Salvia divinorum

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Diviner's sage
Three well established Salvia divinorum plants.
Three well established Salvia divinorum plants.
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species: S. divinorum

Binomial name
Salvia divinorum
Epling & Játiva[1]

Salvia divinorum, also known as Diviner's Sage,[2] Magic Mint,[2] María Pastora,[3] Sally D, Sage of the Seers, or simply Salvia (although the genus name is shared among many plants), is a powerful psychoactive plant, a member of the sage genus and the Lamiaceae (mint) family.[4] It has long been used as an entheogen by the indigenous Mazatec shamans for healing during spirit journeys.[5] The plant is found in isolated, shaded and moist plots in Oaxaca, Mexico.[5] It is thought to be a cultigen.[6]

The Latin name Salvia divinorum literally translates to "sage of the seers".[7] The genus name Salvia is derived from the Latin salvare, meaning "to heal" or "to save".[8]

The primary psychoactive constituent is a diterpenoid known as salvinorin A.[9][10]

History

Salvia divinorum was first found in Oaxaca Mexico where it is used by the Mazatec Indians to facilitate visions and to treat diarrhea, headaches, and a magical disease called panzon de borrego, otherwise known as swollen belly. It was first recorded in print by Jean Basset Johnson in 1939 as he was studying Mazatec shamanism.[11] He later documented its usage and reported its effects through personal testimonials.[12] It was not until the 1990s that the psychoactive mechanism was identified by a team led by Daniel Siebert.[13]

Flowering Salvia divinorum

The history of the plant is not known, but there are three possibilities as to its origin. Since it is found in one small area and only one indigenous group uses it, it is either native to this area, is a cultigen of the Mazatecs, or is a cultigen of another indigenous group.[7] Wasson theorized that this plant was the mythological pipilzintzintli, the "Noble Prince" of the Aztec codices.[3] However, this theory is not without dispute. The Aztecs were extremely knowledgeable in plant identification, and their records report that pipilzintzintli has both male and female varieties. Salvia divinorum, however, is monoecious, meaning it produces flowers of both sexes on a single plant. Skeptics of this theory report that the Aztecs would have known the difference between male and female flowers. Wasson gains validity, however, as a number of Aztec historical accounts classify plants as male or female in a metaphorical, rather than botanically anatomical manner.

Botany

Unlike other species of salvia, Salvia divinorum produces few s eeds, and those seldom germinate. For an unknown reason, pollen fertility is reduced. There is no active pollen tube inhibition within the style, but some event or process after the pollen tube reaches the ovary is aberrant.[14] Partial sterility is often suggestive of a hybrid origin, although no species have been recognized as possible parent species. The ability to grow indistinguishable plants from seeds produced by self pollination also weakens the hybrid theory of origin, instead implying inbreeding depression, or an undiscovered incompatibility mechanism. The plant is mainly propagated by cuttings or layering. Although isolated strands of S. divinorum exist, these are thought to have been purposely created and tended by the Mazatec people. For this reason, it is considered a true cultigen, not occurring in a wild state.[6]

All known specimens are clones from a small number of collected plants. Two strains are in major circulation: the Wasson/Hofmann strain, obtained upon request from a Mazatec shaman in Oaxaca in 1962, and the Blosser ('Palatable') strain, obtained around 1980. The Palatable strain is said to have a more acceptable taste than the Wasson/Hofmann strain, although most reports suggest that there is little difference.

Additional commercial strains are in circulation, but all seem to be similar in potency, effect, and growth. The numerous different names have more to do with marketing than with the formal identification of botanically distinct strains.

