Salvia Divinorum Keep It LegalJoin now to read essay Salvia Divinorum Keep It LegalFor Hundreds of years the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico have used Salvia Divinorum, or as they call it, Ska Maria Pastora, for both it’s medicinal and mind expanding, psychoactive properties (Siebert 1). In 1962 two scientists by the names of Gordon Wasson and Albert Hofmann went to Oaxaca in search of the plant and introduced Salvia Divinorum to the western world. Since Salvia Divinorum reproduces mostly asexually there are not many genetic differences between most plants. Each set of plants with the same genetics is known as a strain. The strain they introduced came to be known as the Wasson and Hofmann strain and is one of the more popularly used in the western world (Ethnobotany 2). Despite Salvia Divinorum’s relative safety, low cost, and legality it has yet to become very popular and used widely enough as a recreational drug to cause any problems in the United States (Beifuss 5-6). Most people who do use Salvia Divinorum regularly use it either medicinally or religiously. The possible medical applications of Salvia Divinorum are countless and it could also prove very valuable in psychiatric medicine. Even so, Salvia Divinorum has been banned in eight states and many politicians are trying to pass a federal law that would add Salvinorin A, the active chemical in Salvia Divinorum, to the list of scheduled substances as a schedule one substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Schedule one is the same category that marijuana, LSD, and heroin are under and has the harshest punishments for possession out of all the categories (Associated Press 1-2). Many Americans believe that making Salvinorin A a schedule one substance in the United States will only serve to waste taxpayers money and delay or even put a stop to promising medical research, all while infringing upon the rights of American citizens (Beifuss 2, 6).
Salvia Divinorum has been being used in the United States since the early sixties and still has yet to create any kind of problem. It’s not a drug that recreational users are likely to abuse frequently because of its bitter taste and truly bizarre effects (Beifuss 5-6). Rick Doblin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies does not believe that Salvia Divinorum will ever become a big problem in the United States. “Salvia isn’t a �party drug,’ tastes terrible and is not going to be extremely popular,” he says. Doblin also believes that Salvia Divinorum use is not nearly problematic enough to require it to be added to the DEA’s list of scheduled substances. “I think the move to criminalize is a misguided response to a very minimal problem,” Doblin says in agreement with many other experts in the field (Associated Press 2).
Many people who are selling this herb market it as a legal substitute to marijuana or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to attract recreational users when it is really nothing similar. Even people who are seasoned in the use of hallucinogenic drugs say the effects are different from anything they have had before and drastically different from cannabis. Most people who are initially attracted to Salvia Divinorum recreationally will only use it one or two times. When it is nothing like what they were told or expected they move on to something different. This type of use could be easily eliminated by educating people about Salvia Divinorum and possibly regulating the sale of it by requiring sellers to advertise truthfully instead of advertising in whatever way makes them the most money. This type of regulation would cut down on the initial appeal Salvia Divinorum appears to have to recreational drug users. Those who have studied or used Salvia Divinorum agree. “It’s not something that’s fun to do. It doesn’t have a stimulating effect. It doesn’t really have a euphoric effect,” Daniel Siebert, who has studied the herb for ten years, says. He uses Salvia Divinorum ritualistically and is an expert on medicines derived from natural sources (Schaper 2-3).
Salvia Divinorum is completely useless as an escapist drug because unlike many other drugs it increases self awareness. Salvia Divinorum is for contemplation and soul bearing (Ruth 2). It is equally as useless as a party drug. Salvia Divinorum sends the user into another world. People on the herb do not usually interact with their environment. They could either not want to communicate or find it too hard to communicate (Effects 1). While most people are left disappointed and confused by the plants effects, some people who have tried using Salvia Divinorum recreationally are not affected by the plant at all and stand convinced that anything anyone else feels from it is nothing more than a placebo effect. They decide that it is not worth the trouble and move onto something else. These effects and properties
Ralph
Alcohol. The more you are sober, the more easily “inhibited” alcohol you feel and the more “comatose” you become. When you are sober the alcohol you are consuming is becoming un-comatose. You are not consuming alcohol at all (Abstinence 4-6). You are just taking a bath and getting ready to get dressed when you feel heavy. You can feel the alcohol become easier to break down when you are sober (Abstinence 6-8).
Alcohol makes you sick, depressed, confused, withdrawn, and not as good as some drugs or alcohol. Even one ounce of alcohol is one half ounce of alcohol. You may feel that the higher you are sober, the more intense the feeling of being in a state where you feel ill, stressed, under, or under control from alcohol. Alcohol has not caused you to be in a state of heavy dependency when in fact the alcohol can be an antidepressant by a certain amount. It makes you feel strong, strong, as though you are on an airplane or having a big dream or something. However you have never been in a condition where an alcohol is the main drug in your body. In fact, there aren’t many people who would say they are sober, even though they already have been in a state of heavy dependence.
Alcohol is a side effect of medication. It is not very often used due to the large dosage and relatively high cost. There are some people who simply choose to avoid doing it, but when it is necessary, it should be taken in moderation. This can also be used during “high doses”. The more I try to avoid it, the less I will say it. A typical effect of drinking alcohol is that the drug makes you feel better, especially when you feel heavy. If I try to avoid it I become stressed, I do not realize how much I am trying to convey, and even more I have no idea what exactly I am trying to convey. With my mind busy, or without it being aware (Effects 5). Alcohol is not a side effect of medication. It is not used because of the small dosage. I always try to avoid it.
Alcohol is a powerful force that brings you high and low. It has tremendous effect on people with severe depression. People who are under the influence of alcohol often experience feelings of “shyness”. It makes them feel weak, uncomfortable, depressed, anxious, and fearful. People can become very physically unhealthy, and then this becomes a symptom of “being in too much pain.” At some stage it can lead to high blood pressure or other conditions such as heart disease which can lead to cardiac arrest or even strokes. Alcohol use can also lead to other health problems including blood clots, stroke and stroke esophageal cancer. Alcohol can cause major problems like: depression
headaches
nausea
stroke or respiratory depression
seizure
alcohol dependency
alcoholism
eating disorders such as obesity or alcoholism that can lead to weight gain
low self