Salvia divinorum Totally Explained

Everything about Salvia Divinorum totally explained

Salvia divinorum, also known as Diviner’s Sage, ska María Pastora, Sage of the Seers, or simply by the genus name, Salvia, is a powerful psychoactive herb. It is a member of the sage genus and the Lamiaceae (mint) family. The Latin name Salvia divinorum literally translates to “sage of the seers”. The genus name Salvia is derived from the Latin salvare, meaning “to heal” or “to save”. Salvia divinorum has a long continuing tradition of use as an entheogen by indigenous Mazatec shamans, who use it to facilitate visionary states of consciousness during spiritual healing sessions.
   Its primary psychoactive constituent is a diterpenoid known as salvinorin A—a potent κ-opioid receptor agonist. Salvinorin A is unique in that it's the only naturally occurring substance known to induce a visionary state this way. Salvia divinorum can be chewed, smoked, or taken as a tincture to produce experiences ranging from uncontrollable laughter to much more intense and profoundly altered states. The duration is much shorter than for some other more well known psychedelics; the effects of smoked salvia typically last for only a few minutes. The most commonly reported after-effects include an increased feeling of insight and improved mood, and a sense of calmness and increased sense of connection with nature—though much less often it may also cause dysphoria (unpleasant or uncomfortable mood). It was first recorded in print by Jean Basset Johnson in 1939 as he was studying Mazatec shamanism. He later documented its usage and reported its effects through personal testimonials. It wasn't until the 1990s that the psychoactive mechanism was identified by a team led by Daniel Siebert.
   The history of the plant isn't well known, but there are three possibilities as to its origin. Since it's found in one small area and only one indigenous group uses it, it's either native to this area, is a cultigen of the Mazatecs, or is a cultigen of another indigenous group. and counterpoints more supportive of Wasson’s theory from Jonathan Ott.
   The identity of another mysterious Aztec entheogen, namely that of “poyomatli”, has also been suggested as Salvia divinorum. Here too there are other candidate plants, notably Cacahuaxochitl (Quararibea funebris), again suggesting that there's no overall consensus.

Botany

Salvia divinorum has large green leaves, hollow square stems and white flowers with purple calyces. The plant grows to well over a meter in height.
   Partial sterility is often suggestive of a hybrid origin, although no species have been recognized as possible parent species. The ability to grow indistinguishable plants from seeds produced by self pollination also weakens the hybrid theory of origin, instead implying inbreeding depression, or an undiscovered incompatibility mechanism. The plant is mainly propagated by cuttings or layering. Although isolated strands of Salvia divinorum exist, these are thought to have been purposely created and tended by the Mazatec people. For this reason, it's considered a true cultigen, not occurring in a wild state. It is present in the dried plant at about 0.2%. Unlike other known opioid-receptor ligands, salvinorin A isn't an alkaloid—it doesn't contain a basic nitrogen atom.
   When considered by mass alone, salvinorin A is the most potent naturally occurring psychoactive compound known. It is active at doses as low as 200 µg. This makes it unlikely that another mechanism contributes independently to the compound’s effects. Salvinorin A is unique in that it's the only naturally occurring substance known to induce a visionary state via this mode of action. Salvinorin A has no actions at the 5-HT_2A serotonin receptor, the principal molecular target responsible for the actions of ‘classic’ hallucinogens, such as mescaline and LSD.
   Many other terpenoids have been isolated from Salvia divinorum, including other salvinorins and related compounds named divinatorins and salvinicins. None of these compounds has shown significant (sub-micromolar) affinity at the κ-Opioid receptor, and there's no evidence that they contribute to the plant’s psychoactivity.

Ingestion

Traditional methods

Mazatec shamans crush the leaves to extract leaf juices from about 20 (about 50g) to 80 (about 200g) or more fresh leaves. They usually mix these juices with water to create an infusion or ‘tea’ which they drink to induce visions in ritual healing ceremonies.

