US CT: PLANTING SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Getting high with a little help from your plants By Chuck Castanets

Think that the threat of nosy neighbors or DEA helicopters equipped with the
latest in surveillance technologies means you can't grow your own visionary
crops? Think again, psychonauts! Despite the militaristic efforts of drug
warriors to prevent the cultivation of psychoactive plants -- cannabis,
coca, etc. -- there are some legal flora for the shamanistically inclined to
fawn over. While you still have to keep your beautiful, ahem, hempplants
under the grow lights in the attic, you can proudly -- and legally -- raise
some other mind-altering plants in the sunshine of your living room.

The two best candidates for home-based psychedeligardening are salvia
divinorum ("Diviner's sage") and San Pedro cactus. Both plants are
relatively easy to acquire and to grow. Just as important, there's a growing
body of information on their

The primary active ingredient in salvia divinorum is salvinorin A. Mescaline
is the active ingredient in San Pedro cactus. This is important to know
because while the cactus itself is legal to purchase, it's illegal to
process any mescaline-containing cactus with the intent of concentrating the
psychoactive chemicals or to consume them. Salvinorin A is not illegal.

Of course, caution is always the watchword when dealing with any kind of
mind-altering substance. While humankind has a long history -- and
pre-history -- of enhancing perceptual and spiritual cognition with various
plants and fungi, tripping is not a journey to be taken lightly.

For example, according to "The Salvia Divinorum Users' Guide"
((http://salvia.lycaeum.org/usersguide. html)), salvia "is not a party
drug." The plant is a "consciousness changing herb" suitable for vision
quests; it can cause users to become unaware of their surroundings. "You
should not be out in public when on salvia. You will not be able to handle
it." The Users' Guide advises having a sober "sitter" if "you are taking
doses on which you may freak out, become confused, injure yourself, fall,
set your house on fire or do anything that might harm others." Possible side
effects of ingesting cacti with mescaline are anxiety (particularly among
inexperienced users), nausea, muscle tension and feelings of loss of
control.

"People should be informed of the effects of whatever plant(s) they consume
prior to consuming it. They should pay attention to the 'set and setting'
(their mind-state and their surroundings), making sure that both are good,"
writes David A., editor and publisher of The Entheogen Review (564 Mission
St., Box 808, San Francisco, CA 94105), in an e-mail response to questions.

A perennial herb, salvia divinorum is a member of the mint family. The
psychoactive ingredient is present in the dark green leaves. The leaves are
oval and serrated and may be quite large. One web location for information
about purchasing the plant can be found on The Resonance Project pages
((www.resproject.com/one/salviagrow.html)).

>From mildest to strongest, the effects of salvia -- according to the Users'
Guide -- are:

A marijuana-like high, laughter;

"Altered thought processes;"

"LSD-like psychedelic effects such as seeing colored patterns with your eyes
closed;"

"Dreamlike 'shamanistic' voyaging to other places and times;"

"Identity loss, mystical experiences;"

Loss of consciousness for up to several minutes if dose is too high. Not
recommended.

The plant is propagated by cuttings. While it can flower and go to seed, the
seeds are seldom viable. A native of mountain rainforests, salvia loves high
humidity and bright partial shade. The plant flourishes at temperatures of
60-70 degrees but can tolerate higher and lower temperatures, although not
frost.

To facilitate growth, the herb can be planted in a large clay pot, the
bigger the better. According to Dan McDonley
((www.entheogen.com/salviagrow.html)), "salvia likes lots of room to spread
her roots and doesn't take well to transplanting too often." The pot should
have holes in the bottom for drainage and, perhaps, a layer of gravel
beneath the dirt to facilitate drainage and discourage deadly root rot. Will
Biefuss, on the Resonance Project salvia page, suggests a mixture of "one
part each compost, peat moss, sandy loam and a half part perlite" and
avoiding heavy, clay-like soil. The plant loves humidity -- it should be
misted often to remind it of its rainforest origins -- but it should not be
soaking in water.

The San Pedro cactus (Tricho-cereus pachanoi) is native to the slopes of the
Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. It can grow quite tall and is available
through many nurseries. (Most sites recommend that you don't bring up
anything related to psychoactivity when purchasing any of these plants. It's
unlikely to raise the dealer's -- er, seller's -- comfort level.)
Substantial information on visionary cacti is available in the Visionary
Cactus Guide of the San Pedro Fanatic Report Version 4.0
((www.lycaeum.org/~iamklaus/cactindx.htm)).

The effect of ingesting San Pedro cactus is similar to that of peyote but
more tranquil. Mescaline, the active ingredient of both, operates "primarily
on the visual areas of the cortex," according to the Visionary Cactus Guide.

The description of a San Pedro cactus trip is quoted in the Visionary Cactus
Guide: "And then, as if hit by a great gust of wind, a great vision, a
sharpening of the senses, a precise, crystal clearness of thought... All of
our senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, are linked to the
others. A flood of perceptions being sucked in, through our eyes. One
develops a sort of telepathic sense, the ability to transcend time, distance
and space, simply by envisioning it."

Cacti should be planted in unglazed clay pots with commercially available
cactus soil (not sand). The guide recommends a layer of coarse gravel for
the bottom to aid drainage. Let the soil dry out completely before
re-watering. The plant also needs to be fed occasionally. Check with a
nursery on the optimum formula for cactus. According to the guide, the plant
should get at least four hours of bright sunshine daily.

These two plants hardly exhaust the list of legal plants with mind-altering
properties. For a relatively comprehensive list -- with information about
usage, constituent chemistry, effects and hazardous side effects -- consult
Legal Highs: A Concise Encyclopedia of Legal Herbs and Chemicals with
Psychoactive Properties ((http://www.ajax.org/ajax/legalhi/)). Among those
mentioned are betel nut, California poppy, catnip, fly agaric mushroom,
juniper, morning glory seeds and nutmeg. Note: Some of these will not only
get you high -- they may kill you. Bad trip, that.