I suppose this is a bit of an outdated story, but I thought I would touch upon it because of its historical significance. The issue is salvia divinorum, and according to NBC,

It’s a powerful and dangerous hallucinogen — and it’s legal.

Quick! Lock up the kids, take their money, and tell them what horrors accompany consumption of this human scourge!

How bad is it parents? Well lets see… what buzz word might jar the memories of your generation for widespread panic and fear? No word, maybe 3 letters: LSD. Thats right parents, Salvia is like LSD - maybe worse. We’re talking hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, delusions, sensory confusion, and yes — short term memory loss.

Salvia is the latest straw boogieman that has attracted the gaze of panic-stricken parents and blood-thirsty crusaders. It is the newest target of fear-mongering in the tradition of the pot, LSD, and ecstasy witch hunts. In fact, there is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest salvia has any addictive or habitual properties; anecdotal evidence often suggests that many people either try once or use very occasionally. But what does science have to say about Salvia Divinorum?

• Salvia appears to have therapeutic value in the treatment of addiction and substance abuse. It is believed that salvia may help treat addiction to stimulants (speed), amphetamines (crystal meth), and opiates (morphine, heroine, codeine).¹
• Sensationalistic media pumps out misleading scientific rhetoric that salvia “is the most potent naturally occuring hallucinogen”. However, potency is often confused with toxicity. Research suggests that salvia is not considered toxic in doses that are consumed by humans and does not cause organ damage.²
  
• Reports of flashbacks and long-term negative effects have not been conclusively attributed to salvia. These reports come from users that did not exclusively use salvia, but also used other psychoactive drugs.

Meanwhile, attempts in Quebec to lower the alcohol limit for driving have been met with large opposition. Critics argue that such an act may have devastating effects on the economy and will not save many lives. What place does the government have in forcing useless legislation on mature, peaceful, and level-headed individuals? Can you imagine drinking only 3 beers instead of 5 while watching the big game? Disastrous. Thank god someone is fighting to protect our liberties…

Stay tuned for an in-depth investigation of these matters…

 Print This Post

1. Schenk, S. & B. Partridge (Apr 2001), “Effect of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist, U69593, on reinstatement of extinguished amphetamine self-administration behavior.“, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 68 (4): 629-34. [↩]
2. Mowry, Mark; Michael Mosher & Wayne Briner (Jul 2003), “Acute Physiologic and Chronic Histologic Changes in Rats and Mice Exposed to the Unique Hallucinogen Salvinorin A“, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 35 (3): 379-382. [↩]