Salvia is a Hallucinogenic drug that can be purchased by anyone (no age limit) in Canada. It is sold in "Head Shops" and or "Hemp" stores.
There has been a lot of press on it lately, Miley Cyrus had a video out last week showing her smoking it for "fun" and this week a Saskatoon DJ smoked it on his show to try and get the message out that this drug is bad and should be made illegal.
Generally what this attention does is increase the interest in trying it.
This drug has the potential, as do all hallucinogens, to cause significant problems. Everybody is different and just because one person didn't have problems with the drug doesn't mean that the next person won't. Hallucinogens distort reality and can release feelings and experiences that are trapped in our subconscious. For some individuals this can be very frightening and can cause psychotic episodes or permanent psychological problems.
The big problem is that you never know.
My advice would be to take the $40 0r $50 dollars and take someone special to a movie, its real, it lasts longer and you won't get hurt.
Here is some additional information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse
Salvia (Salvia divinorum) is an herb common to southern Mexico and Central and South America. The main active ingredient in Salvia, salvinorin A, is a potent activator of kappa opioid receptors in the brain.1,2 These receptors differ from those activated by the more commonly known opioids, such as heroin and morphine. Traditionally, S. divinorum has been ingested by chewing fresh leaves or by drinking their extracted juices. The dried leaves of S. divinorum can also be smoked as a joint, consumed in water pipes, or vaporized and inhaled. Although Salvia currently is not a drug regulated by the Controlled Substances Act, several States and countries have passed legislation to regulate its use.3 The Drug Enforcement Agency has listed Salvia as a drug of concern and is considering classifying it as a Schedule I drug, like LSD or marijuana. Health/Behavioral Effects People who abuse salvia generally experience hallucinations or “psychotomimetic” episodes (a transient experience that mimics a psychosis).4,5 Subjective effects have been described as intense but short-lived, appearing in less than 1 minute and lasting less than 30 minutes. They include psychedelic-like changes in visual perception, mood and body sensations, emotional swings, feelings of detachment, and importantly, a highly modified perception of external reality and the self, leading to a decreased ability to interact with one's surroundings.5 This last effect has prompted concern about the dangers of driving under the influence of salvinorin.
