Salvia News


Salvia Divinorum in the News


Salvia has been and is growing story in the news today. With salvia's rediscovery in the 1990's and the simultaneous development of the Internet salvia usage jumped to astronomical numbers. With this amount of attention and concerns of parental groups growing, the media has latched onto salvia as the new drug story to report.





Most reports are of Salvia being like the psychedelic drug LSD. This is inaccurate because salvia is natural and is non addictive. Then what is salvia? Salvia is substance like marijuana and tobacco but has different effects. Salvia induces an intense psychedelic effect, then calms and relaxes within minutes. Marijuana and tobacco produce effects not as intense as Salvia.





Parental groups have drawn the media's attention about salvia although the substance is controlled in some states and countries. The media has helped shed some light on the growth of salvia, from the plant's potency to the plant's distribution.





With the media and parental group concerns, salvia is a substance that is becoming more difficult to buy. However, salvia is being sold on the internet at outrageous prices due to the restrictions. One ounce of saliva leaves reportedly costs $30 - $120 on the Internet, depending on the location.





In 2007, several videos of salvia users suddenly appeared on YouTube. These people were laughing as though they were under a spell, and were unable to communicate properly. These videos are now being used as exhibhits in the legislative process to regulate the use and distribution of Salvia.





Another much publicized event relating to Salvia Divinorum was The Brett Chidester Case. In 2006, Brett Chidester, a Delaware student was found dead due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The case was later revealed to be a suicide. Reportedly, Brett had been a regular Salvia user, and was known to experiment with it. His earlier writings with regard to Salvia revealed that he was harboring a nihilistic delusion, that there was no point in existence. His mother sued the company that supplied Brett with Salvia, and she argued that Salvia caused depression. However, medical research has shown that Salvia has an anti depressant effect.


Therefore, this case had a negative effect on Salvia Divinorum.





Although several states in the US have restricted the use of this herbal drug, many activists are now lobbying for the inclusion of Salvia in the list of legal and accepted drugs. California and Maine have now made Salvia legal to all people above the age of eighteen, on par with the existing regulations on tobacco and alcohol.



Salvia continues to make headlines as our leaders continue to take away more of our personal freedoms.