Here's a news item that meets both the "interesting topics" and "food" criteria. Time to plant some sage. -g
New Cautions Over a Plant With a Buzz
By RICHARD LEZIN JONES
n obscure hallucinogenic herb from
Mexico is gaining a toehold in the
world of recreational drugs, prompting law
enforcement officials to increase their scrutiny
of the plant, which is legal, and moving health
experts to issue cautions about the drug,
whose jarring effects are not fully understood.
The herb, Salvia divinorum, is a type of sage plant that can cause intense
hallucinations, out-of-body experiences and, when taken in higher doses,
unconsciousness and short-term memory loss. Users have also reported sensations
of traveling through time and space, assuming the identities of other people and even
merging with inanimate objects.
"This is a very interesting agent," said Dr. Ethan Russo, a neurologist in Missoula,
Mont., who studied Salvia divinorum and other herbs while preparing his book,
"Handbook of Psychotropic Herbs" (Haworth Press). "It is really in a class by
itself."
Dr. Russo said that scientists had identified the active chemical compound that
causes the hallucinations — Salvinorin A — but knew little else about Salvia
divinorum. Scientists are still unclear about precisely how it interacts with the brain
or may affect the rest of the body, and do not know if it leads to long-term side
effects.
"We don't know how it works," Dr. Russo said. "It doesn't work on serotonin,
dopamine or any of the known neurotransmitters. People who are arbitrarily using it
need to be cautious. It's totally different from anything they may have tried before."
Salvia divinorum (pronounced SAL-vee- ah dee-vin-OR-um), which is native to
Mexico, can be smoked or chewed like tobacco. Its leaves can also be boiled to
make an intoxicating tea. It is different from common species of Salvia like the
brilliantly colored scarlet sage or culinary garden sage. And unlike most other
hallucinogenic substances, Salvia divinorum is legal in the United States, although
drug enforcement officials say they are looking closely at the herb.
"It's not currently controlled and we're actually collecting information on it," said
Rogene Waite, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman.
Precise figures about the plant — it is also known as ska Maria Pastora and
diviner's sage — its use and proliferation are almost impossible to gather. But
herbalists, users and sellers say its popularity is growing.
National drug information clearinghouses and law enforcement officials
acknowledged only a passing familiarity with Salvia divinorum. The authorities said
they had no reports of health problems, hospitalizations or emergency room visits
that might be attributed to the plant. And researchers say they are still trying to
conclusively answer such questions about the drug as its potential for addiction and
tolerance.
Users dismiss such concerns, saying that no evidence of an addictive quality has
been documented, and pointing out that the Mazatec Indians in the Oaxaca region of
Mexico have used it, with no apparent ill effects, for centuries.
The mystery of just how Salvia divinorum works seems to be part of its appeal. It is
available almost exclusively through the Internet and has spawned a small but
thriving group of commercial Web sites, like the "Sage Wisdom Salvia Shop," which
offer dried Salvia divinorum leaves for as much as $120 an ounce.
"The Mazatec people have preserved Salvia divinorum and the knowledge
surrounding its use for hundreds of years," reads one passage on the Web site. "We
are privileged to have them share their sacred herb with us."
Daniel Pinchbeck, a 35-year-old freelance writer from SoHo, said that when he first
tried Salvia divinorum two years ago, "it totally freaked me out."
"It was like you were calling in something, some presence," said Mr. Pinchbeck,
who warned against abusing the drug. "I had to call a friend; then I started to calm
down. It's not like anything else. It's a totally unique experience."
Despite its upper-middle-class price tag, herbalists and drug experts say that Salvia
divinorum draws those from wide-ranging backgrounds — everyone from
partygoers to practitioners of transcendental meditation — who are attracted to this
year's hip herb.
"There's herbs that come into fashion every year," said Jeffrey Rosen of Flower
Power, an herb shop in the East Village, "and this year, it's Salvia divinorum."
Adding to the plant's mystique is its relative scarcity. In the New York City area, as
elsewhere, most herbalists supply Salvia divinorum only to customers who place
special orders.
"No, no, no, no, no, we don't have it," said Joanne Pelletiere, the owner of
Aphrodisia, an herb store in the West Village. "I must get about 20 calls a week
about this."
The new level of interest in Salvia divinorum troubles some longtime herbalists at
stores like Aphrodisia and Flower Power, who say they do not process special
orders for the plant because of concerns about abuse.
"I think the interest is not medicinal," Mr. Rosen said. "I think the interest here is
recreational. It's contributing to the pilfering of the plant community. It's denigrating
the plant. I don't order because I feel it's a plant that's going to be looked at more
closely."
Those most concerned about the potential abuse and recreational uses of the plant
come from what would seem like an unlikely corner: Salvia divinorum users
themselves.
Daniel Siebert, an amateur botanist in Malibu, Calif., has studied Salvia divinorum
for more than 20 years and admits some unease about the recent surge in its
popularity.
"I think a lot of people who are into this kind of thing see it as a legal alternative to
illegal drugs," said Mr. Siebert, who also manages the Salvia Divinorum Research
and Information's site on the Internet, www.sagewisdom.org, and sells leaves from
the plants online from the Sage Wisdom Salvia Shop. "That's not what this is. It's a
philosopher's tool."
Mr. Siebert said that unlike alcohol or illegal drugs, which often make users more
outgoing and gregarious, Salvia divinorum usually makes those who take it more
introverted. Its harsh smoke, bitter taste and relatively short-term effects — it lasts
about an hour — also keep it from being truly user-friendly, he said.
"It's really not a suitable drug for parties," he said. "It's not like Ecstasy or LSD. It's
not a good drug for socializing. It's the opposite of that. Most of the young people
who try it are looking for something that they can use in a recreational context at
parties or with friends, and Salvia doesn't work effectively for what they're looking
for."
Mr. Siebert can feel that dissatisfaction in his wallet. Without discussing sales figures
in great detail, he reports that only about 1 out of every 10 customers places a
repeat order for the plant. |
