Salvia neither "party drug" nor threat
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Salvia Divinorum is a plant that has seen shamanic use as a visionary sacrament in Mexico and South America for centuries. It is a unique drug, as it is the only k-opioid receptor agonist, which has a strong hallucinogenic effect. Scientists have been very interested in researching the medicinal potential of the drug; however, due to growing hysteria surrounding salvia, that research may be cut short.
Salvia and its active ingredient, Salvinorin A, are currently being researched for unique anti-depressant properties, analgesic effects, as well as potential as a treatment for alcohol or narcotic addiction. Just as with the African plant psychedelic Ibogaine(which is one of the best available treatments for heroin and crack cocaine addiction), and LSD (which had a 50% success rate treating alcoholism in the 1950's), and Psilocybin Mushrooms (which is one of the best treatments for cluster migraines), and MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy, one of the most effective treatments for returning soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), the war on drugs continues to impede medical research.
It is being said that salvia is the latest craze; a new party drug that is addicting kids everywhere. Are we in the middle of a new drug epidemic? What is the truth about this little known plant?
Smoking Salvia brings on intense hallucinations and altered states of consciousness, and therefore has been compared to LSD. Unlike LSD, however, the effects of Salvia last only minutes rather than hours. The effects of the drug are unpleasant and the smoke tastes like a mix between burnt rubber and rotten fish.
When a person smokes Salvia, it is nearly impossible to say a single word, much less hold a conversation, and it is a very introverted, personal, even spiritual experience. It is almost the complete opposite of a "party drug". It does not make a person particularly social and is certainly not "fun". Most people who use it gain insight on a particular issue in their life, or learn something about themselves. However, the effects are so unpleasant that most people try it once or twice, then never go back to it. If someone tells you that salvia is addictive, they are lying.
Hysteria about drug use is certainly not new. The drug war in this country began following the 1907 Vancouver riots, in which white British Columbians harassed and attacked Chinese-Canadians. Along with the Chinese Head Tax, drug prohibition was passed into law. Both laws were passed with the same goal in mind: make Canada a pure, white, Christian society.
Emily Murphy, one of the most famous Canadian feminists, who was also a major league racist and an advocate for Alberta's forced sterilization program, was the mother of Canadian drug prohibition. Much like those in the southern United States, Ms. Murphy viewed drug use as an extension of the evil of non-whites. Following the 1907 riots, opium and marijuana use among Chinese-Canadians became an opportunity for Murphy to try to force non-whites out of Canada, as well as to control the depravity of the public. Murphy believed that the public are sinful and need to be punished by the federal government, a view similar to that of our current Prime Minister.
She claimed that two puffs of marijuana would make somebody go insane and commit murder. This claim was never challenged and became the basis for our drug laws. Now people are saying similarly ridiculous and unfounded things about Salvia.
Some people who are calling for Salvia to be banned may very well be concerned parents. Keep in mind, however, that two of the biggest contributors to "The Partnership for a Drug-Free America" and other 'anti-drug' lobbies are the alcohol and tobacco industries, followed closely by the pharmaceutical industry. The drug war is big business.
You are being lied to, and the media has been useless to expose the lies. I thank The Ontarion for the opportunity to cut through the hysteria. Research the history of drug policy and you too will come to the conclusion that the only rational option is to legalize, regulate, and educate.
Comments posted here do not necessarrily reflect the views of The Ontarion or its staff and affiliates.
Sally Dee posted on Friday October 30th 2009
I think this is the best article that I've read to this day about Salvia. It's rediculous that everyone trys to vilify it and it is the same thing they did with pot. Our governments believe in God so why dont they respect his wish to have us use the plants he/she put on this earth for us. PotentSalvia isnt addictive, it's just used to discover some things about ourselves that we wouldnt have seen normally. The governments need to focus their energy on poverty and quit picking on silly freedoms like this.
