by No Single Name

Created on: April 16, 2009

To even think for a moment that salvia will replace marijuana is to have a brush with the extremely absurd; it is more or less saying that, at its advent, marijuana was the new cigarette, or cats the new dogs. To be assured, they have their similarities (plants with mind-altering properties), but what is most prominent is their vast collection of dissimilarities.

The largest difference between salvia divinorum and cannabis comes from their purposes: marijuana functions as a stimulant, intoxicant and depressant, while salvia acts as an atypical psychedelic. This means that cannabis is more or less like alcohol; it leaves the user with a pleasant buzz, and their state effectively altered for a period dependent upon dosage and the tolerance of the user.

Salvia, on the other hand, has effects reminiscent to being run over by a train; due to its nature as a psychedelic and the potency of the chemicals, salvia's intense effects can come onto the user as soon as twenty seconds after the dose is taken. Its main effects include hallucinations and dissociation with reality.

Because of its nature as an abnormal psychedelic, however, salvia has a wide variety of effects dependent upon the user; many have reported negative experiences with the drug and intend never to try it again. Unlike mushrooms or other drugs of its category, salvia's effects only last for twenty to forty-five minutes, meaning that the trip experienced is likely to be very good, very bad, or very gone; that is to say, most of the trip will be a blank spot in the user's memory.

The nature of salvia, when combined with the relatively hefty price tag, makes marijuana a more relaxing and reasonable choice for the casual drug user; it is often freely available at parties and tends to have consistent effects between users. It is an easy-access plant which people tend to share and trade, with quiet decriminalization efforts being made every month and a history that runs parallel with that of America.

With the way trends in drug use are heading, the chances are good that most current recreational drug users have or will at some point try salvia, but the idea of it replacing marijuana is simply absurd. Its violent, startling, sometimes confusing or frightening effects make it a substance more cautious drug users will steer completely clear from, and will keep others from returning. And although salvia shows up in the news more and more everyday, just take a look; it's usually being overshadowed by a marijuana story.

After all, the American media already has its green-leafed scapegoat; what use would it have for a second?

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