DJ'S TRIP CREATES DEBATE

SASkATOON -- A Saskatoon radio disc jockey touched off a fierce local
debate about the hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum on Thursday by
smoking it during a live broadcast.

Concerned about a recently released video of teen pop star Miley Cyrus
giggling after puffing something her publicist claimed was salvia
divinorum -- a legal substance sold in many hemp stores -- DJ Ryder of
Wired 96.3's morning show staged a live demonstration, hoping to
discourage others from trying it themselves.

The station later posted a disturbing 12-minute video of his "trip" on
its Facebook page, along with a link to an online petition started by
Ryder calling for the federal government to make salvia an illegal
substance.

The stunt prompted a slew of phone calls and messages from listeners
eager to share their views about salvia.

Many congratulated the radio show for trying to scare young people
away from experimenting with it. Others expressed outrage, predicting
the broadcast will have the opposite of its intended effect.

Shawn Chomyk, 26, was driving a group of children and teens to school
when the show aired. He turned it off after a few minutes and later in
the day lodged a complaint with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

"I just thought it was a really irresponsible thing to do," Chomyk
said in an interview.

Despite its availability, salvia has never been popular because it has
a reputation as something people try once and never do again, he said.

"Honestly, I think now there's going to be more kids interested to go
figure it out and see what it is than there would have been before,"
Chomyk said.

In a written statement issued to local media outlets, Wired 96.3
program director Andy Ross said the goal of the show was "not to
promote that you can easily get an intense, hallucinogenic high from
the drug, which Ryder did, but to show how ridiculous and dangerous it
is that this herb, which has even led to comas and accidental
suicides, can be bought today by absolutely anyone over the counter."

Salvia divinorum is classified in Canada as a natural health product
and is not covered by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA),
which prohibits the sale and use of other hallucinogens such as LSD
and "magic mushrooms."

Health Canada, which is responsible for regulating natural health
products, has never approved salvia for sale and has issued warnings
against its use. Salvia is already banned in many countries and some
U.S. states.

"If we make it illegal, it'll just get thrown onto the black market,"
said Kerry Kunka, proprietor of a Broadway Avenue hemp store where
salvia is sold.

Kunka said fewer than 10 people buy the herb at his shop in a typical
week, and he hasn't noticed any spike in demand since the Miley Cyrus
video hit the Internet.

The store is part of a franchise with a strict policy against selling
it to anyone under 18, and care is taken to educate customers about
what they should expect, he said.

Although he doesn't share the radio station's stance in favour of
prohibition, Kunka agrees that salvia is not a party drug to be taken
for kicks.

The plant originates in Mexico, where it was traditionally used in a
religious context by Native shamans, who believed it produced
visionary states and promoted spiritual healing.

Most customers who buy salvia from his store have a serious purpose
and many consider it a "once a year or once a lifetime" experience,
Kunka said.

"It shouldn't really be a party thing, it should be a spiritual
thing."