The Unjustified War on Salvia Divinorum
Posted by: chris in Consciousness, Salvia divinorum
It’s being called “a dangerous new drug that is sweeping the country.”
One by one, news sources are jumping on the bandwagon and joining in the media campaign against an herb that has been used for centuries by Mexican shamans - known by science as salvia divinorum. And it is a classic example of alarmist misinformation.
What is Salvia divinorum?
Salvia divinorum is a plant that has been used in spiritual and healing rituals by the Mazatec Indians for centuries. They often refer to it as “ska Maria Pastora”, or “leaves of the Virgin Mary, the Shepherdess.” Typically, the plant is chewed for its entheogenic effects. In the last ten years or so it has become known and used (typically smoked) within modern culture where it is known by such names as “Sally D”, “magic mint”, or “Diviner’s Sage”. The active ingredient in the plant is called Salvinorin A, “the most potent naturally-occurring psychoactive compound known.â€
Early users had intentions similar to the Mazatec - spiritual exploration and personal discovery. But two things have changed the landscape of salvia users - the fact that it is legal in most countries and US states, and the spread in awareness via the internet. This has resulted in a proliferation of young people using it for thrills and posting videos of themselves while under the influence of the plant.
What is the media saying about salvia?
Because of the surge in popularity, it has caught the attention of the media. But I find much of what I see reported to be puzzling. These are some of the misleading and inaccurate quotes, taken from news articles and posted news videos:
“more dangerous than LSD” “videos show evidence of it dangerous effects”
Real evidence of it’s “danger” is yet to be demonstrated. The main concern is that science knows little about its short or long term effects, and that people under the influence have limited, if any, awareness of their surroundings. However, the effects are very short-lived, only lasting a few minutes.
“dangerous and addictive drug”
There has been no evidence of addiction, and most authorities familiar with the drug say that it is not addictive. Furthermore, there is no evidence that it is toxic to humans.
“effects can be life-altering”
This is a sensitive topic. The basis for such statements come from the suicide of a teenager, Brett Chidester, whose death his mother attributes to salvia. I feel for any parent who loses their child. She has every right to grieve and express her anger. But there are a number of other possible factors that could have been involved in Brett’s suicide - alcohol use, a broken family, acne medication - combined with the teenage psychology, despite being a straight-A student. Nevertheless, and without strong evidence to justify it, the coroner amended his report to list salvia divinorum as contributing to Brett’s death, and lawmakers in the state of Delaware worked to classify the plant as a Schedule 1 substance, making it illegal to own or use. Wikipedia, in a balanced way, lists the other possible factors in Brett’s death in the article Brett’s Law (named after the Delaware statute).
Why not just make salvia illegal?
There are a number of reasons why I believe that making salvia illegal is going down a wrong path:
- To create another enemy in the War on Drugs will only have the opposite effect.
- To classify it as a Federal Schedule I substance would make it difficult if not impossible for researchers to study its effects on humans and thereby discover other uses for the plant.
- Enforcement will create an additional government financial burden for a substance that has not been shown to be a major threat to society. This is a non-addictive, non-toxic substance, the effects of which are short-lived. And based on the reports, it is not a “fun” drug conducive to social use, despite what many of the videos on YouTube may lead you to think.
I do believe, however, that its use should not be without restrictions. There are restrictions on drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. It’s appropriate that similar restrictions be made on salvia as to who can buy and use it. I wouldn’t even mind seeing limitations that prevent it being used irresponsibly as a party drug, although that is unlikely.
I see no reason why people should be prevented from using it in a respectful way as an aid in personal exploration. From a spiritual viewpoint, I know that many look down on using drugs, but that is a personal matter and not one that needs to be controlled by governments.
More information
The following is a very informative student documentary on salvia:
Media Example
And here is an example are a couple of examples of a typical news story stories, sensationalizing the trend:
[Check out more alarmist news videos on the Salvia Divinorum News page.]
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This is a great post. I recently had an interesting experience. I recently became aware of Salvia. I decided to try it myself. I haven’t been the same since. It moved me so much that I started my own blog about Salvia. I’m pretty upset about the bad press. The irony? I learned about it while skipping between the shitty cable news channels. It’s tragic.
By the way, this is a great post.
I don’t get this stuff. You read all over that it’s more powerful than LSD. Who knows that it’s not? No kid should be trying this stuff. The kid that died was only 16. I say don’t play with your mental health! It’s not worth it. Before age 25 or so your thoughts and values about the world are not really set. You can really do a lot of damage to your brain development with this drug. Salvia is the most powerful natural hallucinogen known to man! You shouldn’t o mess up your brain and your whole future in a cloud of drug induced confusion. Life is tough enough, don’t screw it up more experimenting with crap that you have no idea how it will affect you. Get high off life. How many of you Salvia users do that? Do you get a high from helping others, doing volunteer work, or do you just get a rise out of smoking and contemplating your navel all day. Wake up and make this world a better place!! Stop pissing and moaning about oh, woe, poor me, I might not be able to get salvia anymore. Stop worrying about your next high, stop your self absorption and start thinking how you’re going to make this planet we live on a better place.
