New Hallucinogenic Hits US

According to the N.Y. Times, a legal, relatively rare herb from Mexico is appearing on the recreational drug scene in the US, as a profound hallucinogenic.

Salvia divinorum, a type of sage plant, also called by users "ska Maria Pastora" and "diviner's sage," reportedly can cause unique intense hallucinations. Researchers have identified the active chemical compound that causes the hallucinations --Salvinorin A - but know little else about its interaction in brain chemistry or possible long-term side effects. It does not appear to involve serotonin, dopamine, or other neurotransmitters.

The herb has been chewed like tobacco, smoked, and made into a tea. Unlike most other hallucinogenic substances, the Times reports that Salvia divinorum is legal in the United States, though DEA officials report they are looking closely at the herb.

Though no reports of health problems, hospitalizations or emergency room visits that might be attributed to the plant yet, researchers are concerned because so little is known about this unique herb---how it works, how addictive it may be, etc. Defenders of the herb cite the Mazatec Indians in the Oaxaca region of Mexico who have used it, with no apparent ill effects, for centuries.

The mystery of just how Salvia divinorum works and it's relative inaccessibility may be some the fascination contributing to the drug's growing popularity. Sales appear to be Internet-based, with dried leaves selling for as much as $120 an ounce.

So profound, unique and intense are the effects that some sellers say fewer that 1 in 10 buyers purchase the herb again. Users describe out of body experiences, distortions of time, mergings with other people and objects and, when taken in higher doses, unconsciousness and short-term memory loss.

The bitter taste, harsh smoke, relatively short-term effects (it lasts about an hour) and it's tendency to make the user introverted during use, keep Salvia divinorum from most social gatherings and parties where Ecstasy and LSD tend to reign.

Return to the ACUTE CARE home page