Hallucinogenic Herb Being Sold Legally Over Internet
Salvia divinorum, a Mexican plant that contains a potent natural hallucinogen, is being sold legally over the Internet, the Associated Press reported Sept. 3.
The herb, which is in the sage family, can give users the feeling of being an inanimate object — one described the sensation as feeling like paint drying. Users may lose all perception of reality for a few minutes or up to an hour and more.
“It seems to be something that completely alters — and not in a completely happy direction — people's consciousness,” said Dr. Alan Trachtenberg of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The plant is traditionally used as ritual herb by Indian tribes. In addition to Mexico, the plant is grown in Hawaii and California.
Although the hallucinogenic plant is legal, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is currently reviewing it. “We are gathering information on it to see if it needs to be controlled,” said Rogene Waite, a DEA spokeswoman in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Ethan Russo, a clinical neurologist and expert on psychotropic herbs in Missoula, Mont., is against a ban on the drug. “That would be crazy on numerous levels — first, we don't even know how this stuff works,” he said, adding, “It's possible Salvia and Salvinorin A can lead us to a better understanding of our own neural chemistry.”