Very intriguing post. I must admit I have never heard of this plant before. It seems like a more friendly form of peyote. Unfortunately the media must make a big deal about because that’s their job. To glamorize and defamate; if they didn’t do that we wouldn’t have our daily “tragedies”.
This plant needs to be outlawed about as much as marijuana does. Although I can see Salvia having more of an effect than marijuana. The sad reality is that as long as there are naive terrified people out there we will never escape this cycle of persecution.
Chris,
Thanks for this post. I was completely unaware of this Salvia controversy. Here is my humble opinion.
ALL drugs should be legalized and deregulated. People should be told that they are responsible for their choices, for what they put into their bodies. If they die smoking something… well that’s the price of freedom. I may feel different if it was my son, but the consequences of risk are fundamental to personal choice and liberty. if we are not free to make mistakes, we are not free to learn and grow.
We all must be free to be stupid and foolish. Anything less is delegation of free will. My wife Christine is reading a book right now titled “Obedience to Authority.” It documents a study from the 1960s where Americans are basically asked by and authority figure to torture other people(it isn’t real, but it appears real) in the name of progress and when they do it, and are told that they had the choice not to, most of them don’t believe it. They do not take responsibility for their own actions because they believe “authorities” are responsible and that they were just doing what they were told. Sorry… you are the ultimate authority in your life!
The drug war assumes the same thing. Since we can’t make decisions for ourselves the authorities will make them for us absolving us of our responsibilities for ourselves and our environment. To be free people, we must take responsibility for our own actions. Most of the political debate in this country assumes people are too stupid to be responsible for themselves and the state must protect them in every aspect of their lives.
I pray we reach a day when the state does not need to protect us from ourselves. Where we understand that we must think, feel, and act in way that is responsible for ourselves and our world, without coercion and threats. Pipe dream? No. I actually believe we will get there someday. I can see it.
“A NYS senator is doing what he can to get the drug banned.”
Hey, that’s where I am! Which senator? Is it Hillary Clinton or Chuck Shummer? (I couldn’t get your video to play. How come?)
I can’t imagine it would be Hillary. But with regard to Shummer, they say the most dangerous place in the world to be is between him and a TV camera. Yes, I can easily picture it being him. he manages to turn up everywhere.
Daniel: Thanks. Yes it is ironic that the news coverage is just boosting salvia’s popularity. I had vaguely heard of it but it wasn’t until the local paper had a front page article that my curiosity really peaked.
Chicosan: I agree that teenagers should not be experimenting with mind altering substances. But as for adults - self-reflection, meditation, and other personal-growth endeavors are not in conflict with doing for others. Do you tell people not to meditate? Personal exploration with the assistance of plants has been practiced by other cultures throughout history. Only in our culture is it feared. Also, making it illegal will not stop people from getting it, but will only make more criminals.
JackDirt: Yes, this kind of thing feeds on itself. The media jumps on it for ratings, and the public rewards the media by lapping it up. It just surprises me how inaccurate some of the reporting is.
Steve: Thanks for your input. I agree with your thoughts on free will, although I struggle with how to apply it to teenagers. I’m going to look into that book your wife is reading, though. Thanks.
tom: The video should work. Did you click a second time? The senator is John Flanagan - maybe that was last term. [Added 8/2: John Flanagan is a New York state senator, not a US Senator from New York. I just learned the difference myself.]
An exceptionally excellent post Chris ! Presenting the pros and cons, while trying to remain open-minded. In my opinion, anything can be overly used and abused. Endorphin thrill seekers are a good example of this, jumping off high rise buildings, etc. risking life and limbs. Therefore; it should be each individuals responsibility to use any substance or method wisely. And not the Governments place to intervene with more Nanny sitting laws such as the buckle up while driving, or no cell phone talk while operating a motorized vehicle, etc. I find this appalling when the Government does little to regulate and educate about natural vitamins such as the potential heart related risk of Melatonin, or any natural vitamin potential danger when mixed with certain prescription drugs. While the Government allows some Companies to sell tap water under the false representation as Spring Water.
An aspect of this issue that I find very upsetting is how Salvia is sometimes marketed. These retailers who market Salvia as an alternative to marijuana are being HORRIBLY irresponsible and it’s unfortunate to see just how many shady companies there are out there making a quick buck off of Salvia. These jerks are a big reason Salvia will become illegal for everyone, hurting the “good” retailers like I Am Shaman, and making it unavailable (or just hard to get) for those who use Salvia for personal exploration or spiritual journeying.
