Archive for October, 2008

Salvia Divinorum — Sally D, or the so called “Magic Mint” — is, apparently, “wreaking havoc”. This according to one Australian report online. The typically sensationalist report from the news outlet tells readers that Salvia is ruining the lives of over 2 million young people who have decided to take the drug. Australia is one of only a tiny number of countries that have actually banned Salvia’s use as a drug.

In a rare moment of sanity, the article briefly notes that YouTube videos are causing hysteria amongst the media, politicians and lawmakers and could be responsible for giving Salvia a worse name than it already has. As they rightly point out, the banning of Salvia’s use would curtail any attempts to examine the drug for any medical benefits that it may provide. Salvia affects just a single receptor in the human brain and this behaviour is fairly unique. The benefits of Salvia’s use could be anything from a calming influence for those with psychological problems, to a help in the quest for a cure for systematic diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Salvia is not a dangerous drug and the calls for its banning are generally from those wishing to score political points. There have been no deaths that have been proved to have resulted from the use of Salvia, though a Delaware teen did commit suicide after using what his mother had described as massive amounts of Salvia.

Blaming Salvia for a nation’s ills seems a little silly, if not a little immature. Whatever drug is ‘fashionable’ at any one time will be the one that is blamed for things going wrong. If lawmakers decide on a Federal ban on Salvia then something will almost surely take its place; this ’something’ could well be more dangerous than Salvia. Is it perhaps a time to consider ‘the devil you know’?

Salvia Divinorum — Diviner’s Sage — is a legal drug which remains a bit of an enigma. Many lawmakers and politicians want to see it banned; scientists, medical experts and users want to see it celebrated. Though it is thought to be of medical benefit in some situations, the actual health benefits of Salvia are currently unknown. They will remain unknown if, as is thought to be the case, State governments and Federal lawmakers continue in the rush to make the drug illegal.

The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies — MAPS — in California is one firm that is trying its hardest to discover the true consequences of using Salvia. As RandolphHeneken points out, shamans have been using the drug for centuries and it is only now that it is getting a lot of press. MAPS researchers have not yet found any adverse short or long term effects that Salvia has on the body. This is one of the criteria that the Federal Government must take into account when determining whether or not any particular narcotic substance should be banned.

Heneken continues to note that, in his view, the outlawing of Salvia is just a knee jerk reaction to a problem that doesn’t exist. A political move that benefits no one and hinders those that have made inroads into the medicinal use of Salvia for the effective treatment of Cancer,Alzheimer’s or mental illnesses like Schizophrenia.

The outlook does not look good for Salvia research in many of the states where it is still legal. In those states — at least 11 so far — where it is still legal there is absolutely no hope of researchers ever making any inroads into its potential as a life-altering drug.

While the drug is still legal you still have the chance to try for yourself and decide whether or not it is for you. This is one right that the government and its over zealous politicians seem eager to to take away from us.

Salvia is currently legal in most US States. Some — a minority — have decided to either outlaw it or restrict its sale and use. Massachusetts is set to become the next state to create restrictions on the perfectly harmless drug. The House have given approval to a proposal that will mark Salvia as a class C controlled drug, thus making its use illegal in the State.

Proponents of the ban on Salvia Divinorum — otherwise known as Diviner’s Sage, Sally D and the Sage of the Seers — tell us that Salvia is a dangerous mind-altering drug that create dangerous hallucinations and causes disorders in users’ perceptions. As far as I am aware there is absolutely no medical or scientific evidence to back up these outrageous claims. Supporters of the proposal to ban Salvia go on to use the same old, tired arguments: that its use is being glamorised on YouTube and that its use amongst teens is increasing dramatically.

Naturally there are those who do not support the ban. These people — arguably more interested in the facts of the matter than in silly spin and posturing — point out that there is no evidence to show that Salvia is dangerous in any way; there is nowhere in the world apart from Australia that has banned Salvia, and that it has been in use for hundreds of years without causing any problems or alarms. These compelling arguments are seemingly ignored every time they are brought up.

Whether the bill will pass or not is unclear, and as always with these things, only time will tell. In all likelihood, though, Massachusetts will be the next, but certainly not the last, state to make Salvia a victim of the politics of the land. Surely a Federal, country-wide ban is only a few years away, at most. Once that happens we can expect some other innocent pastimes to become the victim of the lawmaking machine.

Salvia is a legally available drug. It is sold online and in so called ‘brick and mortar’ shops. Everything is above board and legal, so long as you are not in one of the few US States that have deigned it necessary to make the drug illegal (or at least control its use and distribution in some way). As Salvia has been exposed more to the limelight — ironically enough th exposure generally comes from those who would like to see it banned on a federal level — so have more people been inclined to experiment with the naturally occurring hallucinogenic.

One of the companies that sells Salvia legally online is Arena Ethnobotanicals of Encinitas, California. Manager John Boyd was pleased with the latest drive to see Salvia banned. Why? Because of the massive spike in sales it has inadvertently produced:

“We have huge volume for the New York region and have had a 1,000 percent increase over the last few months”

Other online sellers have concurred with this opinion. Many sellers are holding ‘end of line’ sales as they fear that their business is in jeopardy. It is possible — for example here on Salvia Dragon — to buy in bulk. This is cheaper and easier for the customer and the seller is happier with shifting larger volumes, too.

The process of bringing a federal law into fruition is a long and drawn out one; nonetheless it is likely that this will happen eventually. Perhaps if the democrats win the the election then this will be put on the back burner. We will see the law made at some point, though. So if you are thinking of buying Salvia in bulk then you should think about doing it sooner rather than later! Always check your State’s rules and regulations relating to the possession and use of Salvia before you buy.

The US tradition of jumping on the media bandwagon about certain populist stories has spread to the Indian subcontinent. A newspaper article I read recently in an Indian newspaper claimed that “Drug abuse in young people continues to be a problem in New York” as more people are using Salvia. Once again this is incredibly biased reporting which, as you may have noticed, I take exception to. The article goes on to claim that tens of thousands of ‘youngsters’ in their 20s are taking the drug.

Naturally, as is usually the case with ludicrous claims like these, there is no science or fact behind any of the claims. But it is not that riles me the most. What gets me right in the guts is the sheer cheek of instantly associating Salvia — and the use of Salvia — as being a problem. Why is this? Why would it be a problem? Is it that the author has a particular problem with Salvia? Or, as is more likely, is it just that they don’t know anything about the drug and instead leap onto the bandwagon as a friendly gesture towards the reader (who knows no better, either)?

The article continues with the statement that “Salvia can be bought online for 12 dollars an ounce”. Of course what this little statement of fact leaves out is that Salvia is sold and bought entirely legally online. And in fact on shops, too. The framing of this statement just makes it look suspicious. It is not! This is not some dark back alley deal somewhere: Salvia is sold in Gas Stations and on the high street! Of course the article does have to mention this legality, and does so later in the article. But as the author well knows, the reader has already made up her mind by that point.

This relentless bad reporting of Salvia has what has driven it into minds of those lawmakers and politicians that have their minds made up for them.