SHOOTING SUSPECT HAD BEEN KNOWN TO USE POTENT, AND LEGAL, HALLUCINOGEN

TUCSON - No one has suggested that his use of a hallucinogenic herb
or any other drugs contributed to Jared L. Loughner's apparent mental
unraveling that culminated with his being charged in a devastating
outburst of violence here.

Yet it is striking how closely the typical effects of smoking the
herb, Salvia divinorum - which federal drug officials warn can
closely mimic psychosis - matched Mr. Loughner's own comments about
how he saw the world, like his often-repeated assertion that he spent
most of his waking hours in a dream world that he had learned to control.

Salvia is a potent but legal drug marketed with promises of producing
a transcendental spiritual journey: out-of-body experiences,
existence in multiple realities, the revelation of secret knowledge
and, according to one online seller, "permanent mind-altering change
in perception."

Mr. Loughner, 22, was at one point a frequent user of the plant, also
known as diviner's sage, which he began smoking while in high school
during a time in which he was also experimenting with marijuana,
hallucinogenic mushrooms and other drugs, according to friends.
Mental health professionals warn that drug use can both aggravate and
mask the onset of mental illness.

"He always had it on him," said George Osler IV, whose son, Zach, was
good friends with Mr. Loughner in high school. It is unclear when Mr.
Loughner last used the drug.

It remains unclear what, if any, role salvia played in shaping Mr.
Loughner's views. But the shootings have once again drawn attention
to a drug that - for little more than the cost of a pack of
cigarettes and without the hassle of showing a driver's license - a
growing number of young people here and throughout much of the
country are legally buying and using.

"It's a draw for adventure seekers - the people who are attracted to
the sort of bungee-jumping attempt in psychopharmacology," said
Matthew W. Johnson, a professor of behavioral pharmacology at Johns
Hopkins University medical school, who has studied the effect of the
drug on humans. "They are looking for that sort of thing as a part of
their belief system. Sometimes they are extremely compelled by what
they are experiencing."

A perennial in the mint family related to the ornamental plant
popular with gardeners, Salvia divinorum is native to Mexico and has
historically been used by Mazatec shamans in religious rituals, where
the large green leaves are chewed or made into a tea. (Some
researchers have said the herb holds promise for developing new
medicine to control pain and treat drug addiction.)

Smoked, the effect is shorter and more intense, typically lasting
just a few minutes.

People who have smoked the herb say the experience is often
unpleasant, and many never use it again. The powerful effects have
been documented in thousands of online videos documenting experiences
on the drug - including a recent video of the teenage music and
television star Miley Cyrus laughing hysterically and babbling
nonsensically after smoking the drug. Nearly 6 percent of high school
seniors and college students reported using the drug in the previous
year, a higher percentage than used Ecstasy or cocaine and more than
twice as much as LSD, according to a federal survey released in 2009.

"It pretty much puts you in a different world," said Casey Hazelton,
19, describing his own experience with the drug while visiting a
local smoke shop that sells packets of the herb. "It's like you're
dreaming if you're awake."

Nationwide, poison centers treated 117 Salvia divinorum exposures in
2010, up from 81 the year before.

Salvia's growing popularity has led nearly half the states to ban or
restrict the sale of the herb, which is often treated with
concentrated extract of the active chemical to make it more powerful.
The push coincides with recent efforts by states around the country
to outlaw a number of other legal drugs that often sit alongside
salvia on the shelves that use chemical additives to mimic the
effects of illegal drugs like marijuana.

"It's an issue that the states are increasingly paying attention to,"
said Alison Lawrence, policy specialist for the National Conference
of State Legislatures.

In Arizona, however, salvia and other synthetic drugs like Spice and
K2 can legally be sold to anyone, including minors, and are available
at smoke shops, liquor stores and even grocery stores. The drug is
also widely sold on the Internet with more potent versions
accompanied by warnings like "reality is ripped to shreds."

Eric Meyer, a doctor and member of the Arizona Legislature, has
introduced bills each of the past two years to restrict the sale of
salvia to those 21 and older (three states, including California,
have age restrictions). Both years the bill died without coming to a
final vote. Mr. Meyer said he planned to introduce the legislation
again next week, with the hope that the increased attention would
allow the bill to go forward.

"It's a first step to get some control over the drug," he said.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has listed salvia as a drug of concern
and is considering classifying it as a Schedule I drug, like LSD or
marijuana, according to the National Institutes of Health.