Salvia Divinorum - Consequences

Consequences

As of 2005, Salvia divinorum is a legal substance in the United States, so there are no penalties for possessing or using it. Various forms of it can be purchased, and the plants may be grown for personal use. If more people begin using Salvia divinorum, and negative side effects begin to be identified, the legal status of the plant could change.

There have been no known reports of emergency medical treatment needed for the use of Salvia divinorum. Because its use is not widespread, little is known about the long-term physical, mental, and emotional effects of the plant and its extracts. In a sense, the status of Salvia divinorum in the early part of the twenty-first century can be compared to that of LSD and other hallucinogens during the 1960s. They, too, were legal throughout much of that decade. Yet, when this led to widespread use, their negative effects became more evident, and their alleged benefits were deemed less practical. Eventually, this led to such drugs being declared illegal.