HALLUCINOGEN NOT AVAILABLE IN HUNTSVILLE STORE --FOR NOW--

It is ironic, perhaps negligent, that a hallucinogenic herb can be sold to
anyone in the country without Health Canada scrutiny or approval, while
newly developed cancer drugs are kept out of Canadian pharmacies by the
same agency.

Salvia divinorum is an herb that has been used for centuries by the Mazatec
Indians of southern Mexico in religious ceremony. This sacred, yet potent,
herb found its way into Canada via the Internet and mail-order magazines,
and until recently, it was being sold at the Silver Daisy in downtown
Huntsville. Salvia's recreational use by Huntsville youth is anything but
spiritual.

The drug, which is most potent when smoked and inhaled, causes
hallucinations which at times can be compared to a really bad nightmare
from which you can not awaken. The $40 bad dream impairs judgment, can
affect perception and senses, and can result in users harming themselves
and others. The long-term effects of salvia use have yet to be determined.

While there is presently nothing illegal about selling salvia, it is
sickening to think that a local business would profit from making this
stuff available to our youth. "As of right now, I am not selling salvia
anymore," the manager of Huntsville's Silver Daisy told us. It seems that
the attention salvia has brought to the Silver Daisy is unwanted. Perhaps
attention is just what the community should be paying to ensure that salvia
doesn't reappear.