Smoking

Dry leaves can be smoked in a pipe, but most users prefer the use of a water pipe to cool the smoke. The temperature required to release salvinorin from the plant material is quite high (about 240°C). A regular flame will work, but the direct application of something more intense, such as the flame produced from a butane torch lighter, is often preferred.

Chewing

The method of chewing the leaves may also be employed. However, salvinorin A is generally considered to be inactive when orally ingested, as the chemical is effectively deactivated by the gastrointestinal system. Therefore, the ‘quid’ of leaves is held in the mouth as long as possible in order to facilitate absorption of the active constituents through the oral mucosa. Chewing consumes more of the plant than smoking, and produces a longer-lasting experience.

Using a tincture

Less commonly, some may ingest salvia in the form of a tincture. This is administered sublingually, usually with the aid of a glass dropper. It may be taken diluted with water just before use, which may slightly reduce the intensity of its effects, but can also serve to lessen or avoid a stinging sensation in the mouth caused by the presence of alcohol. Tinctures vary in potency, and the effects can range from inducing a mild meditative state to bringing about a more intense visionary one.

Duration of effect

If salvia is smoked the main effects are experienced quickly. The most intense ‘peak’ is reached within a minute or so and lasts for about 1-5 minutes, followed by a gradual tapering back. At 5-10 minutes, less intense yet still appreciable effects typically persist, but giving way to a returning sense of the everyday and familiar until back to recognizable baseline after about 15 to 20 minutes.
Chewing the leaf makes the effects come on more slowly, over a period of 10 to 20 minutes, the experience then lasting from another 30 minutes up to one and a half hours.

Uncontrollable laughter
Past memories, such as revisiting places from childhood memory
Sensations of motion, or being pulled or twisted by forces
Visions of membranes, films and various two-dimensional surfaces
Merging with or becoming objects
Overlapping realities, such as the perception of being in several locations at once

A survey of salvia users found that 38% described the effects as unique. 23% said the effects were like yoga, meditation or trance.
   Media reporters rarely venture to take salvia for themselves but one firsthand journalistic account has been published in the UK science magazine New Scientist:
There have been few books published on the subject. One notable example is Dale Pendell’s work “Phamako/Poeia—Plants Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft”, which won the 1996 Firecracker Alternative Book Award and has a chapter dedicated to Salvia divinorum. It includes some experience accounts:
Some have written extensive prose and/or poetry about their experiences. Some describe their visions pictorially, and there exist examples of visionary art which claim to be salvia-inspired. Others claim musical inspiration from the plant: examples are the songs “Salvia divinorum” by 1200 Micrograms, "Salvia" by Deepwater Sunshine, and "Flight 77" by Paul Dereas.
   The “Salvia divinorum User’s Guide” hosted on Daniel Siebert’s website recommends having a sitter present if you're new to salvia, are experimenting with a stronger form, or are using a more effective method of ingestion than you've before.
The guide points out that the effects of salvia are generally quite different from those of alcohol; but, like alcohol, it impairs coordination. One should never attempt to drive under its influence.
   It also emphasizes that salvia isn't a party drug.

After effects

Short term

After the peak effects, normal awareness-of-self and the immediate surroundings return but lingering effects may be felt. These short-term lingering effects have a completely different character than the peak experience. About half of users report a pleasing ‘afterglow’, or pleasant state of mind following the main effects. Researchers (Baggott, et al) from the University of California Berkeley and California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute conducted a survey of 500 salvia users which identified that they ‘sometimes or often’ experience certain effects, including:

Increased insight: 47%	Decreased insight: 1.8%
Improved mood: 44.8%	Worsened mood: 4.0%
Increased connection with Universe or Nature: 39.8%	Decreased connection with Universe or Nature: 5.4%
Increased sweating: 28.2%	Decreased sweating: 1.6%
Body felt warm or hot: 25.2%	Body felt cold: 6.4%
Increased self-confidence: 21.6%	Decreased self-confidence: 2.4%
Improved concentration: 19.4%	Difficulty concentrating: 12.0%

Other commonly reported effects include:

Feelings of calmness: 42.2%	Weird thoughts: 36.4%
Things seeming unreal: 32.4%	Floating feelings: 32%
Mind racing: 23.2%	Feeling lightheaded: 22.2%

