A case in defense of Salvia divinorum

By EROCx1

I was recently approached by some journalists who are currently performing

research for a report they are producing on Salvia divinorum, with a focus on its
legal status. I am not going to name them until their work has been released
because I do not want alert anyone who may want to suppress the message I hope is
conveyed.

One of the producers contacted me to arrange a telephone interview which I gladly

accepted and conducted on August 1, 2008. While I believe the producers are
honorable people wanting to tell a fair and honest story. I do feel some trepidation
as to how the editors and executives of national news corporation may influence or
change the final story. Therefore as soon as the interview was completed. I wrote
down my version of what was said. The following is what I wrote:

I did my interview today and am pretty pleased with how it went. At first it seemed
their primary interest in me was my perspective as the proprietor of Gaian
Botanicals. However I tried not to focus too much on that and steered the focus
more on the plant and the issues around it.

The first thing I said was go to entheogen.com and read what the members had to
say about this interview. I consulted them the day prior, seeking their input and
wisdom.

I asked the journalist interviewing me if he had tried Salvia divinorum?

Unfortunately he replied with a no. I recommended that any professional
investigator preparing a national story on an ineffable experience should at least
invest 15 minutes and try the herb already. It's like someone reporting on a religion
and the person being interviewed said, "Do you want to meet god?" And the
interviewer says, "No." Why wouldn't you? It’s safe and legal. I don't believe anyone
could possibly comprehend the Salvia experience without direct experience with it.
Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. That’s his personal and private choice, but I hope
he does.

He had all the scientific literature so there was really no point in repeating what he
already knew.

I made it clear the Salvia divinorum is NOT like any other psychedelic.

This includes Marijuana, LSD, Magic Mushrooms or any other of the known
psychedelics. This analogy is all too commonly used by the media and is more
inaccurate then claiming all food tastes the same and has the same nutritional
properties or that all medicine is the same. These analogies are absurd.
I continued with the question, why make Salvia divinorum illegal? It is likely that
over the past decade at least a million of people have tried it in some form. No one
has died, became ill, addicted, mentally deranged or suffered any other from of
disability due to Salvia. This is even with production of extracts and cultivation
being somewhat underground. Not regulated like what's offered at your corner store
and still no ill effects with Salvia. The chemicals sold by your neighborhood
pharmacy are probably more toxic.

The government technically does not have the authority to declare something
Schedule 1 unless it’s a hazard to public safety, addictive and / or has NO medical
use. Salvia divinorum is not a threat; it is not addictive and has demonstrated
significant potential medical use in the treatment of depression, addiction, among
other possibilities. Doctors will not be able to determine its best uses until they
have had an opportunity to thoroughly investigate it.

This is a plant is unique. Salvinorin A is a diterpenoid which acts as a kappa opioid

receptor agonist. This is important because it is the first known compound with such
action that is not an alkaloid. All the known hallucinogens are tryptamines and
phenethylamines which act on the serotonergic system. Salvinorin A practically sets
a speed record for how fast it crosses the blood brain barrier. If one were studying
medicines that needed to rapidly reach the brain, Salvinorin would be a good
compound to study. What all of this means to science and medicine is that Salvia
contains a completely unique pharmacological action previously unknown thus it
extremely valuable to humanity. Not only to learn more on how the brain works, but
also for its potential medicinal value. Shouldn’t these discoveries be celebrated
instead of persecuted?

Most legislators argue Salvia is similar to illegal substances therefore it too should be
illegal. The Federal government all ready has a law that makes any substance similar
to illegal substances also illegal. It’s called the Analog Act. This only further proves
(as previously mentioned) that Salvia is special and is not like the other classic
psychedelics.

Please keep in mind when these things are made illegal, they are not only restricted
for use by ordinary people. They are restricted from scientific study. Unless your a
government lab trying to maintain the illegal status. Well except a few recent
scientific studies which have been allowed for DMT, Psilocybin and MDMA. The
authorities were finally forced to admit that the most powerful substances known to
act upon the human mind may have some medical use? Something most people who
have experimented with them already knew.
My friend Fraser Clark once said only two things can change a person in a single
instant: Psychoactive drugs, and direct religious experience. The greatest
transformation would then come via a synthesis of these two: a religious experience
created by psychoactive drugs. This is a very wise and true observation. The ancient
institution of Shamanism has relied on these powerful tools for such purposes since
pre-history. In fact it is completely plausible that entheogens have played a
significant role in our human evolution. But that’s another story for another day.
When addressing the public in general, I don’t want to get too far out of their
current belief system.
Back to the legal status. Today we have let some thirty-five years of potential
scientific study be wasted. In a field of medicine with the potential to aid victims of
war, rape, molestation, abuse, assaults and traumas. Medicines that can reduce the
anxieties of the terminally ill dying from cancer and other horrible diseases. Help
them come to better terms with their death.

Drug addiction and alcoholism could have been cured. Making families more loving,
healthy and happy.

35 years of scientific and medical progress lost, all due to paranoia of entheogens?

Well that’s sorta off topic of Salvia, but I wanted to lay out some of the
consequences of illegalization. Lets just end this point by stating the issue is not
that Salvia is threat to public safety; the issue is that the establishment fears
psychedelics. Free thinking isn’t conducive to controlling a population. They want
everyone to fit within the cultural paradigm of being good little consumer robots
who go about playing their game and following the rules with out questioning their
authority or motives. In the 60's the US government wanted to escalate the war in
Vietnam and large parts of the population were using psychedelics. The authority’s
propaganda was not effective and the people would not tolerate the actions of their
government. Therefore the government had to put an end it to it all. Of course
many mistakes were made by the drug users of that era. It was all too new. We
know much more about these things now.

