Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Salvia: a legal alternative

By Nate Swann

ndswann@vwc.edu

There is a new drug going around on college campuses. Well it is not really new, as salvia divinorum (common name: salvia) has been around since before the Aztecs. But the most surprising thing about this psychoactive herb is that it is completely legal.

“It’s not a party drug,” said Jamie Dungan, alumnus of VWC, “if you use it around lots of people, it’s a bad idea.”

So what is salvia? It was originally used by the Aztecs for divination, so sages could foresee the future, hence its nickname, the “sage of seers”. They would do this by either chewing or smoking the leaves of a certain type of sage that is only found in Sierra Mazateca region of Mexico. These “trips” would last anywhere between ten and forty-five minutes.

Nowadays, it can be ordered online with the click of a button and a credit card, or in local retail shops. It can be purchased in several different forms, including seeds, plant cuttings, whole plants, fresh and dried leaves, extract-enhanced leaves of various strengths (e.g., 5x, 10x, 20x, 30x), and liquid extracts.

Dungan, along with other students on campus, have tried salvia, and have had many different experiences.

“You feel it in strange ways,” said Dungan, “like you’re being pulled, melted, or twisted.”

“I was in the middle of the woods with some friends,” said Andrew Charbonneau, “and I thought we were going to get attacked by wolves.”

Another student who asked to remain anonymous said that he was sitting on a beach and watching the waves, and his vision was both “slightly distorted and enhanced.”

One author reported that there are seven main experiences that are frequent with salvia. They include: becoming or merging with objects; visions of various two-dimensional surfaces; revisiting places from the past, usually childhood memories; loss of the body and/or identity; various sensations of motion, such as being pulled or twisted by forces of some kind; uncontrollable hysterical laughter; and overlapping realities, such as being in several locations at once.

As for side effects, they have not been shown to last long. The results of a study at Berkeley show that the highest reported after-effects are increased insight, improved mood, and increased connection with the universe or nature. Some reported negative effects include weird thoughts, things seeming unreal, increased sweating, and body feeling warm or hot. This study also showed little evidence of dependence or addiction.

Bill Brown, director of counseling, said that “the administration has no stance on salvia” and its “users couldn’t legally be prosecuted.” He compared it to herbal supplements. Brown does believe that within a year or two, the government might start regulating it, as it causes a mild high, which it equates to marijuana.

Currently, only seven states, of which Virginia is not included, have regulations regarding saliva. Internationally, it has been placed under regulatory controls in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

Dungan, along with several scientists, believes that it should be researched, as it offers “a new understanding of how the mind works.” He also believes it could be a prescription for drug addicts, as it blocks opioid receptors, therefore filling the void left by other drugs.

“For most people, it’s not their thing,” said Dungan. “You should research it before you use it.”