Long term

Differing studies suggest no overall consensus so far with regard to the long-term effects of Salvia divinorum on mood. It is well-established that some k-opioid agonists can cause dysphoria in humans, and research using rats in forced-swim tests (where they’re forced to swim in a narrow cylinder from which they can't escape) has been used to suggest that Salvia divinorum may have “depressive-like” effects. However, a report has been published detailing an individual case of Salvia divinorum use as self-medicated treatment for depression, and Baggott’s survey of 500 people with firsthand experience of salvia found that 25.8% of respondents reported improved mood and “antidepressant-like effects” lasting 24 hours or longer. Only 4.4% reported persisting (24 hours or more) negative effects (most often anxiety) on at least one occasion. research suggests that Salvia divinorum, in line with the studied effects of other k-opioid agonists, may have further therapeutic potential.
Thomas Prisinzano, assistant professor of medicinal and natural products chemistry at the University of Iowa, has suggested that salvia may help treat cocaine addiction
Professor Bryan L. Roth, director of the National Institute on Mental Health’s Psychoactive Drug Screening Program, has said
Clinical pharmacologist John Mendelsohn has also said
An ABC news story which reported on this went on to suggest “the excitement could vanish overnight if the federal government criminalizes the sale or possession of salvia, as the Drug Enforcement Agency is considering doing right now.” Scientists worry that such legislation would restrict further work. Mendelsohn said scheduling salvia could scare away a great deal of research and development into salvia’s therapeutic promise. to the idea of it as a dangerous threat to society, needing to be banned as quickly as possible in order to “spare countless families the horror of losing a loved one to the relentless tentacles of drug abuse”.

Media stories

Interest in Salvia divinorum has been escalating in the news media—particularly in the United States—where an increasing number of newspaper reports have been published and television news stories broadcast. These stories generally raise alarms over salvia’s legal status. Headlining for example with comparisons to LSD, or describing it as “the new pot” for instance, with parental concerns being raised by particular focus on salvia’s use by younger teens. Without necessarily providing much further context or supporting evidence story headlines may also include ‘danger’ keywords, such as “Dangerous Herb is Legal...” or “Deadly Dangers Of A Street Legal High”.
   Such reports may mix journalistic opinion and prejudgment of the issue. In a major ABC news report aired on July 11, 2007, the anchors are seen to exchange expressions of incredulity when referring to a salvia story with the following introduction “Now, an exclusive I-Team investigation of a hallucinogenic drug that has begun to sweep the nation. What might amaze you is that right now the federal government is doing nothing to stop it”. In March 2008 a Texas news report aired with the story "A legal drug that teenagers are now using to get high could soon be banned here in San Antonio - all because of a News 4 investigation", going on to say, "The drug is legal in Texas, at least for now. But a News 4 investigation could lead to a new ordinance to protect your kids."
   Many salvia media stories headline with comparisons to LSD. However, while LSD and salvia’s active constituent salvinorin A may have comparative potencies, in the sense that both can produce their effects with low dosage amounts, they're otherwise quite different. Salvinorin occurs in nature, whereas LSD is a synthesized drug. The two substances are not chemically similar or related. They are ingested in different ways. They produce different effects, which manifest themselves over different timescales. The effects of salvia when smoked typically last for only a few minutes as compared to LSD, whose effects can persist for 8-10 hours. Media story references typically don't report this significant difference in timescale and in particular don't mention salvia’s much shorter duration of effect.
   Another reported issue of concern has been the emergence of YouTube, about which, in an interview with California-based newspaper the San Francisco Chronicle, published on June 27, 2007, Daniel Siebert was quoted as saying “Those videos are certainly not going to help the situation. They make salvia look like some horrible drug that makes people nuts and dangerous [...]” and “The sad thing is it creates this public image where people don’t realize there are sensible ways to use something like this.”

