DRUG GAINS ATTENTION, REMAINS LEGAL-FOR NOW

Although the drug is rapidly catching the interest of all ages, some
have never heard of Salvia divenorum, also known as diviner's sage or
Ska Maria Pastora.

The abuse of Salvia can cause intense hallucinations. Even smoking
small quantities can affect perception and senses. These effects can
result in abusers harming themselves and others.

According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, abusers report
that the negative long-term effects of Salvia may be similar to those
produced by other hallucinogens, including depression, perception
disorder, "flashbacks" and schizophrenia.

Salvia is a plant that belongs to the sage family. Generally, the
plant's leaves are smoked in a pipe or bong, and must be inhaled
deeply and held inside the lungs for at least 20 seconds to achieve
the maximum effect.

If done correctly, the user should experience a "trip" that lasts
from five to 25 minutes.

The plant can also be chewed or brewed into a tea for a lengthier high.

Salvia is sold in several different levels that are color-coded for
clarity, with the greatest potency being labeled with a warning sticker.

Most users prefer to have a non-smoker nearby, incase of inability to
control their own actions. "It's a pleasant high," said Sarah Beard,
freshman mass media major, "but if you aren't prepared for it, you
might freak out."

When freshman recreation major Jon-Michael Bergeron received the
invitation to try Salvia for the first time, he was surprised to
experience only weak effects.

After feeling comfortable with the drug and seeing how little it
changed his behavior the first time around, accepting the offer for
the second time was easy.

"The first time I used it, I just laughed a lot," said Bergeron, "but
the second time, it hit me so much harder."

According to Daniel Siebert, an independent researcher and the
creator of sagewisdom.org, Salvia has been proven to have many
short-term effects. During a trip, different states can occur:
2-dimensional hallucinations, out of body experiences, becoming an
object, traveling back in time, being in more than one place at once
and uncontrolled laughing.

"Colors were brighter, everything was alive, and I was alive with
it," said Beard. Beard said she ran to tell a friend and stopped on
the way to "talk to George Clinton on a spaceship."

Salvia is legal in most states, but many professionals in the medical
field still have little or no knowledge about the substance or its effects.

"With any drug that causes hallucinations, there is always a chance
of damaging brain cells," said Shelbi Eason, a registered nurse at
Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock.

Although Salvia is often placed in the same category as other drugs,
users beg to differ.

"LSD and 'shrooms give you a euphoric feeling," said Bergeron, "With
Salvia, you're not happy at all."

Salvia is not regulated under the Controlled Subtances Act. However,
the Drug Enforcement Administration does label Salvia divenorum as a
drug of concern and is monitoring reports of the drug's abuse nationwide.

Salvia is illegal in Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee and Delaware.