LEGAL MEXICAN HERB OFFERS TRICKY HIGH

Hallucinogen Gains The Attention of DEA

MALIBU, Calif. - A Mexican plant that contains the most powerful
natural hallucinogen known is being sold legally via the Internet and
is drawing the interest of medical researchers and law enforcement.

Anecdotal accounts of use of the herb Salvia divinorum describe
hallucinogenic trips that make the user feel like an inanimate object
or worse.

``I don't know anyone who has ever taken it and said, `Gee, that was
fun,' '' said Ethan Russo, a Missoula, Mont., clinical neurologist
and an expert on psychotropic herbs.

The plant's effects can vary from mild to extreme, making even
regular users wary.

Experts said interest in the plant, a member of the sage family,
springs from its use as a ritual herb by an Indian tribe near Oaxaca,
Mexico. Other hallucinogens, like the South American brew ayahuasca,
have similar followings.

``People get captivated with the idea of using hallucinogens as a way
of connecting with the spiritual world as used in indigenous
cultures,'' said Jim Miller, curator and head of the applied research
department at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

For now, the hallucinogenic plant is legally grown commercially in
Mexico, Hawaii and California. However, the Drug Enforcement
Administration is reviewing it.

``We are gathering information on it to see if it needs to be
controlled,'' said Rogene Waite, a DEA spokeswoman.

Some, like Russo, find it an intriguing resource for exploring the
brain's chemistry.

How Salvia divinorum produces its hallucinogenic effects is unknown,
since its active component, Salvinorin A, does not work on any
neurotransmitter sites affected by other hallucinogens, including
THC, the active component of marijuana. Nor does it contain nitrogen,
which makes Salvinorin A unusual as a psychoactive molecule.

``We don't know much about its toxicity - we just don't know much
about it other than the experiences that many report, which don't
sound very pleasant,'' said Alan Trachtenberg, who works for the
substance abuse office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.

No federal laws govern the plants, even though, by weight, the active
component of Salvia divinorum is more powerful than that found in
peyote, psilocybin mushrooms or any other natural hallucinogen, Russo
said.

Although related to sage used in cooking, Salvia divinorum is a
different plant.

The drug's effects last from a few minutes to an hour or longer.
During that time, users can lose all perception of reality. Salvia
users and foes both emphasize it should never be taken while alone.

Daniel Siebert, an amateur botanist in Malibu who grows, sells and
uses the plant, collects ``trip'' reports on a Web site. He said
users can feel as if they have merged with inanimate objects. One
person reported feeling like fresh paint as it was spread on a wall.

``It's definitely not something people can do very often because the
effects are very profound,'' said Siebert, 40, who uses the plant
every two months on average.