Public opinion

Despite its growing notoriety in some circles, media stories generally suggest that the public at large are still mostly unaware of salvia, with the majority perhaps altogether having never even heard of it. With regard to their coverage of proposals to make salvia illegal in the U.S. state of Maine, Bangor Daily News ran an on-line poll in March 2007 which posed the question “Do you think the state should outlaw the sale of the drug salvia?” to which approximately 70% of respondents answered "no." While this has over 300 reader responses, the poll itself says, that it's “not a scientific survey and shouldn't be used as a gauge of public opinion. It reflects only the opinions of bangordailynews.com readers who have chosen to participate”. A similar online poll was done in connection with an Indianapolis news channel’s story in November 2007, asking the question “Do you believe Indiana should regulate salvia divinorum?”. 76% of the poll's respondents were opposed to prohibition (59% preferring age regulations, and 17% no restrictions at all). In March 2008 the Miami Herald ran an online poll in connection with its news story asking the question "Should Florida lawmakers place restrictions on salvia?". Out of over 670 respondents a majority of 79% voted 'No', against 21% who voted 'Yes'.
Again, although published responses may not necessarily be representative of public opinion as a whole, some news agencies generally support reader and viewer feedback in connection with their stories.
Although the Chidester story has been given continued exposure by US media, there hasn't been anywhere else, either before or since this controversial incident, any other reported cases involving or alleging Salvia divinorum as a serious factor in suicide, overdose, accidental, or any other kind of death. The extent and significance of Brett’s use of alcohol is a matter of debate, but for his demographic, more than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year as a result of alcohol-related injuries.

Legal status

The situation may be subject to future change but at present Salvia divinorum remains legal in most countries. Current exceptions, countries where there's some form of control, include Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. In the United Kingdom, following a local newspaper story in October 2005, a parliamentary Early Day Motion was raised calling for Salvia divinorum to be banned there. However, it only received 11 signatures and hasn't been debated or further escalated.
   In such places where Salvia divinorum legislation exists, it varies in its prohibitive degree from country to country. Australia has imposed its strictest ’schedule 9’ (US Schedule I equivalent) classification for example, and Italy has also placed salvia in its ‘Table I’ of controlled substances (also US Schedule I equivalent). Whereas in Spain there are just controls focusing on the commercial trade of Salvia divinorum, and private cultivation (growing your own plants for non-commercial use) isn't targeted. In Germany there are also measures targeting commercial sales, for example in any shops that are not drugstores. Several other states have proposed legislation against salvia, including Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Many of these proposals have not made it into law, with motions having failed, stalled or otherwise died, for example at committee review stages. and the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics (CCLE), who sent key members of the US Congress a report on Salvia divinorum and its active principle, along with letters from an array of scientists who expressed concern that scheduling Salvia divinorum would negatively impact important research on the plant. The bill didn't pass.
   Similar to the international situation, in the United States, where individual state legislation does exist, it varies from state to state in its prohibitive degree. Some states such as Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and Missouri have imposed the strictest Schedule I classification. By contrast, the state of Maine is considering just age restrictions, prohibiting sale and use with respect to youngsters under 18 years of age—in a manner generally consistent with controls existing for tobacco and alcohol. In Oklahoma wording of their bill refers to Salvia divinorum that “has been enhanced, concentrated or chemically or physically altered”—and as such it's targeted particularly at enhanced strength extracts. It doesn't outlaw the plant itself. Tennessee also has some provision for Salvia divinorum in its natural plant form. There the law classes its use as a ‘Class A misdemeanour’, but it isn't an offence to possess, plant, cultivate, grow, or harvest Salvia divinorum for “aesthetic, landscaping, or decorative purposes”. In contrast to Oklahoma the wording of salvia laws in some states is the other way around, in that there's no mention of Salvia divinorum’s active constituent at all. In Delaware for example the plant in its natural form is classified as ’schedule I’, while much more potent purely extracted salvinorin A remains quite legal.
   In Illinois their legislation wording doesn't mention salvinorin A either, but there it includes instead “the seeds thereof, any extract from any part of that plant, and every compound, [...] derivative, mixture, or preparation of that plant”. Daniel Siebert has criticised this wording as being “absurdly broad in scope, for it implies that any substance extracted from Salvia divinorum (water, chlorophyll, whatever) would be treated as a Schedule I controlled substance under the proposed law.”
   Salvia is also illegal for Military Personnel as it goes against AFI Regulation.

