The New Marijuana

March 11th, 2008 Posted By Pat Dollard.

leonotissppbw1000.jpg

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - On Web sites touting the mind-blowing powers of salvia divinorum, come-ons to buy the hallucinogenic herb are accompanied by warnings: “Time is running out! … stock up while you still can.”

That’s because salvia is being targeted by lawmakers concerned that the inexpensive and easy-to-obtain plant could become the next marijuana. Eight states have already placed restrictions on salvia, and 16 others, including Florida, are considering a ban or have previously.

“As soon as we make one drug illegal, kids start looking around for other drugs they can buy legally. This is just the next one,” said Florida state Rep. Mary Brandenburg, who has introduced a bill to make possession of salvia a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Some say legislators are overreacting to a minor problem, but no one disputes that the plant impairs judgment and the ability to drive.

Native to Mexico and still grown there, salvia divinorum is generally smoked but can also be chewed or made into a tea and drunk.

Called nicknames like Sally-D, Magic Mint and Diviner’s Sage, salvia is a hallucinogen that gives users an out-of-body sense of traveling through time and space or merging with inanimate objects. Unlike hallucinogens like LSD or PCP, however, salvia’s effects last for a shorter time, generally up to an hour.

salvia7in.jpg

No known deaths have been attributed to salvia’s use, but it was listed as a factor in one Delaware teen’s suicide two years ago.

“Parents, I would say, are pretty clueless,” said Jonathan Appel, an assistant professor of psychology and criminal justice at Tiffin University in Ohio who has studied the emergence of the substance. “It’s much more powerful than marijuana.”

Salvia’s short-lasting effects and fact that it is currently legal may make it seem more appealing to teens, lawmakers say. In the Delaware suicide, the boy’s mother told reporters that salvia made his mood darker but he justified its use by citing its legality. According to reports, the autopsy found no traces of the drug in his system, but the medical examiner listed it as a contributing cause.

Mike Strain, Louisiana’s Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner and former legislator, helped his state in 2005 become the first to make salvia illegal, along with a number of other plants. He said the response has been largely positive.

“I got some hostile e-mails from people who sold these products,” Strain said. “You don’t make everybody happy when you outlaw drugs. You save one child and it’s worth it.”

An ounce of salvia leaves sells for around $30 on the Internet. A liquid extract from the plant, salvinorin A, is also sold in various strengths labeled “5x” through “60x.” A gram of the 5x strength, about the weight of a plastic pen cap, is about $12 while 60x strength is around $65. And in some cases the extract comes in flavors including apple, strawberry and spearmint.

Web sites such as Salviadragon.com tout the product with images like a waterfall and rainbow and include testimonials like “It might sound far fetched, but I experience immortality.”

Among those who believe the commotion over the drug is overblown is Rick Doblin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a nonprofit group that does research on psychedelic drugs and whose goal is to develop psychedelics and marijuana into prescription medication.

“I think the move to criminalize is a misguided response to a very minimal problem,” Doblin said.

Doblin said salvia isn’t “a party drug,” “tastes terrible” and is “not going to be extremely popular.” He disputes the fact teens are its main users and says older users are more likely.

“It’s a minor drug in the world of psychedelics,” he said.

Moreover, it’s hard to say how widespread the use of salvia is. National and state surveys on drug use don’t include salvia, and because it is legal in most states, law enforcement officials don’t compile statistics, either.

San Diego State University last year surveyed more than 1,500 students and found that 4 percent of participants reported using salvia in the past year.

Brandenburg’s bill would make salvia and its extract controlled substances in the same class as marijuana and LSD.

Florida state Sen. Evelyn Lynn, whose committee plans to study the salvia bill Tuesday, said the drug should be criminalized.

“I’d rather be at the front edge of preventing the dangers of the drug than waiting until we are the 40th or more,” she said.


    • Young Americans Documentary
    • Learn More About Pat
    • blogroll

      • A Soldier's Perspective
      • Ace Of Spades
      • American Soldier
      • Ann Coulter
      • Attack Machine
      • Bill Ardolino
      • Bill Roggio
      • Black Five
      • Blonde Sagacity
      • Breitbart
      • Chicagoray
      • Confederate Yankee
      • Day by Day Cartoon
      • Euphoric Reality
      • Flopping Aces
      • Free Republic
      • Frontier Web Design
      • Hot Air
      • Hugh Hewitt
      • Ian Schwartz
      • Instapundit
      • Jules Crittenden
      • Little Green Footballs
      • Matt Sanchez
      • Michael Fumento
      • Michael Yon
      • Michelle Malkin
      • Military.com
      • Missiles And Stilletos
      • Move America Forward
      • Mudville Gazette
      • Pass The Ammo
      • Protest Warrior
      • Roger L. Simon
      • Sportsman's Outfit
      • Stop The ACLU
      • TCOverride
      • The Belmont Club
      • The Big God Blog
      • The Crimson Blog
      • The Daily Gut
      • The Drudge Report
      • The PoliTicking Timebomb
      • The Pundit Review
      • Veteran's Affairs Documentary

6 Responses

  1. Brian H

    My cheque (check) is in the mail … :razz: :lol:

  2. Kilemal

    :cool: Farout man… Like pass the water pipe dude. I might just need a hallucinogenic drug to get me through this election.

  3. TedB

    Hmm, thank you. :wink:

    Uh, how would that show up on a piss test?

  4. Kurt(the infidel)

    I have seen people do this crap on youtube and it looks scary :lol:

  5. drillanwr

    During my “wild days” I stuck pretty much to ‘pot’ … However, tried opium a couple times … and DID NOT like the ‘out of body’ feeling/experience. While there was a party or two where LSD was floating around, I was blessed (I suppose) to have a cousin (my surfing guru) who had completely burned his brain on the stuff by the time I’d graduated from high school, so I backed away from the crap and just said, “No”.

    For the last, say, 25 yrs. I have NOT touched ANYTHING within that genera of drugs … and refuse perscription drugs my doctor may suggest if I can get by without them.

    :arrow: Except those days where Kurt and I pass around the cyber crack pipe to deal with the weather and breaking news … :twisted: :gun:

    Anyhow, this latest “drug” source … and the WAY some in the article are addressing/treating it boggles the sober mind. It’s NOT that big a deal/problem, so why all the fuss??!!??

    Do these people know what kids do to get high? Do they know what shit kids “huff” … and how many kids have died, killed themselves, or sustained permanent brain and other health damage do to just THAT source of highs?

    So, seeing a problem growing on the horizon … THAT shouldn’t be addressed in a serious way?

    I think/believe THIS poses a more tragic and immediate problem/disaster than the science fiction that IS global warming … and there IS a daily freak-out over THAT!

    These people couldn’t be consistent if their daily toilet habits depended on it …

  6. hegelbot

    this is so fucktarded and a another reason senior citzen’s should be allowed to set drug policy.

    This stuff salvia is also totally fucktarded, its just like whip-its which is also not illegal and total lame and immature.

    no serious psychonaut even considers this shit to be a drug. Its a whole lot of smoke for like 6 seconds of light headedness, if you make this illegal you may as well make oregano illegal.

Respond now.

alert Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.

alert If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.

:mrgreen::neutral::twisted::arrow::shock::smile::???::cool::evil::grin::idea::oops::razz::roll::wink::cry::eek::lol::mad::sad::!::?::beer::beer: