all of the facts. and then the facts don't seem to matter.
given my choice of being around someone drunk or someone high on pot, i'll take the latter.