Indeed, it’s one of the few well-known psychedelics that isn’t a federally controlled substance under Drug Enforcement Administration regulations, although its use is outlawed in several states. They may differ from person to person and include both mental and physical effects. One type of salvia, salvia divinorum has hallucinogenic properties. Effects of other hallucinogens include flashbacks to drug experiences, visual impairment and a condition called hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. However, it’s unclear if salvia causes similar long-term effects.
Understand the risks
Salvia is controlled under Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Activities such as sale, possession and production of salvia are illegal unless authorized for medical, scientific or industrial purposes. The major worries with Salvia use are the loss of awareness of surroundings by the user and the potential for unpleasant hallucinations.
Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interacts with SAGE
Since his symptoms were relatively minor, Poison Control advised the physician to watch the patient until his symptoms improved and he could be safely discharged. A hospital psychiatrist evaluated the patient and he was able to go home about 6 hours later. Teenagers can access Salvia more easily than other drugs of abuse.
Users at level three have a firm grasp on themselves and their reality, experiencing these visions as just passing imagery. Maria Sabina, the best known Mazatec curandera or shaman, dedicated her life to the healing work with psilocybin mushrooms and Salvia divinorum. She once famously remarked that when the mushrooms are not available, she resorts to the use of salvia. She noted that salvia doesn’t have as much strength as the mushrooms, but that could also have been due to the fact that she prepared an infusion with the leaves.
But the Johns Hopkins researchers think this is not the whole story. This, he says, has caused researchers to focus less attention on changes in activity elsewhere in the brain, even though those changes are often larger than in the default mode network. Moreover, non-psychedelic drugs including cannabis and alcohol also cause decreases in default brain network activity, which complicates the idea that it might be the root of a psychedelic experience. Salvia contains salvinorin A, which can produce hallucinogenic effects.
Our patient, a man in his thirties, purchased Salvia through a website on the Internet, where it was sold as ‘plant food’ and in packets labelled according to four ‘strengths’ – 0, 5, 10 and 20. He smoked a small amount of the ‘10’ strength herb in a joint, and experienced vivid visual and auditory hallucinations that lasted for 12–14 mins. He also had visual hallucinations of ghostly figures talking to him and experienced extreme fear. Despite this experience, the patient decided to try the ‘0’ strength herb half an hour later, hoping for a ‘high’ without the vivid hallucinatory effects. However, he re-experienced similar symptoms that were not of lesser intensity or shorter duration. There were no reported after-effects, and in the longer term, the patient did not experience any perceptual disturbances after his exposure.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Drugs
People who are unaware of their surroundings are at great risk of causing or being injured in accidents. It is a good idea to have a “sitter” to keep the user out of trouble. Crushing and swallowing salvia may cause longer-lasting but milder effects compared to other methods of use. The effects may last up to an hour, according to a 2004 article in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
A complete lack of awareness combined with blind stumbling can result in countless injuries. Any interaction with people on the outside world is entirely out the window. When properly reached, however, this level is seen as a goal among Salvia users. In Western society, research into Salvia did not start until the 1930’s, where it was described by Jean Basset Johnson as he was researching the Mexican use of psychedelics.
- The Mazatec method of taking Salvia is a traditional method with historical roots.
- The information contained on this website is not intended to be a substitute for, or to be relied upon as, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
- But the Johns Hopkins researchers think this is not the whole story.
If you’re planning to trip, you NEED to have an extra sober hand around for this reason, among others. If you’re the sober one, make sure the tripping person is safe from their environment and away from any potential dangers. Experience, with psychedelics in general and particularly Salvia and strong doses of Salvia, will always make a tripsitter more likely to do the right thing at the right time. There are a number of different methods for consuming Salvia of varying efficacies, including tinctures, extracts and oral intake. Salvia extracts are highly concentrated and even more potent than dried leaves. It’s advised that consumers measure their doses out – it’s that strong!
In traditional Mazatec ceremonies, the leaves were ground into a fine pulp, which was then infused into a liquid for consumption. This method prolongs the effects can salvia kill you of the Salvia past what most recreational users are looking for in the experience. Ego loss, or loss of awareness of self, is nearing, causing people to experience “merging” and become “one” with other objects or people in their world. If a user reaches this level, on purpose or by accident, without a tripsitter, they will be in for some deep trouble.
Salvia also has a low addiction potential, and people have not reported overdoses. The Mazatec also roll fresh salvia leaves into a cigar-like “quid.” They suck or chew the quid without swallowing, and so they absorb the drug from the mouth lining into the bloodstream. There is some concern that salvia could trigger psychotic episodes, particularly in young people and people with previous history of, or a family history of, mental health problems. Depending on dosage, experiences can vary from the fairly mild to full blown with psychedelic hallucinations. I had done a trial run the day before, lying on a couch in a laboratory that was furnished to look like a tastefully trippy living room.