Chemistry

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Salvinorin A

The active constituent is a trans-neoclerodane diterpenoid known as Salvinorin A, chemical formula C23H28O8.[15] Unlike other known opioid-receptor ligands, salvinorin A is not an alkaloid — it does not contain a basic nitrogen atom.[16]

When considered by weight alone, salvinorin A is the most potent naturally-occurring psychoactive compound known.[17] It is active at doses as low as 200 µg.[13][15][17] Research has shown that salvinorin A is a potent and selective κ (kappa) opioid receptor agonist.[18][15] It has been reported that the effects of salvinorin A in mice are blocked by kappa opioid receptor antagonists.[19] This makes it unlikely that another mechanism contributes independently to the compound’s effects. Salvinorin A is unique in that it is the only naturally occurring substance known to induce a visionary state via this mode of action. Salvinorin A has no actions at the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, the principal molecular target responsible for the actions of classical hallucinogens.[19]

Salvinorin's potency should not be confused with toxicity. Rodents chronically exposed to dosages many times greater than those to which humans are exposed did not show signs of organ damage.[20]

Many other terpenoids have been isolated from S. divinorum, including other salvinorins and related compounds named divinatorins and salvinicins. None of these compounds has shown significant (sub-micromolar) affinity at the kappa opioid receptor, and there is no evidence that they contribute to the plant's psychoactivity.

Ingestion

Traditional methods

Mazatec shamans use two methods of ingestion. Often they simply eat the fresh leaves. Sometimes they crush the leaves to extract the leaf juices, which they then drink (usually mixed with water). Reportedly, dosages vary from as few as 6 leaves to as many as 120 when using these methods.

Modern methods

Smoking

Dry leaves can be smoked in a pipe, but most users prefer the use of a water pipe to cool the smoke. The temperature required to release salvinorin A from the plant material is quite high (about 240°C). A regular flame will work, but the direct application of something more intense, such as the flame produced from a butane torch lighter, is often preferred. Many people find that untreated dried Salvia leaf produces unnoticeable or only light effects, perhaps due to the relatively low concentration of salvinorin A in unprocessed leaves. More concentrated preparations or extracts, which may be smoked instead of natural strength leaves, have become widely available. These range in relative concentration from about five times, written as 5x, up to 60x, and sometimes even as high as 100x. The multiplication factors are generally indicative of the relative amounts of leaf used in preparation. The numbers therefore may also be roughly indicative of the relative concentration of the active principle salvinorin A, but the measure should not be taken as absolute. Potency will depend on the naturally varying strength of the untreated leaf used in preparing the extract, as well as the efficiency of the original extraction process itself.

Extracts reduce the overall amount of smoke that needs to be inhaled, thus facilitating more powerful experiences. The use of highly concentrated extracts is an issue of some concern, particularly when undertaken by inexperienced users without the aid of a sitter.

Chewing

The traditional Mazatec method of chewing the leaves may also be employed. However, salvinorin A is generally considered to be inactive when simply ingested, as the chemical is effectively deactivated by the gastrointestinal system.[21] Therefore, the 'quid' of leaves is held in the mouth as long as possible in order to facilitate absorption of the active constituents through the oral mucosa. Chewing consumes more of the plant than smoking, though produces a longer-lasting experience.

Tinctures

Sublingual tinctures made with grain alcohol (95%+) are another popular form of prepared Salvia. The tincture is diluted down to 50-75% abv with warm water to minimize mouth irritation and tissue damage from the alcohol, then held in the mouth while the salvinorin enters the body via buccal absorption. The effects ramp up slowly over a period of 20-30 minutes, and taper off over 45 minutes after the tincture is finally swallowed or spit out. The experience comes on more gradually, and dissipates much more slowly, compared with the relatively short duration of smoked Salvia.

An easily-made tincture consists of a 1:1 mix of alcohol with finely powdered leaf material. After the solid leaf material settles to the bottom, a few milliliters of the fluid poured off the top is one dose of tincture. The tincture must remain in a solution of 95% alcohol and mixed with hot water only moments before consumption, as even small amounts of water drastically reduce the alcohol's ability to hold salvinorin. [1]

Combinations

Some choose to use a tincture or quid, and then smoke leaves or extract after the first sensations are felt, typically around the 15-20 minute mark. This produces an experience resembling the often overwhelming quality of smoked extract, while also stretching the intense sudden nature of smoked Salvia to the duration of a tincture or quid, around 50-60 minutes. Due to the longer duration of effects, this is not recommended for inexperienced users of Salvia, since unpleasant or fr ightening trips will not end quickly as they would in the case of just smoking.

