Yes, salvia use is considered safe, but it hasn’t been extensively studied. That means possible side effects and risks that could be detrimental to your health may not be understood yet. While salvia is legal in some states, it’s still a powerful drug with real effects and possible risks. If you use salvia or have considered trying it, it’s a good idea to know what the drug is, what the risks are, and what you can expect when you take it.
In this article, we find out what salvia is, how it works, and explain the effects and risks of taking it as a recreational drug. In the video, the then-18-year-old singer and actress was filmed smoking salvia in a water bong. The video brought the spotlight of attention to this drug, and some state legislators began introducing cymbalta alcohol laws restricting the sale and use of this plant.
Possible medical uses
This means it causes the user to see or feel things that are not really there. Mazatec Indians have used salvia for centuries for spiritual divination, shamanism, and medical practices. Currently, salvia isn’t approved for any medical uses in the United States. It’s also not controlled under Congress’s Controlled Substances Act. That means individual state laws apply to salvia but no federal ones.
Salvia and Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Whereas many psychoactive compounds are classified as alkaloids, Salvinorin A is a pure chemical that induces intense, sometimes frightening effects in the smallest of measured doses. Salvinorin A acts on different opioid famous fetal alcohol syndrome receptors than other psychedelics, which positions it in a league of its own. Although Salvia Divinorum is not considered addictive, it can cause short-term and long-term damage to the brain and body, especially with repeated use. A comprehensive addiction treatment program can address issues of polydrug use as well as co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. Using the drug sublingually, or under the tongue, causes slightly longer-lasting effects. The effects typically fade in less than 15 minutes and rarely last longer than 30 minutes. When salvia is smoked, the effects occur almost instantly and peak within one minute. When the Mazatec method was first used, it was carried out as a spiritual ceremony inside a dimly lit room, with a tripsitter watching over the ones who were about to trip and expand their minds.
They can provide helpful details on facilities and treatments to help those battling a salvia dependency. Salvia is a plant with powerful hallucinogenic properties that is commonly recreationally abused and can cause dangerous side effects. Others experience frightening hallucinations and lose sense of what’s real, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Many people use salvia for its psychological effects, but one of its prominent effects is physical. The laughter can be so debilitating that the person is unable to move. Alternatively they would probably lay in a quiet environment, or sit outside under the night stars, letting the Salvia do its work.
Chewing quids are usually activities that don’t scream for the need of a tripsitter, especially for regular users. But when large doses or strong extracts become involved, the trip reaches a new level, and even the heaviest of Salvia users will still come to a time when they’re glad they had their sitter around (or furious they didn’t). This powerful, psychedelic plant is native to the moisture-rich cloud forests of Mexico and belongs to the sage genus. In fact, “Salvia divinorum” translates roughly to “Diviner’s Sage,” highlighting the drug’s spiritual characteristics and importance to native communities of Mexico.
Salvia Addiction: Effects, Signs & Rehab Treatment
- If you use salvia or have considered trying it, it’s a good idea to know what the drug is, what the risks are, and what you can expect when you take it.
- As a result of this, Wasson went onto suggest that salvia could possibly be what the Aztecs called “Pipiltzintzintli” – meaning “purest little prince”.
- However, the effects of salvia usually last for less than 30 minutes.
- Our inpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Mississippi offers various levels of care, as well as guidance from our rehab admissions navigators.
- Wisconsin prohibits the selling and manufacturing of salvia, which is punishable by up to $10,000 in fees.
Simple emotional reassurance can go a long way during a trip gone wrong, and giving a tripping person soothing, easy to understand phrases to pay attention to can help tremendously. Try making clear to them that they are hallucinating, and that they are physically safe. Tell them who you are, tell them your name, and call them by their name, explaining that they are simply going through a bad trip that won’t last. Sometimes, if the situation calls for it, not speaking can come with positive results as well, depending on the tripping person’s mindset. Using small amounts of salvia leaves brings on a calm, glowing, slightly psychedelic experience, akin to marijuana. What is fascinating about Salvia in regard to other psychoactives, is how different its properties are from drugs like mushrooms and LSD.
Level six, the last and highest level, is the point at which total ego loss occurs, and with it the memory of the experience may be entirely lost afterwards. On the outside, the user might show strange facial expressions, utter incomprehensible words & noises, bang, trash around, topple over, or even sit perfectly still and silent. On the inside, the user is not at all aware that they are on a Salvia trip or even of who they are. At this point thought patterns and sensory details are distinctly different from normal. Music can sound richer and fuller, and a person at level two might be able to distinguish details of colors and textures with ease. The “aura” of the space around the user might seem different, maybe larger or smaller, and slight effects on memory can be apparent.
As a user progresses through the stages of intensity during a Salvia trip, his trip “environment” (the world he is hallucinating) becomes stronger and more solid as the sensory environment and the old reality slip away. The point where the trip environment begins to become so strong that it overpowers both the sensory environment and even the consciousness is level five. At this stage, a user should make the decision to sit back, relax, dim the lights, and close their eyes, allowing the closed-eye visuals to take their form and guide you into the world of Salvia. 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. Johnson described the leaves of the plant as being used as part of psychedelic rituals. This led to Wasson conducting further research into the plant in the 1950’s, when he confirmed that it contained psychedelic properties.
Tripsitters need to be extra alert when dealing with a person at level six, especially because the person can easily hurt or injure themselves without having a clue they did it or feeling any pain. At the same time, keeping a record of the events might be helpful in the future, since most times a user can’t remember the experience after it happened (if they were even aware during it). Since memory of the trip is lost and the trip isn’t considered enjoyable, most users, even heavy users, try to stick to level 5 as a maximum satisfactory trip. The brain imaging study at Johns Hopkins was a first step toward understanding the effects of this bizarre psychedelic.
Because of the way the active ingredient affects the brain, some scientists believe salvia 2cb fly could have implications for developing a therapy, for example, for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Spatio-temporal dislocation is where the user feels transported to an alternative time and place, or has a feeling of being in several locations at once. There are concerns that salvia may affect a person’s thinking, choices, and mental health. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Wisconsin prohibits the selling and manufacturing of salvia, which is punishable by up to $10,000 in fees. When salvia is chewed, the leaves secrete chemical components of salvinorin A. These are absorbed through the oral mucosa, creating visual hallucinations and altered states of cognition that last from 1 to 2 hours. Another common method of use is crushing the leaves and mixing them into drinks or vaporizing the herb.