I always new sage was some cool shit but it wasn’t until recently that I realized it can be even more. I was watching a very brief news segment on the local channel and it talked in passing about some herb from Mexico that is getting kids whacked out and they were freaking out about it. So I decided to put on my thinking cap and do some research. Here is what I found:
For the purpose of this posting, I am going to rely on the resource available at: salvia divinorum
The “herb” in question is Salvia and here is the flower. Salvia divinorum has been used for healing and divination in Mexico. In Western culture, it became a popular for its hallucinogenic effects in the 90’s. It is nowadays known under different names, such as salvia, Ska Pastora, Shepherdess’s Herb, ska Maria Pastora, yerba de Maria, hierba María and Sally-D. Salvia is endemic to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Salvia divinorum belongs to the genus Salvia, better known as sage. You will find sages anywhere, from your own garden to garden stores, but generally these are not Salvia divinorum. Some 900 species of Salvia exist and they include a large number of ornamental plants and also Salvia officinalis, the sage that is used for cooking. The genus Salvia itself belongs to the mint family Lamiacae (formerly known as Labiatae), which also includes familiar herbs as oregano and basil.
For the geeks and science freaks who want to know what it looks like, Salvinorin A has 23 Carbons 28 Hydrogens and 8 Oxygens, try putting those together WITHOUT peaking at the picture and you will know why its a kick in the head.
For those who understand it, I want you to look at the 3 hexagon rings with the aromatic double bonds; see what I’m getting at? 
Anyway for those who don’t know what I am talking about look at the pretty colors and remember to hold on with arms and legs inside during the whole ride please. But seriously it is not known why salvinorin A is psychoactive, but there is some knowledge of its neurological action. Salvinorin A is a strong selective kappa opioid receptor agonist. This means that it “binds” and triggers activity in a particular class of proteins (the kappa opioid receptors) in the body.
Simply put, makes you feel good hmmm that’s nice …
Opiate drugs such as morphine are also opioid receptor agonists, but the main difference with salvinorin is that these activate both kappa and mu receptors. Activation of mu receptors is believed to cause opiate dependence. Because opiates have a strong effect on mu receptors and only weak effect on kappa receptors, they have mild visionary effects, but are strongly addictive. In contrast salvinorin A is a powerful selective kappa agonist. It strongly activates the vision-inducing kappa receptors but does not activate the addiction producing mu receptors. For this reason, salvinorin A causes strong visionary effects, but is not addictive.
In almost all cases Salvia divinorum is cultivated from cuttings, because the plant very rarely produces viable seeds. Even in the wild the plant usually propagates by falling over and producing new roots.
It is advised to wait with harvesting until the plants are at least one year old. If you have several plants, you should harvest an equal number of leaves from each plant, so that the shock to one plant will not be too great. The most basic way of collecting leaves is to simply wait until they die and fall off. This puts the least strain on the plant, but you will need some patience.
There are different ways of using salvia. Most people smoke salvia in a bong or pipe, but there are a number of other methods. Read the instructions carefully before using salvia for the first time. This why I am NOT putting anything about the use here and urge to read the resource on this listed at the beginning for more detailed explanations. For the lazy butts, go here.
The effects produced by Salvia divinorum are not comparable to any effects produced by other psychoactive substances. Depending on body weight, sensitivity, dose taken, method of ingestion and the strength of the salvia that issued, the effects range from subtle to extremely strong. Salvia can not be considered a party drug in any way. On the contrary, people that under the effects of salvia are usually not interactive, but have a very personal hallucinating experience.
The famous salvia-researcher Daniel Siebert made up a scale for the strength of a salvia experience. His S-A-L-V-I-A trip scale shows 6 trip stages:
- S – SUBTLE effects, Relaxation and increased sensual appreciation may be noted. This mild level is useful for meditation and may facilitate sexual pleasure.
- A – ALTERED perception, colors and textures are paid attention to. Thinking becomes less logical, and more playful.
- L – LIGHT visionary state. Closed eye visuals (clear imagery with eyes closed).
- V – VIVID visionary state. Complex three dimensional realistic appearing scenes occur. With eyes closed you experience fantasies. So long as your eyes are closed you may believe they are really occurring.
- I – IMMATERIAL existence. Individuality may be lost; one experiences merging with the Divine.
- A – AMNESIC effects. Loss of consciousness. The individual may fall, or remain immobile or thrash around. Dangerous!
Full description of the scale can be found here.
Now what every pot head or individual considering this wants to know: IS IT LEGAL? There is no simple answer to that so read this carefully and at the end take the time to look at the compiled list of places that have some degree of regulations currently known. According to many, Salvia divinorum may be used in a safe and responsible way by adults as it is not habit-forming, not addictive, and does not present a significant risk to public health or safety. Because it is a powerful herb that produces hallucinations and alters consciousness, some regulation of sales is appropriate, but criminalizing possession certainly is not. When it comes to regulation, restricting sales would be appropriate, as well as obligating shops to provide user information and warnings with all salvia products. Unfortunately, several countries have enacted laws that prohibit possession and/or sale and/or importation of Salvia divinorum. Here is an overview. Have you got updated information on the legal status of Salvia in your country or state? More details here.
YOU ARE A STUPID, IGNORANT AND INCOMPETANT IDIOT AND MORON IF YOU DO NOT READ THIS FULL WARNING
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