TEENS, AND NOW DEA, ARE ON TRAIL OF HALLUCINOGENIC HERB

WASHINGTON - Federal drug agents are so concerned about the growing use of a
little-known and accessible herb with hallucinogenic qualities that they are
taking steps to treat it like cocaine, heroin and LSD, and make it illegal.
The herb is salvia divinorum, a type of sage native to the Sierra Madre
Oriental mountain range in Mexico and used by natural healers there. It can
alter perception and induce visions when smoked or chewed.

Salvia emerged in the USA about three years ago. Word spread on the
Internet. And now, teenagers and young adults in search of mind-bending
experiences are trying it.

Its price ranges from $8.95 to $120 an ounce depending on potency. It is
sold in "head shops," on the Internet and, in one St. Louis suburb, a record
shop at a mall.

In St. Peters, Mo., young teens were smoking salvia that they bought at the
mall until January, when the Board of Aldermen banned its sale to those
younger than 18.

"It's not like this substance is overtaking the streets of America, but I
could see it becoming a problem as it becomes more available," said Sgt.
Rick Gerger, a detective in St. Peters.

The Drug Enforcement Administration agrees and is collecting information
about the herb's active ingredients as the first step toward seeking to have
it declared an illegal controlled substance.

"My main concern is that young people are buying something and taking
something that we know almost nothing about," said Frank Sapienza, chief of
the DEA's drug evaluation section.

But the herb has its defenders, who say there is little information that
points to addiction or side effects with its use.

"I find it really bizarre that you can outlaw a plant," said Kim Upton, who
runs the Starlight Goddess metaphysical store in Louisville. The store sells
salvia. "Even nutmeg taken in large quantities will give you a bigger buzz
than LSD."

Daniel Siebert of Malibu, Calif., sells salvia on the Internet for as much
as $120 an ounce. His buyers are "spiritual seekers," he said. They must
acknowledge that they have read information on salvia and that they are at
least 18. He encourages people who take it to have sober "sitters" who watch
so users don't hurt themselves while hallucinating.

Even so, he says the DEA is overreacting to salvia.

"It could never become popular like marijuana or Ecstasy," Siebert said.
"The effects are not desirable for recreational drug users. It's not
something that is fun. It's more of an existential ordeal."