Kevin Riley O'Keeffe posted on Saturday October 31st 2009
I largely agree with this article. I've taken Salvia Divinorum only once, and while I probably will take it again, I agree that its not "fun" in the conventional sense, and most certainly isn't "a party drug." I doubt very much it has addictive properties, but even if it does, its unlikely anyone would choose to take it often enough to discover those properties. The use of Salvia is about the quest for knowledge. LSD, especially in small doses, can be very "fun" in the conventional sense, but in larger doses become a very intense experience, that while undoubtedly very interesting, is seldom characterized as "fun," and can be quite difficult, or downright unpleasant (even terrifying). Salvia is much like a large dose of LSD, in many respects, albeit of much shorter duration. Although no one under the influence of Salvia would ever mistake it for LSD, as it is a very unique experience.
While its true the smoke tastes rather bad, and is very harsh to the throat, it is also true that this scarcely matters, as no one takes more than a single, large puff of Salvia. In fact, after a person has taken a puff of Salvia smoke, it is a very good idea to make sure the pipe is out of their hands, and out of their reach. Otherwise, they may burn themselves. It is often difficult for people on Salvia to recognize people they've known all their lives, as well as common household objects. It is an extremely good idea for people to ingest Salvia indoors, while in a seated position, with other people who are not presently under its effects, so that those people can strongly discourage that person from attempting to stand up and walk around, as such people are quite apt to hurt themselves and/or break objects around them by simply knocking them over or whatnot. I really can't envision any good reason for more than one person to be in the midst of a Salvia "trip" in the same room, at the same time. Take turns. And read up on dosage levels; you don't want to smoke too much of it (one large "hit" seems to do the trick at 10X concentrated potency, but if someone has, say, 50X concentrate stuff, you need to adjust. I recommend the 10X concentration myself; its easier to manage dosage levels, and thus avoid taking more than you desire. This stuff is very potent, even at the lower concentrations, and you really don't want to ingest more than is necessary, by simple virtue of the fact that the experiences you will then have are likely to be ones you will wish to have avoided (you won't "overdose," but you might very well have "a bad trip").
My principal objection to this article is somewhat peripheral. I won't go too hard on you, as being a Canadian publication, you may not be entirely well versed on some of the nuances of American history & politics, but as a native of Alabama, I was not at all pleased to encounter the cartoonish "Land of Racism" caricature applied to the American South. Our racial history is quite complex, and while American Northerners love to characterize racism as a distinctly Southern impulse, the reality is quite different. Additionally, our "War on Drugs" started less than a decade after yours did, in 1915, and at that time, the South was essentially an occupied territory of the USA, albeit in the de facto sense, rather than the de jure. Ever since the War Between the States, our economic institutions were all controlled by people from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. We no more decided policy in Washington than Palestinian refugees dictate to the Israeli Knesset today. The people who formulated the laws against opium and cocaine in 1915 were, in part, motivated by racism...but they most certainly were NOT Southerners. When marijuana was prohibited in 1935, it was almost exclusively grown by poor & middle class White Southern farmers, and they were the only people who voiced opposition to such a ban. Poor & middle class White Southern farmers still provide a very large segment of America's outdoor marijuana crop (probably a majority of it), although now they are forced to do so in violation of laws imposed on them by Northern interests associated with the alcohol & pharmaceutical industries.
Bruno Marchal posted on Saturday October 31st 2009
Very good article indeed. Despite the impressive psycho-activity of Salvia divinorum, I don't think it should be classified as a drug. There are no evidence at all that salvia is addictive or harmful. The many "salvia videos" on Youtube illustrate that when that plant is consumed in the complete opposite way of the recommended way (i.e. in the dark, silence and in a spirit of self-inquiry), it can lead to no more than bruises and nightmares, which happen to sober people too. There are no evidences at all that the consumption of Salvia leads to any problems. On the contrary, it seems to provide an incredible help in reducing many drug addictions. There are strong evidences that it can cure some type of migraine, nasal congestion, some form of depression, etc. The only reason currently invoked to ban it results from invalid logical inferences or wrong statistics. It is a wonderful magical plant which can renew your perspective on life and spirituality. Starting from the leaves, and going up incrementally, with the right spirit, lead eventually to a very rewarding experience which makes you more confident in yourself and in life in general.
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