Thank you Chris.
Nom de plume The ‘Poetress’: Thanks! You don’t have to look very hard to see the inconsistencies in government policies and laws. And there’s no lack of causes to take up, if that is meaningful.
Ben: Yeah, the quick buck won’t last long, though, if marketed that way. Hopefully, most retailers are more responsible than that. I was amused by one news video where they sent an undercover reporter to a shop and they asked for ID - kinda spoiled the report but they quickly recovered and pointed out how easy it is to order online. In another shop the owner gave warnings about its use, and I heard that some shops even have accompanying leaflets on how best to use it.
No surprise that moves are afoot to make this drug illegal. Foolish, very foolish people. This makes the drug more attractive, costs millions of taxpayer dollars and makes criminals out of good people.
I agree with you about the “It’s not a fun drug”. It’s definitely not for recreational use. I tried it at my friend’s the other day and he said the same thing. As a matter of fact we made a video and put it online. If you wanna watch me smoking salvia for the first time go to http://billseverydaylife.blogspot.com/2007/08/salvia-divinorum-experience-episode-01.html
It’s not like all the crazy videos you see on Youtube. I only smoked a little and I tried to describe the effects on camera. It was really hard to form words just after I smoked it.
I plan on trying this again along with another mind altering drug called DMT as an experiment in consciousness altering substances.
I hate that people are so stupid. Criminalizing salvia will only make it easier for children to get. Drug dealers don’t care who they sell things to. Why don’t they just put it behind a counter and require ID? Where does personal responsibility come into play? Don’t we have control over our own lives???
None of this drug war hysteria makes any sense. You have the right to drive a car, but if you drive recklessly and/or hurt someone, THEN you are in trouble. Not before. If you hurt yourself, then that’s the risk you take. It’s one of the two prices of freedom, which any free man will gladly pay. The same thinking applies with alcohol, and cigarettes, and chainsaws, and unhealthy foods.
But when you get to the “other drugs” then OH NO YOU CAN’T MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS! NO ONE CAN USE THESE! WE HAVE SPOKEN FOR EVERYONE!
Yet several of the “other drugs” are far less dangerous than the things we barely consider restricting! People are so stupid! Why can’t they leave the rest of us alone?!
This story causes me to think of the Brother Cadfael mysteries. This is the fictional monk protagonist from books written by Ellis Peters. The setting is a 14th century Benedictine Abbey in Shrewsbury, England. Cadfael is a gardener/pharmacist who grows herbs, makes medicines and might be seen as a historic medicine man. The fact that he has knowledge that other people don’t is sometimes perceived as threatening even when such assumptions are unfounded. His knowledge allows him to solve many crimes.
Hey,
I tried it. I loved it. It was like no drug I’ve ever taken before. However I started twitching. Badly. I twitched for two and a half days after it. continually. my left pec twitched, it was painful and hard to sleep. I was worn out and sore at the end. That’s never happened to me before. Has anyone else had any adverse side effects? Please email me with information or comments. I probably will never find this site again : /
angeiepants_12@yahoo.com
Please respect my privacy and do not spam me or give out my email.
I tried it and must say that it was exactly what I needed in every way. The profound wonderful life changing experience was so meaningful and spiritual that I wished to share it with the world. I also gained the wisdom to know that doing so would be wrong. I can understand especially when people partake of it in similar ways as they do “drugs” why there are many trying to exploit salvia to get “high” and why there are others trying to make it illegal however, it would be a terrible mistake to make it illegal just as its a mistake to take it to get high. I could agree with controlling it like alcohol but I still think that any governmental control of it would be wrong. What would be right is telling the truth about it. Explaining that it does not get you high. But that it opens doors that were previously closed. Doors that need to remain closed until a person is mature enough to navigate them.
I now can be high on life just as the judgmental poster above stated because I understand my place in Life from a cleaned and refreshed point of view. In my case I finally can trust what I always wanted to trust which is that Jesus Christ and the Bible is right. I fought with that for years because of my scientific background. However, I now realize just how wrong most of the organized Churches are since I have experience the Glory of the Lord first hand. P.S. This thing we call Life is just a Game. One of Many. Thanks
When I first used salvia about 4 years ago, I nearly fought the guy
who let me smoke it. I left my body and thought I died and nobody
could see or me hear me when I tried to talk to them. It was not
a fun feeling. I nearly flipped out. That’s as close to death as I ever
wanted to get. Then recently my best friend wanted to try some so
he went to a head shop, purchased the strongest blend, and we both
went back to his house and prepared for the trip. Well naturally my friend smoked it and didn’t hold it in long enough
so he didn’t get the full effect. But when I took a hit I nearly lost my shit again.