Attainment of effect

Some types of people seem to be particularly resistant to the effects even after repeated attempts. Others find their sensitivity quite variable from one experience to the next. Regardless of sensitivity eventually observed in the longer term, many people fail to achieve significant effects with their initial attempts. Anecdotal reports suggest the possibility of increasingly stronger effects with repeated use of similar amounts of Salvia. This could be attributable to practice or to learning more efficient ingestion techniques. For example: It is said that some methods of smoking salvia are more effective than others. By emptying the lungs before taking a long and gradual inhalation, a greater effect can be attained. It is also said that holding your breath also helps, as well as the presence of multiple lighters. Some suggest, however, that 'reverse tolerance' or increased sensitization may be a result of the body's response to the active principle over time.

Onset of the effects may be subtle and not immediately noticeable. There are often a few seconds of preceding latency. In any case, caution is advised if considering further ingestion before time has been allowed for prior amounts to clear the system.

Duration of effect

If Salvia is smoked the main effects are experienced quickly. The most intense 'peak' is reached within a minute or so and lasts for about 1-5 minutes, followed by a gradual tapering back. At 5-10 minutes, less intense yet still appreciable effects typically persist, but giving way to a returning sense of the everyday and familiar until back to recognizable baseline after about 15 to 20 minutes. [2]

Chewing the leaf makes the effects come on more slowly, over a period of 10 to 15 minutes, the experience then lasting for about 40 to 50 minutes but producing much milder and lighter effects than other methods of dosing. The bitter taste of the leaf is usually so objectionable that most individuals will not chew the leaf long enough to obtain any kind of psychedelic effect.

Experience

Psychedelic experiences, in relating by definition to realms of mind, are necessarily somewhat subjective. Individual variations in reported effects are to be expected. However, from the many experience accounts posted to the Internet (The drug database Erowid has over 800 entries) some general trends can be vouched.

Most people find that the effects of salvinorin are not conducive to socializing, thus those with any experience with the plant emphasize that Salvia is not a ‘party drug’. External stimuli can be distracting. Motor-control is negatively affected. It is advisable to have a sober trip sitter present, particularly for initial experiences, prior to possible assessment of individual sensitivity.

The effects of Salvia are regarded by many to be highly spiritual. Many find Salvia useful for meditation. Consciousness is retained until the highest doses, but body control, awareness of the external environment, and individual personality may be affected with even modest amounts. Even those experienced with the use of other psychoactive substances may feel confused and less in control.

At lower doses, spontaneous laughter, mild closed-eye visuals, stuttering or strobing visual effects, enhanced or distorted depth perception, and a heightened sense of color and texture may be experienced.

Moderate doses appear trance-like. Time distortion and open-eye visuals become increasingly apparent. Fractal patterns and geometric shapes may be noticeable with eyes open, and can be confusing. Many people experience sensations of falling, similar to, but more pronounced than what is occasionally felt at the onset of sleep. The user may experience fully formed visions of other places, people, and events, especially w ith eyes closed.

At high doses the effects become more powerful and may additionally include reports of perceptions of dimensional distortion, vertigo, feelings of intense exhilaration and/or panic, sensations of wind or physical pressure, hearing voices, flanging of sound, significant open and closed-eye visuals, loss of speech, dissociation, reports of experiencing alternate realities, out-of-body experiences, visiting parallel universes, as well as perceived contact with beings or entities, dissolution of one's ego and life changing experiences. Many users report twisting or splitting feelings. It is also not unusual that, while experiencing the effects, a person will not remember that they have taken Salvia, which can cause the user to panic. A strong feeling of déjà vu is commonly reported as an effect of large doses of Salvia.

The experience is quite different from that of most other psychoactives and may be overwhelming, even with a conducive, reassuring and comfortable set and setting. Most Salvia practitioners recommend darkness and silence as the best environment; however, minimal, ambient or relaxing music can be helpful.

According to experience reports, Salvia is sometimes known to cause distinctly similar and specific visions in different people. A number of users have reported contact with an entity supposedly associated with the plant, ("the Shepherdess/Salvia Goddess"). Another common experience is visions of clowns or of being in a circus-like environment. Erowid

Many Salvia users, during high-dose out-of-body experiences, may suddenly 'merge' with objects. With the significant time distortion typical of Salvia, participants may report the feeling of living a lifetime as another person, or as an inanimate object, such as a wall or a piece of furniture.

