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June 27, 2008 -- Salvia has been smoked for centuries by Mazatec Indians as a healing and divining tool.
Now, the hallucinogenic herb properly known as Salvia divinorum is becoming the "drug du jour" among some young adults, causing concern among parents, medical professionals, and lawmakers.
Adding to their worries: It's cheap, easy to get, and in most states, perfectly legal.
Salvia's crushed leaves are typically smoked or, less frequently, chewed to provide a 5- to 20-minute hallucinogenic high.
The cultural cachet of the "purple drug" has been increased through videos posted to YouTube featuring teen users as they experiment with the mind-altering plant. Experts describe salvia's power in the same breath as LSD, PCP, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Its emerging popularity has led several states to ban its sale and purchase, with more likely to follow. Doctors and drug recovery experts, still learning about salvia's effects, are wary about its long- and short-term effects on young adults.
But is salvia, a member of the sage family also known as "Magic Mint" and "Sally-D," a dangerous substance?
"It's dangerous in the sense that kids are using it," says Harris B. Stratyner, PhD, co-chairman of the board of the National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. "It has hallucinogenic properties. The scary part is the potential for abuse and using it like an LSD substance."
"It frightens me," Stratyner says.
This fear is partly rooted in the uncertainty of salvia's long-term effects, along with the question of whether salvia is addictive.
Deidre Houtmeyers, executive director of Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center's Comprehensive Addictions Program (SECAP) in Boston, says addiction is unlikely. But general abuse by people who smoke salvia is possible. And the effects could be devastating.
"We see people who do LSD and ecstasy for years and there are some horrendous long-term effects," she says. "Brain dysfunction; brain damage. An inability to learn new information. Any hallucinogenic, used repeatedly, will have some kind of damaging effect to the brain."
The mind-altering power of salvia derives from salvinorin A, a unique compound that is responsible for the hallucinogenic reaction. "To my knowledge, salvia is the most potent natural substance with these hallucinogenic properties," says Nick Votolato, professor of psychiatry at Ohio State University, who is also certified in psychopharmacology.
Salvia is most often smoked, but its leaves can also be chewed, inhaled, or crushed and mixed in a drink. The high from smoking salvia can be both odd and unsettling.
Houtmeyers has interviewed several teens who have experimented with salvia. Some describe the experience as almost innocent and quaint, with one teen relating tales of floating Ferris wheels, flying pigs, and a fairy wearing a green dress.
Others aren't so charmed. Another young man described his experience as "frightening and nauseating," as he felt his body was moving down a conveyor belt.