This time I couldn’t get out my seat. Everytime I tied to get
up new arms would grow and latch back on the chair arms. It was definitely a negative feeling, like I wasn’t in control. I wouldn’t suggest doing this drug. It was and is the feeling of the strongest hit of acid you could ever trip on. As far as seeing GOD, no. And people who say they do are crazy. These mexican shamans got some balls to be smoking that shit. You might as well role up all drugs in one big old joint and take a puff, cause it’s no different from trying to feel what death feels like.
Say what you want in rebuttal but I know I’ll never do that shit
again. And if you want to try smoking, go ahead. But don’t be mad
or suprised when you flip the fuck out. Sorry if I offend all the salvy
heads who read this, but I just want to warn the people who trye this
stuff before they have the expeirience I had.
yours truly
chosung
Well I am not sure about all of this, but I can say that salvia is being a huge help to me.
Recently I found out I had a ruptured disk in my neck. Yes, I’ve been in terrible pain. I have lost 98% use of my tricep in my right arm due to severe nerve damage. I have been in pain for about 10 years and have been misdiagnosed on several occasions. I would go to doctors and tell them I was in severe pain and that it was in my back behind my shoulder blade on my right arm, and that the pain was shooting down my arm. They would see if swelling was present, then send me to X-ray. Nothing would show up in the X-ray and no swelling was present. The doctors (every one of them I had been to see) would treat me as if I was a drug seeker. In other words, prescribe me crap like weak muscle relaxers and naproxsen (which is basically Aleve) and send me on my way.
I was unable hold a job very long because of the pain, so I never had any insurance. So I resorted in working at restaurants, mainly because no one else would hire me due to my work history. I had to file bankrupt twice just because of hospital bills. Well my wife of 7 years got a great job with the county with excellent benefits bcbs. And I got some crappy insurance through a restaurant I have worked at for a while.
Well mothers day this year we were very busy and I must have aggravated it. Not really sure though, it may have just been the straw that broke the camels back. I had 2 days off after mothers day when I began to have pain in my back and arm once again. It was the same as ever. I went to an after hour clinic and even with double coverage they still looked at me like I was some kind of drug seeker, wrote me a prescription of some crap that has never worked in the past, and sent me on my way to the pharmacy. I dropped it off - they said it would be ready in an hour. So an hour passes by and I return. When I walked up to the counter they rang it up and as I was reaching for my wallet the power went off and the refused to give me my meds or my prescription back.
Furious, I went back to the doctor and told him what had happened at the pharmacy and that I needed something for pain until the morning when I could get my prescription filled. With an aggravated look on his face he told me to take some Motrin. I am not the type of person to cuss someone out, but with the pain I was feeling I couldn’t hold back. My exact word to him were “you stupid son of a bitch that’s what i have been taking. If it was helping me at all I would have never came in here in the first place”.
The next morning when I awoke I noticed that my thumb, index, and middle finger were numb. I just figured I had just slept funny. when it was still numb at noon I became worried. My wife wigged out bad and said she thought I might be having a heart attack and made me go see another doctor. So I did. I told this doctor about my arm and under my shoulder blade hurting for the past ten years and how I cussed out a doctor the night before.he checked my eyes and stuff to see if I may have had a stroke. No stroke he said. He then had me look in different directions up…..does it hurt…no……down……ouch……..left…..no pain……..right……ouch. He looked at me and said it sounds like a ruptured or bulging disk. He sceduled me for an MRI. Results came back saying I indeed had a ruptured disk and a herniated disk as well. He prescribed me Loratab 7.5 and told me that there was no pain medication that could make the pain go away and made me an appointment with a neurosurgeon.
So now i have to wait until June 24th to have surgery. The pain has increased so much I can’t sleep. I was reading articles about pain relief and stumbled across a site about salvia having pain relieving effects like morphine without awful side effects such and breathing problems, constipation, and addiction. Only thing it was also a hallucinogenic drug.
I was in intense pain a couple of days ago and found a head shop that sold it. I bought some 5x extract being the weakest of all they had available. Later on that night I smoked some out of a corncob novelty pipe I had bought to make a snowman with this past winter. I took a drag from it and maybe felt a little strange for a minute but other than that nothing. Except my pain went away. For the first time in two weeks I slept like a baby - didn’t wake up once.
The doctor has told me I may have permanent nerve damage and will have to go to pain management. It will take over 8 weeks to recover from surgery but if the nerve pain is permanent I may hurt the rest of my life. I hope salvia isn’t made illegal because it has been the only thing that has touched the pain I am in.
Sorry about how long this reply is. I just want to let people know of the medical potential of salvia. I believe it should at least stay legal for its non-addictive pain relieving qualities.