The experiences can be pleasant, or frightening and confusing [3].

Interestingly, the effects of Salvia divinorum are often mistakenly described as 'LSD-like' by people who have not tried it, most notably politicians and reporters. Actual users on the other hand more often describe its effects as unique (38.4%), and more like meditation, yoga or a trance (23.2%). This compares to only 17.7% of users who linked it to any of the other serotonergic psychoactives (mescaline, psilocybin, LSD, etc.).[22]

An example of Salvia inspired Visionary art

Expression

Salvia can shift perception into altered states of consciousness and sensation. Such powerful experiences may be interpreted as enlightening, frightening, or just plain strange. Many take time to integrate and try to make sense of their experience in the hours, days or weeks following. Some but not all find it useful to be alone for an hour or so to gather thoughts and absorb the experience. Others find it is useful to talk through, sharing the imagery and ideas with another person. For some the experience is so far removed from everyday reality they find it difficult to describe. Recall may be likened to that of an elusive dream, with memory quickly fading on wakening.

Many feel compelled to communicate the details of their experiences to a wider audience, as evidenced by the numerous reports posted on the Internet on various websites and forums. As well as such firsthand phenomenological accounts some may go on to write more extensive prose and/or poetry [4]. A remarkable example of such inspired writing is Dale Pendell’s Salvia divinorum chapter from his book Pharmako/poeia whic h won the 1996 Firecracker Alternative Book Award.[5]

Although Salvia experiences can be quite conceptual and abstract for some, many people describe their visions more pictorially. Rather than using words, for some temperaments the strong visual motifs are best rendered in the form of drawing or painting. Examples of such Salvia inspired artwork can readily be found on the Internet, [6] [7] [8] [9]. Others claim musical inspiration from the plant. Some examples of this include the songs "Salvia Divinorum" by 1200 Micrograms and "Salvia" by Deepwater Sunshine [10].

There are several consistent forms that appear in salvia influenced artwork. The form constants appear in specific variety; twisting flat forms subdivided into stringy tubes in grid patterns. These shapes often take the form of leaves, wings, and feathers. Spiral curves within triangular compositions of ambiguous dimension and scale are also common. Shapes usually flow together and create non-continuous representations of space. Eyes, aliens, fields, wheels, and flowing landscapes are well-used Salvia symbols. Color is often used vividly and emotionally, such as bright oranges and yellows over muted blues and greens. Multiplicity of form is often depicted.

After effects

Short term

After the peak effects, normal awareness-of-self and the immediate surroundings return but lingering effects may be felt. These short-term lingering effects have a completely different character than the peak experience. About half of users report a pleasing 'afterglow', or pleasant state of mind following the main effects. Researchers (Baggott, et al) from the University of San Francisco conducted a survey of 500 Salvia users which identified that they 'sometimes or often' experience the following common (>20% occurrence) lingering after effects:[23]

  • Increased insight - 47%
  • Improved mood - 44.8%
  • Calmness - 42.2%
  • Increased connection with universe or nature - 39.8%
  • Weird thoughts - 36.4%
  • Things seem unreal - 32.4%
  • Floating feeling - 32%
  • Increased sweating - 28.2%
  • Body felt warm or hot - 25.2%
  • Mind racing - 23.2%
  • Lightheaded - 22.2%
  • Increased self-confidence - 21.6%

According to some notable sources (principally Daniel Siebert’s sagewisdom website) a few people report mild headache, insomnia, irritability or bronchial irritation after taking Salvia. These symptoms seem to be reported more often by smokers than by quid chewers.

