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Salvia Divinorum Effects
What Is Salvia?
Salvia is short for Salvia Divinorum. It has many nicknames, including Hojas De Maria, Sally D, and Magic Mint. This is a herb that is native to southern Mexico. It is known for producing hallucinogenic effects. There are several ways that Salvia can be ingested. The juices from the leaves can be extracted. People can also chew the Salvia leaves. Additionally, people can put Salvia in a pipe or cigarette and smoke it, or they can vaporize and inhale it.
What Are The Consequences Of Using Salvia?
The active ingredient in Salvia is Salvinorin A. It targets the kappa opioid receptors. The effects of Salvia are felt quickly. In fact, one can start experiencing symptoms within one minute of using the herb. The effects go away within 30 minutes. Feelings of detachment, emotional swings, changes in visual perception and decreased the ability to interact with surroundings. Other effects include uncontrolled laughter, hallucinations and lack of control of body movements.
Signs And Symptoms Of Salvia Abuse
Many people will only use Salvia one time because they find their first time using it to be an unpleasant experience. However, others will continue to use it for a long time. Because the effects of Salvia are short-lived, it can be difficult to detect whether a person is abusing this herb.
Some signs are common in all individuals who are abusing a drug. Mood changes are one of the symptoms a person may experience. One may become more depressed and withdrawn. Uncooperativeness, hostility, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, deteriorating family relationships and trouble concentrating are some of the signs a person may exhibit if he or she is abusing Salvia.
Effects Of Salvia Abuse
There have not been many studies done to examine the long-term effects of Salvia abuse. That is why most states have not passed any legislation to make Salvia illegal. There have not been any stories reported of people dying from a Salvia overdose. However, there have been quite a few stories reported of people dying because they did something dangerous while under the influence of Salvia.
In 2012, a man committed suicide after smoking Salvia several times in a week for several months. He shot himself in the face. His mother and girlfriend reported that he could not stop using the drug, which means that it can potentially be psychologically-addictive.
Withdrawal Symptoms Of Salvia
One of the reasons people have a hard time quitting Salvia is because it can potentially cause withdrawal symptoms. Some of the reported withdrawal symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. However, more research needs to be done to examine the effects of Salvia.
