HEALTH CANADA NEEDS TO ACT

There's something wrong at Health Canada when a spokesperson says it
can't do anything about a powerful hallucinogenic sold in variety stores.

Salvia is a herbal extract that causes hallucinations so overwhelming
that even experienced drug users say they wouldn't do it a second time.

But it's legal to import and sell in Canada.

Health Canada says it will act if there is "evidence of a significant
risk to health and safety." Salvia may not be toxic in itself, but
hallucination-driven behaviour is certainly dangerous.

Salvia dealers -- sorry, retailers -- say they won't sell to
children, which is some relief. But parents have every right to be
concerned it can -- and will -- get into youngsters' hands.

It seems incongruous that while salvia is sold over the counter,
marijuana-possession arrests have soared in major Canadian cities in
the past two years. Is marijuana that much more dangerous?

Yes, we are to some extent comparing apples and oranges. Marijuana is
a criminal, not health, matter. Nonetheless, it appears that Canada's
regulatory environment has left common sense behind.

It is true that if salvia is banned, something else will come along.
So be it. Health Canada needs to be more agile in dealing with the
emergence of products such as salvia that present a demonstrable risk
to the public.