Salvia Divinorum

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Salvia Divinorum
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Making Salvia Divinorum a controlled substance in
Ohio

• Unanimously passed the Ohio House on April 15,
  2008.
• Ohio Senate passed and Governor signs into law
  January 2009.
• Inspired by death of 12 year old at the hands of
  a friend under the influence.

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Salvia Divinorum - Potent hallucinogen

• Over 1000 species of Salvia worldwide.
• Salvia Divinorum is the only one that is a
  hallucinogen.
• Mint is a part of the family
• From Oaxaca, Mexico, where it grows in the
  mountainous land of the Mazatec Indians.
• Not native to the United States.

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Used for Religious and Healing Ceremonies by the
Mexican Indians

• Used by the Mazatec Indians for 100s of years.
• Botanist brought to U.S. in the 1960s.
• Reintroduced in the 1990s.
• Its gaining popularity is contributed to
• the Internet.

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Many method of ingesting . . .

• Smoking
• Vaporization
• Orally - chewing
• Extracting into a liquid

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Long-time promoters argue . . .

• It is not habit-forming.
• It is not a stimulant, sedative, narcotic nor a
  tranquilizer.
• It is quite safe and non-toxic.
• Possible to see visions while ingesting.
• Salvia seems to shine of the nature of existence
  itself.

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They also insist . . .

• It is not addictive, either physically or
  psychologically.
• One cannot overdose on it.
• It seldom produces adverse side-effects or
  hangovers.
• It is not a party drug not a substitute for
  cannabis or alcohol.
• It should be taken alone in a quiet, dark room
  a sitter is strongly recommended.

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The Effects . . .

• Very personal hallucinating experience.
• Not good to interactive with others while using.
• Not at all similar to cannabis.
• Out of body experience.
• Traveling back in time.

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Effects continued. . . .

• Loss of physical coordination
• Uncontrollable laughter
• Visual alterations or visions
• Experiencing multiple realities
• A contemplative sense of peace
• Sense of profound understanding
• Dream-like veneer over the world
• Sense of total confusion or madness

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Health Risks

• If used too often could be a hard habit to
  break. (taken from proponent website)
• Lethal dose is not established. Likely to pass
  out before reaching that dose.
• Dont know the interactions with other drugs.
• Great risk of losing awareness and causing
  physical injury to oneself and others.
• Driving is completely out of the
• question.

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The Dangers . . .

• Young people are drawn to it.
• Enter a dreamlike state, altering perception,
  putting one in dangerous situations.
• It impairs coordination.
• Can freak-out injuring oneself or others.
• Touching a person using it can often frighten
  causing them to believe they are being assaulted.

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More Dangers . . .

• Falls, head banging, walking to walls, walking
  through windows, wandering out into streets, open
  flames, hot surfaces, breakable objects.
• If taken with alcohol or other drugs can cause
  out-of control behavior of terrifying
  experiences.
• The delusional episodes mimic
• psychosis.

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DEA

• A Drug Enforcement Administration study is still
  pending to determine the 8 point criteria to
  place Salvia on he Federal Controlled Substance
  Act.

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Concerns

• Risk for abuse is high especially among youth.
• The risk for injury is extremely high.
• The loss of rational conscience and physical
  coordination is dangerous.
• Young people seem to be gravitating to it.
• Too many unanswered questions about short and
  long term health effects.