Salvia: The Unknown Drug

Salvia is a drug growing in popularity. You may hear about it on the news as a dangerous drug, or read about it in magazines or on the internet as a safe and legal way to experience psychedelic effects. Salvia also got a lot of national attention when popular celebrity Miley Cyrus was filmed smoking it. The thing is though, how many people know just what Salvia actually is, what it does, and how safe it is or isn't? Let's go in-depth about Salvia and shed a little light on just what the drug Salvia is.





Let's cover the basic facts about Salvia first.

• It's an herb.
• It's in the mint family.
• It causes a short, powerful psychedelic effect which can result in seeing images, hearing sounds, having sensations of moving, or other hallucinogenic effects.
• Salvinorin A is the chemical that causes the drug effects.
• It can be smoked, chewed, ingested, or administered via eyedropper.
• It was discovered in 1939.
• It has large leaves and flowers that bloom rarely.
• The leaves contain the chemical for hallucinogenic effect.
• It is legal in most states.
• The DEA has labeled it as a drug of concern that needs more research.
• There is no medical consensus on just what its long term effects are, although some studies show an impact on overall mood that can be positive or negative.
• It is  not known how it effects bodily development in teens.
• It's been shown to rarely be physically addictive, but a person can have psychological dependence.

Salvia is not quite as toxic as some drugs, and does not have many long-term effects, but one issue of big concern is how its chemicals could impact a developing body--such as a teen's. This makes is extremely unwise to use Salvia if a person is not a fully-grown adult.

As for adults using Salvia, current studies have shown no long term impact from use, but research data is so limited it can't be known exactly what long-term use could do to an individual. Also, the short-term effects can be unpleasant (a "bad trip") and/or result in a person behaving in an unsafe way while under the drugs influence--driving a car is extremely dangerous under the effects of Salvia due to its altering of senses. Therefore, while Salvia may be legal that doesn't mean it is particularly safe or wise to use it, especially until more data has been gathered. Salvia isn't as dangerous to a person's health as LSD (which it has been compared to) but still is by no means good for you. In other words, it may cause a legal-high, but it sure doesn't cause a completely safe or legal one.