RESORT OFFICIALS SEEK BAN OF SALVIA

OCEAN CITY -- Resort officials are rallying to outlaw sales of the
hallucinogenic herb salvia and plan continued lobbying of state
legislators to pass a ban on its sales and possession.

"Our hands are tied right now," said Ocean City Councilman Doug Cymek
at a police commission meeting recently. "Until Delegate Mathias or
some other people help us along here a little bit up in Annapolis,
there's not much we can do to enforce this."

Salvia divinorum is a plant native to Mexico that, when consumed,
causes brief but intense psychedelic experiences, its users report.
It traditionally was used by native tribes to take "spiritual journeys."

Salvia saw its American popularity skyrocket in the last decade and
elected officials noticed. Since 2005, 15 states have passed laws
regulating or banning it, with 16 others considering a ban. Congress
has taken no action against it; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has
called salvia a "drug of concern."

Ocean City officials also said they're bothered by the preponderance
of drug-related paraphernalia sold by Boardwalk retailers -- objects
like pipes, bongs or hookahs -- that can be used to smoke drugs like
salvia, crack cocaine or marijuana, they said.

Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd said if salvia wasn't
there and merchants were selling just paraphernalia, resort police
could make arrests on charges of possessing drug paraphernalia. But
because they're selling legal salvia alongside plastic bongs, "we
don't have the presumption that the paraphernalia is being sold for
the purpose of selling an illegal substance," Todd said.

Town officials would like to outlaw salvia on their own, but cannot
because legislation of controlled dangerous substances in Maryland
falls under the purview of state legislators.

During the last legislative session, Mathias and several other Shore
lawmakers got behind a bill to ban salvia. The bill passed the House
but failed in the Senate.

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler also strongly supports a
salvia ban, saying it should be treated in the same manner as other
illegal hallucinogens like LSD or peyote. Gansler would prefer an
outright ban, he said, but primarily has his sights on keeping salvia
away from children.

"I think it ought to be illegal for adults as well, but I can live
with the bill as it came out of the House. That's certainly better
than we are now, where a 9-year-old can walk into any T-shirt shop in
Ocean City and buy bubble gum-flavored salvia, go home and smoke it
and kill himself because he's hallucinating," he said.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in February testified
during legislative hearings that salvia has the potential for
treating pain and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease,
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and dementia. Research also could
yield a better understanding and treatment of drug dependence, they
said.

Gansler said he would back a salvia ban that still allows for medical
research.