Canada-Psychedelic herb under legal radar

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Apr 07, 2007 05:41 PM
Kenyon Wallace
Canadian press

OTTAWA–A common garden herb that packs a powerful psychedelic punch has some federal health officials recommending strict controls.

But Health Canada says it can't regulate the use of salvia divinorum until there's more evidence of its dangers.

Department documents obtained by The Canadian Press under Access to Information law say salvia is being used by adolescents and young adults for its hallucinogenic properties.

A December 2005 report by the marketed health products directorate, an arm of Health Canada, recommends that salvia be placed under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Department spokesman Jason Bouzanis said salvia has been known to cause hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, unconsciousness and short-term memory loss. But that's not enough to declare it illegal.

"We can't make any recommendations to place salvia under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act schedules until we have sufficient scientific and empirical data that concludes it has the potential for misuse and abuse," Bouzanis said.

Salvia, also known as Sally D, the diviner's sage, or the sage of seers, is legal to possess, distribute and consume in every country except Australia. It is a species of sage, which belongs to the mint family, and is most commonly found in Mexico, where indigenous Mazatec shamans have used it for centuries for spiritual journeys.

Salvia leaves are most commonly dried and smoked. Extracts of salvinorin-A, salvia's active ingredient, are available in tablet form. Pill prices can range anywhere from $30 to $80 in Canada depending on the potency desired. Most online sellers of salvia advertise the herb as a natural health product.

An October 2006 report by the natural health products directorate of Health Canada, which is responsible for assessing safety among all marketed health products, highlights four cases of adverse reactions to salvia.

One case involves a 16-year-old Canadian boy who reportedly became incoherent, suicidal, and threatened to kill police officers after taking a single tablet of salvia in March 2005.

Despite being aware of salvia's potentially harmful effects, the RCMP can't crack down on the herb because it's legal.

"As far as including salvia included under the Controlled Substances Act, that's Health Canada's responsibility," said Sgt. Nathalie Deschenes.

"The RCMP is always concerned about any substance or product that may put the safety and security of Canadians at risk."

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration lists salvia as a "drug of concern" but it has not been banned by the U.S. federal government.

Missouri and Louisiana have criminalized the herb and there are proposals to make it illegal in Alaska, Illinois, Oregon and Wyoming.

Dr. Bryan Roth, a professor of pharmacology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is very concerned about the availability of the herb.

"Salvia is the world's most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen," he said.

"You wouldn't want to be driving a car, or you wouldn't want to be on a balcony in a high building so the concern is that if individuals were to take a sufficient dose, they might get themselves or others into trouble.

"The distribution is totally unregulated so unsuspecting teens or even children younger than teenage years might chance upon it and that's a recipe for disaster."

But for one salvia user, such concerns are unnecessary.

"Salvia is so intense, most people only try it once or twice," said Ryan (Big P) Poelzer, who works at the Urban Shaman, a popular botanical store in downtown Vancouver.

He says the store sells at least fifty pills every week, mainly to people between the ages of 19 and 25.

Poelzer, 20, describes his experiences using salvia as "mind blowing" and "out of this world."

"You don't think you're in this world and you don't think you're coming back. It's like going into outer space. Time being ripped in half is a good way of describing it."

"It's definitely the most powerful psychedelic out there."
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http://www.thestar.com/News/article/200682






I personally do not enjoy Salvia, but I think it is shortsighted to make it illegal.
 
We can't make any recommendations to place salvia under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act schedules until we have sufficient scientific and empirical data that concludes it has the potential for misuse and abuse," Bouzanis said.
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What??? The governments have done exactly that to every other drug. Why the lack of conviction for salvia???
 
crowbar said:
Definitely the most powerful psychedelic?
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Well, at least that was a quote by some random guy, and not a definitive statement, but it is pretty damn powerful. Hell, it's still the most intense thing I've ever tried, and I've tried a lot of things.
 
motorcyclist said:
What??? The governments have done exactly that to every other drug. Why the lack of conviction for salvia???
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good question. maybe cause it's usually not euphoric?
 
crowbar said:
Definitely the most powerful psychedelic?
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Salvia has been shown to be one of the most powerful psychedellics... not because of how strong its effects are but how a dose smaller than most LSD doses become active in the body. It's measured in micrograms....

