Huaca
Greenlighter
The Daily Texan
Pierre Bertrand
Daily Texan Staff
Published: Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Salvia divinorium is a legal hallucinogen that is readily available in various pipe, tobacco and hemp shops including Pipes Plus on the Drag. Legislators are attempting to ban the sale of salvia to minors and add the plant to the Texas Controlled Substances Act.
Salvia divinorum users are not the only ones trippin’ out over the hallucinogen, as legislators are attempting to restrict the use and the sale of the plant.
Three bills in the Legislature would either ban the sale of salvia to minors or would place the plant and its extracts in Penalty Group 3 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act, which would put it in the same category as marijuana.
All the bills are waiting for hearing dates.
Salvia divinorum causes intense visual and sometimes physical experiences. Depending on the potency of the harvested plant, hallucinations can last minutes at a time, completely incapacitating the user.
Radio-television-film junior Garret, who declined to give his last name, said he ritualizes his use of salvia. The plant closely resembles lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, in that users sometimes have drug-induced visual representation of non-visual things, he said.
“It’s an extremely physiological experience that lasts about four minutes,” Garret said. “I can go places and talk to famous dead people, but by no means is that the typical experience. It’s sort of like LSD in that you can have visual representations of sound and taste.”
The plant is legal and readily available in various pipe, tobacco and hemp shops.
Anyone can purchase salvia, and orders can be placed on the Internet to have the plant delivered to customers’ homes.
“It’s a hallucinogen that is readily available and that is unregulated,” said state Rep. Charles Anderson, R-Waco, who proposes adding the plant to the controlled substances act. “It’s hyped intentionally and inadvertently.”
Under the substance act, possession of fewer than 28 grams of Salvia would be a Class A misdemeanor. Any more than that would incur a felony punishable by jail time and a $50,000 fine.
“I’m concerned about the youngsters that do not know it’s a hallucinogen,” Anderson said. “We have a responsibility to educate parents and youngsters.”
State Rep. Armando Martinez, D-Weslaco, said he wants to restrict the sale of salvia to adults. He said he is concerned by the plant’s availability and videos glorifying its use on YouTube.
Hundreds of videos can be seen of individuals smoking the plant under different circumstances. Some videos show people trying to garden or drive while under the influence of salvia.
Both Martinez and Anderson said they were contacted by constituents worried about the plant.
“Even if it doesn’t last a long time, it only takes a couple seconds to hurt yourself,” Martinez said. “When it gets into the hands of a child is when we have a problem.”
Melissa Wolter, the manager of Pipes Plus on the Drag, said she sees both sides of the issue. Her store sells salvia to people who are older than 18, and she makes sure to educate new users on the plant’s proper usage.
“People have to do it responsibly,” Wolter said. “I’ve heard of people doing it while they’re driving, and that drives me crazy, and I think I should never sell salvia again. It gets mixed reviews.”
Wolter said individuals using the plant need to smoke it in a comfortable location while in a relaxed and positive state of mind, with a sober person to watch over them.
“It’s not mushrooms, it’s not peyote, it’s not acid,” Wolter said. “It’s not going to last hours.”
Due to its location, the pipe store typically sells salvia to college-age students.
“I think if they make it illegal the use is going to drop dramatically,” she said. “I don’t know where to get it other than stores. I love selling it because I love hearing about people’s experiences.”
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/sta...use%2C_availability_of_hallucinogen-1.1603971
Pierre Bertrand
Daily Texan Staff
Published: Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Salvia divinorium is a legal hallucinogen that is readily available in various pipe, tobacco and hemp shops including Pipes Plus on the Drag. Legislators are attempting to ban the sale of salvia to minors and add the plant to the Texas Controlled Substances Act.
Salvia divinorum users are not the only ones trippin’ out over the hallucinogen, as legislators are attempting to restrict the use and the sale of the plant.
Three bills in the Legislature would either ban the sale of salvia to minors or would place the plant and its extracts in Penalty Group 3 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act, which would put it in the same category as marijuana.
All the bills are waiting for hearing dates.
Salvia divinorum causes intense visual and sometimes physical experiences. Depending on the potency of the harvested plant, hallucinations can last minutes at a time, completely incapacitating the user.
Radio-television-film junior Garret, who declined to give his last name, said he ritualizes his use of salvia. The plant closely resembles lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, in that users sometimes have drug-induced visual representation of non-visual things, he said.
“It’s an extremely physiological experience that lasts about four minutes,” Garret said. “I can go places and talk to famous dead people, but by no means is that the typical experience. It’s sort of like LSD in that you can have visual representations of sound and taste.”
The plant is legal and readily available in various pipe, tobacco and hemp shops.
Anyone can purchase salvia, and orders can be placed on the Internet to have the plant delivered to customers’ homes.
“It’s a hallucinogen that is readily available and that is unregulated,” said state Rep. Charles Anderson, R-Waco, who proposes adding the plant to the controlled substances act. “It’s hyped intentionally and inadvertently.”
Under the substance act, possession of fewer than 28 grams of Salvia would be a Class A misdemeanor. Any more than that would incur a felony punishable by jail time and a $50,000 fine.
“I’m concerned about the youngsters that do not know it’s a hallucinogen,” Anderson said. “We have a responsibility to educate parents and youngsters.”
State Rep. Armando Martinez, D-Weslaco, said he wants to restrict the sale of salvia to adults. He said he is concerned by the plant’s availability and videos glorifying its use on YouTube.
Hundreds of videos can be seen of individuals smoking the plant under different circumstances. Some videos show people trying to garden or drive while under the influence of salvia.
Both Martinez and Anderson said they were contacted by constituents worried about the plant.
“Even if it doesn’t last a long time, it only takes a couple seconds to hurt yourself,” Martinez said. “When it gets into the hands of a child is when we have a problem.”
Melissa Wolter, the manager of Pipes Plus on the Drag, said she sees both sides of the issue. Her store sells salvia to people who are older than 18, and she makes sure to educate new users on the plant’s proper usage.
“People have to do it responsibly,” Wolter said. “I’ve heard of people doing it while they’re driving, and that drives me crazy, and I think I should never sell salvia again. It gets mixed reviews.”
Wolter said individuals using the plant need to smoke it in a comfortable location while in a relaxed and positive state of mind, with a sober person to watch over them.
“It’s not mushrooms, it’s not peyote, it’s not acid,” Wolter said. “It’s not going to last hours.”
Due to its location, the pipe store typically sells salvia to college-age students.
“I think if they make it illegal the use is going to drop dramatically,” she said. “I don’t know where to get it other than stores. I love selling it because I love hearing about people’s experiences.”
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/sta...use%2C_availability_of_hallucinogen-1.1603971