Opinions and arguments

Concerns expressed by some politicians on the subject of salvia echo those of the media. In November 2006, the morning after a story by news channel KSL was aired in Utah, warning its viewers about what it called “this dangerous herb”, Ray’s action was further supported by the news channel in a subsequent KSL editorial. Viewer feedback was unanimously more critical. In February 2007, the day after a Fox TV local news story on salvia had aired in Milwaukee,
   Comparisons to LSD and particular focus on “protecting our children” are also being echoed by politicians. In June 2007 the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper ran a front page headline cover story about salvia, reporting that Representative Wasserman (D) had recently begun seeking sponsors for a bill that would ban the manufacture and sale of Salvia divinorum for consumption in Wisconsin. Wasserman was reported as saying “This bill is all about protecting our children” and “I want to stop the Salvia divinorum dealers who are pushing young people to experiment with a potentially dangerous substance.” In the state of Illinois, in support of his bill for Schedule I classification of Salvia divinorum, Representative Dennis Reboletti (R) wrote in his own website that salvia is a “powerful psychoactive plant which in appearance looks like marijuana but has the psychoactive properties of LSD.” and “It’s important that we in the legislature are proactive in protecting our children from highly addictive substances” [...] “For a drug to be classified as a Schedule 1 substance signifies that it’s a highly dangerous and potentially lethal drug for its user. Hopefully, the passage of my bill will bring attention to “Magic Mint” and help law enforcement combat the future rise of this drug.” Other references and sources indicate however that Salvia divinorum doesn't look like marijuana. Its psychoactive properties are not like those of LSD, and that Salvia divinorum isn't generally understood to be either addictive or toxic. Concerns about driving while under the influence of salvia have also been expressed. Senator Karen Peterson (D), who introduced Schedule I classification of Salvia divinorum in Delaware, said “I, for one, don’t want to be driving down Route 1 next to someone who is having an out-of-body experience” and “I thought this isn't something that I'd want people using driving around the streets of Delaware.”
   There hasn't been much evidence to suggest that salvia use is particularly problematic. Some arguments against salvia have been of a preventative or imitative nature. North Dakota Senator Randy Christmann (R) stated “we need to stop this before it gets to be a huge problem not after it gets to be a huge problem” and New Jersey Assemblyman Jack Conners (D) argued “Salvia divinorum use may not be a runway (sic) epidemic, but it’s certainly is a phenomenon that warrants attention. We should take preventive steps now to prevent wholesale problems later on” In October 2005 MP John Mann raised an ultimately unsuccessful Early Day Motion calling for Salvia divinorum to be banned in the UK, saying “The Australians have clearly found a problem with it. There’s obviously a risk in people taking it.” Representative Reboletti (R) sponsored a bill for Schedule I classification of Salvia divinorum in Illinois.
   Opponents of more prohibitive measures against salvia argue that such reactions are largely due to an inherent prejudice and a particular cultural bias rather than any actual balance of evidence, pointing out inconsistencies in attitudes toward other more toxic and addictive drugs such as alcohol and nicotine. The worldwide number of alcohol-related deaths is calculated at over 2,000 people per day, in the US the number is over 300 deaths per day. While not objecting to some form of legal control, in particular with regard to the sale to minors or sale of enhanced high-strength extracts, most salvia proponents otherwise argue against stricter legislation. Other entheogenic plants with continuing traditions principally of spiritual use include peyote (and other psychoactive cacti), iboga, virola, ayahuasca (an admixture of plants containing DMT + MAOI), and various types of psychoactive fungi. In fact, US legislation as it stands specifically allows two of these to be used in a spiritual context. The Native American Church is allowed to use peyote and Uniao do Vegetal (or UDV) is permitted ayahuasca. Although not consistently granted (varying from state to state), the principal grounds for such concessions are constitutional, with further grounds following from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

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