NANAIMO RCMP SAY THEY SOMETIMES ENCOUNTER SALVIA DIVINORUM, BUT IT'S
NOT POPULAR

A Nanaimo merchant says he gets two or three requests every week for
the hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum, but refuses to carry it
because it would be "socially irresponsible."

The plant, which has used for centuries by Mazatec Indian shamans for
medicinal purposes and to induce visions, has also been used as a
recreational drug for years.

It made headlines after an Internet video showing pop star Miley Cyrus
smoking the stuff went viral.

Salvia divinorum is not illegal in Canada, but the plant has been
under study by Health Canada since at least 2006 to determine whether
it should be regulated under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act.
The agency warns people not to use it until its effects are better
known.

Salvia extract is sold at head shops and other stores across Canada.
But Cliff Wilpshire, owner of Nanaimo's Rasta Troll, said despite
demand for the drug his store won't offer it for sale.

"I won't sell salvia because of the risk, because of what it does," he
said.

"The initial effect is so strong that the person taking it loses
complete control of their actions."

Although Wilpshire doesn't offer the plant for sale in any form, he
doesn't see a problem with selling natural Salvia divinorum, which
produces a milder high.

Most people, however, are looking for the intense stone that comes in
its extract form.

He thinks the use of Salvia has been overblown by media
hype.

Nanaimo RCMP Cpl. Dave Cusson, with drug and organized crime awareness
services for central Vancouver Island, said police occasionally
encounter Salvia but it hasn't become a major issue.

"I think kids are experimenting with it," he said.

"It's not like it's a new, cutting edge drug. But like every kind of
drug it surfaces every once and a while."

The celebrity currently surrounding the drug, however, could create
more interest in Salvia among youth.