Salvia Use

[Halofan48]

I was on CNN's website and I saw a video showing that kids were getting high off a plant called Salvia. Apparently the plant is legal. People are pushing for laws against distribution and sale to to teenagers.

What do you guys think?

heres the link to the video.

[Compugasm]

All it takes, is one teenager to have an older brother, or friend to buy it for them, and they can distribute to the other kids who don't have it. I think it won't stop teenagers from getting anything.

[Domino]

It's another helpful weed, almost certainly growing in a yard near you. Kids don't have to buy it from anyone, if they'd crack open a book to find out what it looks like. Banning it is as hopeless as banning oak.

It's been used for a thousand years, and is only now being popularized because the preferred drugs have been criminalized. Of course, one of the side effects of a government that presumes infallibility and tells everyone what's bad for them is that anything not on the list is presumed to be good and harmless. Since it's legal, kids think it deserves no respect, which is a sure recipe for abuse.

The drive to protect people from themselves ends in a place I don't want to be, a place I wouldn't wish on anyone, much less my kids. I far prefer to instill good judgment, trust people to exercise it, and accept that we sometimes hurt ourselves. When we criminalize a drug, we only ensure that its abuse will fester in secret, rather than bringing the enlightenment that follows open exploration.

[Hurt]

Quote by: Compugasm All it takes, is one teenager to have an older brother, or friend to buy it for them, and they can distribute to the other kids who don't have it. I think it won't stop teenagers from getting anything.

Sure, but at least you've taken a step against it, however small it may be.

[davedes]

What a completely BS news piece.

Here's a more neutral look on the drug, for those interested.
Veropedia - Salvia divinorum


I'm completely shocked they are making it a Schedule I drug. That would put it in the same category as heroin. They don't realize the kind of message that would sends to kids? Not to mention the message it will send to doctors and researchers.

Prohibition will do far more harm than good. Banning it will not only create a black market and increase its desirability and misuse among youth, but it will also deter research into any therapeutic potential of the drug.

I'm sick of this drug war... I really hope the next president has the courage and sense to put their foot down and stop this madness.

[another day]

Lol what a piece of ridiculous alarmist news.

one kid where salvia was a "contributing factor" to his suicide? Says a medical report? I'd like to see the science behind that conjecture. He bought it four months prior to his suicide and the parents blame that? Parents always find it comforting to be able to blame their kids problems on a substance, or another friend, rather then accept the reality that it may have been more complicated than that.

And then they say kids are using this and having very very bad experiences... says who? One kid who hurt his hand having a bad trip? What about all the other kids who had a great, spiritual time?

what they don't mention is that a salvia high lasts only a few minutes!! If used responsibly it is certainly harmless.

[Compugasm]

Quote by: Hurt Sure, but at least you've taken a step against it, however small it may be.

It seems like once a ban is in place, everyone pats themselves on the back for mission accomplished. This "just do something" mentality doesn't solve secondary problems like davedes mentions.

[Osborn F Enready]

OMG another thing that can be smoked that has an effect that is pleasureable..... CALL OUT THE DOGS, GET THE MILITARY, PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING THEMSELVES!!!!!!!

F-ing police state loving nazis.

[Compugasm]

When I was in high school, you could get anything. In fact, when we had parties we actually filled out order forms to specify type and quantity of what we wanted. The back of the sheet was a price list. We gave the form to this one kid who could fill the orders, and his buddy handled the money. It was amazing! I don't know how he did it.. but the point is he was able to.

[nm420]

Perhaps the first victim in this new face on the drug war:
http://www.ims.nus.edu.sg/~lhychen/05non-linear.pdf

While the stuff is by no means comparable to marijuana, and rather in a class all of its own, I would place it relatively near marijuana when measuring by its potential for danger (as in, rather low). It's hard to imagine it being possible to OD on it (though I know of no studies confirming or denying this), and its trip lasts only about 5 or 10 minutes. The only thing I can think of that is potentially dangerous about its use is the mind/body dissociation; no one should even think about driving, and I would be cautious about even walking on salvia. Of course, there are plenty of idiots who try this for the first time recreationally, which just a tiny bit of research shows is an absurd notion. It is most definitely not a "party drug", and I can imagine it would be a waste of a good high doing it on a whim, without some minimal preparations. Apparently, lots of people will put all kinds of stuff in their body without thinking about the consequences of such an action.