iSalvia

It’s being called “a dangerous new drug that is sweeping the country.”

One by one, news sources are jumping on the bandwagon and joining in the media campaign against an herb that has been used for centuries by Mexican shamans - known by science as salvia divinorum. And it is a classic example of alarmist misinformation.

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What is the media saying about salvia?

Because of the surge in popularity, it has caught the attention of the media. But I find much of what I see reported to be puzzling. These are some of the misleading and inaccurate quotes, taken from news articles and posted news videos:

“more dangerous than LSD” “videos show evidence of it dangerous effects”
Real evidence of it’s “danger” is yet to be demonstrated. The main concern is that science knows little about its short or long term effects, and that people under the influence have limited, if any, awareness of their surroundings. However, the effects are very short-lived, only lasting a few minutes.

“dangerous and addictive drug”
There has been no evidence of addiction, and most authorities familiar with the drug say that it is not addictive. Furthermore, there is no evidence that it is toxic to humans.

“effects can be life-altering”

This is a sensitive topic. The basis for such statements come from the suicide of a teenager, Brett Chidester, whose death his mother attributes to salvia. I feel for any parent who loses their child. She has every right to grieve and express her anger. But there are a number of other possible factors that could have been involved in Brett’s suicide

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Why not just make salvia illegal?

There are a number of reasons why I believe that making salvia illegal is going down a wrong path:

• To create another enemy in the War on Drugs will only have the opposite effect.
• To classify it as a Federal Schedule I substance would make it difficult if not impossible for researchers to study its effects on humans and thereby discover other uses for the plant. 
• Enforcement will create an additional government financial burden for a substance that has not been shown to be a major threat to society. This is a non-addictive, non-toxic substance, the effects of which are short-lived. And based on the reports, it is not a “fun” drug conducive to social use, despite what many of the videos on YouTube may lead you to think.

I do believe, however, that its use should not be without restrictions. There are restrictions on drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. It’s appropriate that similar restrictions be made on salvia as to who can buy and use it. I wouldn’t even mind seeing limitations that prevent it being used irresponsibly as a party drug, although that is unlikely.

…continues. source: The Ordinary Mystic

Please read the entire article here.  It’s one of the best snapshots of Salvia crashing into to mainstream America.