Long term

Mood

While 'improved mood' is one of the most commonly noted short-term effects following usage, Baggot's Salvia user survey results also found that 25.8% of respondents reported antidepressant-like mood improvements lasting 24 hours or longer.[22] These findings are in-line with known properties of k-Opioid agonists as well as anecdotal reports and findings of clinicians.[24]

Results from a study by William A. Carlezon et al[25] using 'Forced-Swim tests' (where rodents are forced to swim in a narrow cylinder from which they cannot escape) have been used to suggest that Salvia divinorum may have "Depressive-Like Effects". However, extrapolation from the observation of temporary physiological effects in rats to suggest more serious psychological consequences is questionable, particularly given that Salvia’s short-term effects on motor-control have already been observed and well documented in human subjects.

Habituation

Salvia has not been found to be either physically or psychologically addictive. The r esults of the Baggot survey, which used the standard psychiatric drug dependence diagnostic framework, indicate that Salvia has little if any potential as a drug of dependence.

Both scientific and anecdotal user evidence indicates that chemical constituents of Salvia may in fact have potential as therapy for drug addictions to stimulants (e.g., amphetamines) and opiates.[26] Research has shown that the plant contains neoclerodane diterpenes that have therapeutic potential for helping people who have drug abuse problems. The neoclerodane diterpenes in Salvia are k-Opioid agonists. k-Opioid agonists, according to Tidgewell et al, (AAPS Journal), "possess utility in the treatment of opioid dependence and have been shown to have anti-depressant activity as well as block stress-induced behavior responses."[27]

Toxicity

Most users report no hangover or negative after-effects the next day. This is consistent with the apparent low toxicity of Salvia indicated by research conducted at the University of Nebraska.[20]

Other effects

Some media reports have raised concerns about the possibility of LSD-like flashbacks occurring after use of Salvia. Reports of flashbacks have not been established. At least one user reported experiencing ongoing negative psychological effects, having three flashback experiences in four months after taking a concentrated form of Salvia (10x extract). Though the linked account does mention other drug usage in a couple of cases: "During one of them I had smoked absurd amounts of marijuana, and during another I was on shrooms". Salvia flashbacks may be true enough but also ordinarily quite rare phenomena.

A report on several Salvia species[10] has looked at the efficacy of some ‘folk’ uses of the genus. Salvia divinorum, as one of the species included in the study, was found to work as a diuretic.

Unknown effects

While there are no proven health risks associated with the use of Salvia as a psychoactive drug, medical professionals generally caution against the ingestion of smoke from any substance into the lungs. Salvia's long-term effects on the human body are not well known at this time. Further study of its indigenous use in Mexico and its effect on the health of the Mazatec people who have been using it for centuries would be useful in this regard.

Controversy

The relatively recent emergence of Salvia divinorum in modern Western culture in comparison to its long traditions of indigenous use elsewhere contrasts widely differing attitudes on the subject.

The opinion that Salvia divinorum is a highly dangerous hallucinogenic drug appropriate for Schedule I or equivalent classification has been sufficiently prevalent amongst politicians to result in the enactment of various laws against its cultivation, sale, or use in a number of countries and in some states in the US.

Opponents of such prohibitive measures argue that this is due to an inherent prejudice and a particular cultural bias rather than an actual balance of evidence, pointing out inconsistencies in attitudes toward other more toxic and addictive drugs such as alcohol and nicotine.[28]

Those advocating consideration of Salvia divinorum’s potential for beneficial use in a modern context argue that more could be learned from Mazatec culture, where Salvia is not really associated with notions of drug taking at all and it is rather considered as a spiritual sacrament. In light of this it is argued that Salvia divinorum could be better understood more positively as an entheogen rather than pejoratively as a hallucinogen.

Other entheogenic plants with traditions of spiritual use include peyote (and other psychoactive cacti), iboga, virola, ayahuasca (an admixture of plants containing DMT + MAOI), tlitliltzin ("Morning Glory"), and various types of psychoactive fungi.

In fact, US legislation specifically allows two of these to be used in a spiritual context. The Native American Church is allowed to use peyote and Uniao do Vegetal (or UDV) is permitted ayahuasca. Although not consistently granted (varying from state to state), the principal grounds for such concessions are constitutional.

