Teenagers know that parents and the government alike are relentless in regulating, monitoring and outlawing questionable substances, especially when they can get into the hands of minors. In the past few years, however, a loophole has been found—an alternative, easily accessible legal drug that many parents are not aware of. Meet salvia divinorum.

A perennial herb found in the mint family, salvia is a powerful hallucinogen that causes a brief but intense high. Use of salvia, nicknamed “Diviner’s Sage” in Latin for its ability to alter perception, has increased rapidly in the past decade; it’s estimated that salvia is now used twice as much as LSD and almost as much as ecstasy. 

Salvia contains the chemical salvinorin A, which can alter a person’s perception of reality when consumed, causing hallucinations, disorientation, and other visual and auditory distortion. Though it’s apparent that salvia is capable of altering the mind, its loose regulation (there is no federal ban on salvia, and only six states regulate salvia, North Carolina not included) makes it easy for buyers to get their hands on this substance.
Legality, however, does not equal safety. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) cites salvia as a “drug of concern” and is currently monitoring it for abuse potential. An Eight Factor Analysis, as ordained by the Controlled Substances Act, will be conducted by the DEA to assess the risks involved with the use of salvia. Though 44 states may have the drug available, these states are becoming increasingly concerned with salvia use, and many are beginning to consider regulation—even if the drug remains legal, it’s likely that minors will not be allowed to possess or use it.  

The dysphoria and disturbances experienced while taking salvia have already been attributed to several unfortunate incidents, including the suicide of Brett Chidester, a Delaware teenager, in 2006. Making that ten-minute high a habit is hardly worth the suffering grades, loss of trust with authorities, and even potential brain damage it brings.