Salvia: Have you heard about the New Pot?
The media has been buzzing about Salvia, or Salvia Divinorum. This name is derived from its use in religious ceremonies, or divining, particularly by shamans in the Mazatec culture in Mexico. It grows in shady, moist areas of this mountainous region.
While most serious students of the historical and traditional uses of this drug will tell you it is not at all suitable as a recreational drug, young people in the United States are experimenting with this herb in record numbers. Parents are becoming concerned, and states are beginning to take measures toward criminalizing its use and cultivation.
It has been used historically in a very limited way to induce a meditative state, creating a psychedelic state similar to LSD but only lasting around 4-5 minutes. It is consumed much in the same ways as marijuana. It has very limited possibilities as a therapeutic drug, and most people who have ever used it in a larger dose will NEVER use it again. It can have a traumatic and terrifying psychological effect.
As Salvia continues to enjoy a celebrity status as curious young minds seek conscious altering substances that appear to be harmless, scientists and governmental agencies will more thoroughly examine the long-term effects of its use. The positive note about the use of salvia is that it does not produce a recreational type euphoria without what appears to be some terrifying consequences, also. Hopefully, this will discourage our younger population from its habitual use.