Just because a drug doesnt seem to be all that strong doesnt mean it isnt powerful....
 
You're thinking of 'potent' not 'powerful'. Personally I believe salvia is both the most potent and the most powerful natural hallucinogen. DMT comes in at a close second in my book, but salvia pushes ahead as it seems to have an almost delirient quality to it - the trip seems more 'real'.
 
I think power-hungry government lackeys feel a comaraderie with anything that invokes feelings of fear....
 
I like salvia, but sadly, Illinios is struggling with a bill that may make salvia schedule 1. I think I'll buy the strongest extraction i can find before it becomes illegal. I feel like once it's gone, it's gone for good, salvia isn't the kind of drug you'd see someone selling on the street, and i certainly wouldn't go to the trouble of growing it.
 
Squeaks said:
Salvia has been shown to be one of the most powerful psychedellics... not because of how strong its effects are but how a dose smaller than most LSD doses become active in the body. It's measured in micrograms....

Just because a drug doesnt seem to be all that strong doesnt mean it isnt powerful....
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you're thinking of potency.

ive read salvinorin A is active in 200-500 microgram range

200 micrograms of LSD is a full-blown intense trip

but barring LSD, salvia seems to be the most potent natural psychedelic. (or is LSD not natural? i'm not sure if it's one of the LSA's present in morning glories etc?)
 
Yeah i wouldnt mind if they made it illegal. I have had my "fun" with that. I dont even think it is recreational enough to have an underground following if it becomes illicit. "yo man i got sally d $10 a dose, shit makes you trip balls"
 
Wait... WHAT?

Salvia PILLS!?!?!

Where? When?

I want some!!!

You can't ingest salvia - it doesn't absorb through the digestive system.

Tictures placed under the tongue need held there for 30+ minutes.....


Smoking a (QUALITY) extract is about the only way to trip off of it.
http://iamshaman.com
Best place to get it...
All the stuff I've gotten from smoke shops is CRAP - no exceptions.
Salviasupply.com or net or whatever.... black crap equal to the stuff in the smoke shops.
http://everyonedoesit.com - 40X that was weaker than Iamshaman's 10X.

If it's black - it's crap.
It might work (somewhat...) but it's really not worth smoking.

I'd recommend the 10X from IamShaman - or the 20X if you have the money to blow.

I've never seen or heard of tablets...

And the reason is that it's not chemically similar to any other controlled substance.
At least that's the main reasoning in the USA.

I don't know about Canada's laws and their restrictions...

As for Illinois, GOOD FOR THEM!
But they need to tell the Federal Government to shove it.
The states can create laws prohibiting substances - the Federal Government cannot.
(So... technically... all the states with medical marijuana laws can HAVE their medical marijuana without fuss.... I'm going to start repeating myself if I go further... Yes... the Supreme court ruled that the federal laws DO over rule the state laws, however they never determined that the federal laws were LEGAL laws... which they are not - they use a loophole in the constitution - the Interstate Commerce Clause - that was closed in Lopez v. US in 1995 - congress no longer has the power to prohibit any substance - all the federal drug laws are illegal.)
 
robatussin said:
Yeah i wouldnt mind if they made it illegal. I have had my "fun" with that. I dont even think it is recreational enough to have an underground following if it becomes illicit. "yo man i got sally d $10 a dose, shit makes you trip balls"
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So because you had your fun and are done with it now it doesn't matter what happens, nice man!
 
I could never get salvia to 'work'. While all around me people were mashed, I just kept toking without result. Anyone else had this problem?
 
haribo1 said:
I could never get salvia to 'work'. While all around me people were mashed, I just kept toking without result. Anyone else had this problem?
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Yes... Tried it twice. Both times my wife was "in her own little world", and I didn't even get a buzz.
 
haribo1 said:
I could never get salvia to 'work'. While all around me people were mashed, I just kept toking without result. Anyone else had this problem?
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Salvia seems to be one of those things that doesn't work for everyone. The first time I tried it I loved it. I let a friend try some and she said nothing happened. I was like, huh, this stuff is crazy. Since then then though I don't really care for it.

About the Salvinorum-A pills, I've always read it doesn't absorb in the stomach. So what's up with the pills? Has anyone from Vancouver out there tried them?

As for salvia's continued legal status, I thinkm it's only a matter of time before it is made schedule 1 in the U.S.
 
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