PSYCHEDELIC HERB FLIES UNDER LEGAL RADAR

OTTAWA - A common garden herb that packs a powerful psychedelic punch
has some federal health officials recommending it be strictly controlled.

But Health Canada says it can't regulate use of salvia divinorum until
there's more evidence of its dangers.

A December 2005 report by the marketed health products directorate, an
arm of Health Canada, recommended that it be placed under the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

For one salvia user, Ottawa's concerns are unnecessary.

"Salvia is so intense, most people only try it once or twice," said
Ryan Poelzer, who works at the Urban Shaman, a popular botanical store
in downtown Vancouver. He says the store sells about 50 pills a week.

Poelzer, 20, describes his experiences using salvia as "mind-blowing"
and "out of this world . . . It's like going into outer space. Time
being ripped in half is a good way of describing it."

Department spokesman Jason Bouzanis said salvia has been known to
cause hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, unconsciousness and
short-term memory loss. But that's not enough to declare it illegal.

"We can't make any recommendations to place salvia under the
Controlled Drug and Substances Act schedules until we have sufficient
scientific and empirical data that concludes it has the potential for
misuse and abuse," he said.