Can Smoking Sage Be Sage?
By Riaz Bhunnoo
We’ve all heard stories about MPs who have smoked various drugs in their youth, revealed presumably to show that they were once down with the kids. But did they ever attempt smoking sage?It has recently emerged that a relative of the common kitchen herb, Salvia divinorum, can have hallucinogenic effects. Furthermore, youths from across the world are smoking this herb and posting videos of their experiences on YouTube.
When smoked, the intense hallucinogenic effect of salvia can last around ten minutes; when chewed the effect can last much longer. The effects are wide-ranging and include uncontrollable laughter, a temporary inability to speak, uncoordinated movement and a feeling of being out of the body. It is not known to be toxic or addictive, however some countries have decided not to take any risks – it is currently banned in Australia, a number of European nations and a handful of US states.
Studies have found that sage can cause depression in rats, however, there has been no major scientific study completed into its effects on humans. There are of course nightmare stories of its effects. One person put his arm through a window whilst under the influence because he ‘just didn't see it’. Another sobered up to find some of the furniture in the room was smashed and he had suffered a broken shoulder.Addiction expert Professor Fabrizio Schifano, of the University of Hertfordshire, agrees the hallucinogenic nature of sage is concerning. His biggest worry is the possibility that the interaction of salvia with receptors in the brain may be linked to schizophrenia. Research continues to understand the exact nature of the brain chemistry involved.
Steve Henderson, whose firm sells herbal products has been stocking salvia for five years. After taking it once, he knows why the herb has only reached as far as the YouTube generation: "It was very intense, quite hard to understand exactly what was going on. It's something that I've never repeated. People will try it and not go back."
Please note everyone that this isn't the sage you use for culinary exploits. Please don't dash off to your mother's cupboards in a bog-eyed, drug-addled frenzy looking for your next fix. You'll just end up smelling like a poorly cooked Sunday roast.
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Image: Olekkerra/W
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