California and Maine have taken very reasonable and wise steps in regulating Salvia.
No sales to minors. Everyone in the Salvia divinorum community applauds this. We
hate to see kids acting stupid on YouTube more then anyone. I wish Salvia were
inaccessible to minors. I am a parent and I don't want my kids using anything either.
My wife and I are very involved with our children's life and take the responsibility to
educate them and raise them to make wise decisions. My interest in entheogens is
private; I don't talk about or use anything in their presence. If when they are
responsible adults, they choose to explore this domain. I will be glad that I have
some wisdom and guidance to offer on the topic. Not what most uninformed parents
offer.

When it comes to teens. As it’s always been, some will be determined to get high. If
Salvia is what they get their hands on. It’s allot better then what this demographic
has used in the past. Paint, glue or solvent huffing, computer duster inhaling,
prescription drug abuse or even worse. Dangerous and addictive drugs that poison
the mind and body and can lead toward destructive and criminal lifestyles. That’s
not what Salvia is, nor will it ever be. Not in the least. This distinction must be
made crystal clear.

This is about Americans just surrendering their rights and not caring about freedom.
We have become so conditioned to just doing what we are told. As the late Terence
McKenna said. "If the words 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' don't include
cognitive liberty, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was
written on." I didn’t have the exact quote with me in my car, but I like my version
better.
He asked me of the Salvia users I knew, what are they like? Based on my circle of
friends and people I know from the net. Most who choose Salvia. Do so initially
because they don’t want to be made criminals. It’s a legal option as many have
families and jobs that would be threatened by using illegal drugs. Also if you have
just a half-hour with no kids, work or other responsibilities. You could have an
effective entheogenic experience. It brings some magic and amazement to your day.
An alternate perspective for self reflection and you don’t need 8 hours of nothing to
do to have this experience. As I said most users I know, are responsible tax paying
citizens. They just choose to make this experience part of their life. They find it a
useful tool. For many reasons. Some people I know try it and never want to try it
again. Salvia isn’t a match for everyone; in fact its not for most. It can be a totally
boundary dissolving, reality model smashing experience. For some it totally
astonishes them, they come back and can’t believe it. They run to a mirror to see if
they are indeed themselves awake and not dreaming and if what they witnessed
really happened. It gives one a lot to think about.

I’ve always valued entheogens for reflecting on my own self. It helps reach clarity to
what’s most important in your life. What work must be performed on yourself and in
your relationships. What habits you must end and what interests you should peruse.
Prior to my first being turned on. I felt like a cultural robot executing the code I was
programmed to follow. This was my individuality and freedom I thought I had.

Then I went to an underground party in search of fun and possibly even girls on
ecstasy. Upon entry someone I slightly knew handed me a piece of starburst candy
that had LSD dropped on it. I didn’t even know it until another friend said you’re
going to get really high. I thought how potent could a starburst be? I danced all
night, the sound, lights and colors where amazing. I had these thoughts I never
thought before. I discovered my inner voice. Separated not only from my friends,
but reality. I recall wandering the day glow lit warehouse in a trance, then I heard a
voice say. “Ok walk over here, find your friends. Don’t look at the two guys making
out in the corner. Don't eat, drink or smoke anything. Sober up.” Then I thought.
Who said that? Voices, OK Symptom A your nuts. No. Once I learned I had this voice
that was commanding my being. I was able to make some positive changes in my
life. I was able to deal with my subconscious and change my mental programming.

Well not by this alone. I was greatly influenced by some really amazing people who I
was fortunate enough to encounter. Mainly Timothy Leary and Terence McKenna
along with many other individuals with similar philosophies. In fact as I speak to you
know I can hear Terence's one of a kind voice, sorta as if I am channeling him or
perhaps just straight out plagiarizing. But in this case I don't think he would mind.
With out this experience, I would have never taken the path I have and that would
be a tragedy. To deny this experience to people should be the crime.

In this blog I must make it clear. I do not use or posses any illegal substances. At this
phase in my life, Salvia and psychedelic thinking is more then enough to satisfy my
entheogenic needs. In fact I rarely even use Salvia. I like to read, participate on
forums and listen to podcasts. By doing so I am able to benefit simply by taking in
other peoples reflections on their experiences.
The thing that really bothers me most is the criminalization of plants. Who the hell
do we think we are? If you are religious most likely you believe the earth and
everything on it was created by a god. If you’re an atheist or evolutionist you
probably believe there was a big bang, everything came together and 13 billion
years of cosmic evolution labored to bring all the life found on earth in to existence.
How egotistical can humans be to come along and declare parts of this miraculous
creation illegal? That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard. There is a total disrespect
of nature. But look at the environment; this shouldn’t be news to anyone. It’s our
blindly following those in power that will drive our species into extinction.

The rest of the talk was stuff we all know. The effects of Salvia range from mild to
profound and last about 15 minutes. A little of the history of Salvia from the
Mazatecan shamans, re-dicovery by Wasson & Hoffman. All the way up to making her
emergence onto the Internet and probably on her path to extinction. But we won’t
let her go with out our best effort to keep her legal. She is an intelligent plant
spirit. Evading the Inquisition and all attempts to stomp out the use of Shamanic
plants. We talked about the communities’ attempts to keep Salvia legal. Being that
this is not currently a Federal matter. Its tuff to organize state by state, now we
must even watch county and city ordinances. Just knowing the law of the Country is
difficult enough, let alone fight all the smaller battles. There is presently no
national organization of Salvia users taking political action. Maybe there should be,
or are we too late?

Thank you for reading this. Please feel free to share this with others. I would
appreciate a link back to my blog

Peace and Blessings,

EROCx1