Legal status

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Salvia divinorum is legal in most countries and, within the United States, legal in the majority of States. However, some politicians have called for its prohibition. Most of these proposals have not made it into law, with motions having failed, stalled or otherwise died, for example in the United Kingdom, at national level in the United States, and at more local level within States such as Alaska, Illinois, Oregon and Wyoming, though the situation is subject to further change depending on the outcome of more recent bills as yet still at the proposal stage.

A reason for Salvia's mostly favorable legal status so far is that there's been little real evidence to suggest that its use is problematic. Salvia divinorum is not a newly discovered or synthesized drug. It has been revered for perhaps centuries by the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico as a sacred plant, capable of facilitating spiritual experiences. The rise of the Internet since the mid-1990s saw the growth of many businesses selling dried Salvia leaves, extracts and other preparations. During the 10-15 years in which it has become more available in modern Western culture police have not been reporting it as a significant issue with regard to public order offenses. Medical experts, accident and emergency rooms have not been reporting cases that suggest particular health concerns. Salvia divinorum is understood to be nontoxic and nonaddictive.

Despite this, countries such as Australia (the first country to ban it) and a few American states have created anti-Salvia laws. To justify prohibition some politicians have argued that Salvia effects are "LSD-Like" and that this alone is sufficient to raise alarms about its safety [11]. Many Salvia media stories also headline with comparisons to LSD. However, while LSD and Salvia's active constituent salvinorin A may have comparative potencies, in the sense that both can produce their effects with low dosage amounts, they are otherwise quite different. LSD is a synthesised drug not found in nature whereas salvinorin occurs naturally in plant form. The two substances are not chemically similar or related. They are ingested in different ways. They produce different effects, which manifest themselves over different timescales. The effects of Salvia when smoked typically last for only a few minutes as compared to LSD, whose effects can persist for 8-10 hours. News stories typically do not mention this significant difference in timescale and in particular fail to report Salvia's much shorter duration of effect.

Another argument made against Salvia, while conceding that not much is known about it and that it may not be a particular problem at the moment, is that legislation is needed to stop it from becoming a problem in the future. For example, Senator Randy Christmann (R) stated - "we need to stop this before it gets to be a huge problem not after it gets to be a huge problem" [12] and Assemblyman Jack Conners (D) argued -"Salvia divinorum use may not be a runway epidemic, but it certainly is a phenomenon that warrants attention. We should take preventive steps now to prevent wholesale problems later on…" [13]

There also seems to be the implication that because a few othe r States or countries have banned Salvia divinorum then it follows that there must obviously be a problem with it. For example, in October 2005 MP John Mann raised an ultimately unsuccessful Early Day Motion calling for Salvia divinorum to be banned in the UK, saying - "The Australians have clearly found a problem with it. There's obviously a risk in people taking it." [14]

While not objecting to some form of legal control, in particular with regard to the sale to minors or sale of enhanced high-strength extracts, most Salvia proponents otherwise argue against more prohibitive measures.[29] Some countries and States such as Missouri have imposed the strictest Schedule I or equivalent classification against Salvia divinorum even in its natural and untreated form.

There haven't been any publicized prosecutions recorded under any Salvia laws. Legislation may prove difficult to police. The plant has a nondescript appearance; the leaves are not distinctive and it does not have a distinctive odor like cannabis. Salvia divinorum looks like and can be grown as an ordinary houseplant without the need of special equipment such as hydroponics or high-power lights.

See also

References

Citations

Further reading

Media stories

Notable media reports are recorded as they occur. Their comprehensive inclusion here does not necessarily signify or sanction individual story contents in terms of accuracy, balance or other encyclopedic standards of course.

UK

Canada

US

forcetimes.com/news/2007/02/AFsalvia070215/ "Air Force bases ban salvia hallucinogen"], AirForceTimes (+ArmyTimes+NavyTimes), 2007-02-16.

- see also "State lawmaker wants to regulate new hallucinogenic drug", The Boston Globe, 2006-12-29.
- Follow-up story: "Lawmaker Responds to Investigative Report on Dangerous Herb", 2006-11-28.

bios/local_bio_183125238.html Blake, Katherine]. "DEA Warns Over-The-Counter Drug Is Like Acid", CBS 4 Denver, 2006-11-13.

- viewer feedback - asx video (save & use media player).

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