Categories: Need to know

Ottawa to ban salvia

Proposal would make it illegal to grow, sell or possess hallucinogenic herb

by macleans.ca on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 11:39am - 130 Comments

The federal government plans to add the hallucinogenic herb salvia divinorum to Canada’s list of banned substances. The change would make it illegal to sell, grow, or possess salvia, which is currently sold in head shops as a “natural health product.” The effects of smoking salvia include a brief but intense 5-10 minute high that may include hallucinations. “I’m concerned about it and I don’t know a single parent who wouldn’t be concerned,” St. Boniface MP Shelly Glover said at a press conference on Tuesday. “We are very worried about the long-term effects.”

Winnipeg Free Press

Tags: drugs

Jim

This seems remarkably unnecessary given that salvia shows no addictive or habit-forming tendencies. While salvia use can be distressing and psychologically stressful, so can many other fully legal things. Salvia hardly represents some sort of public health issue, and this seems like a great deal of hand-wringing by the same ignorant autocrats who might wish to ban shooter video games for their 'insidious violence' or Dungeons and Dragons for its 'satanism.' I have no doubt that the greater majority of them have no actual experience with this substance: as though who have tried it know, it's not the sort of thing you end up doing every day, nor is it particularly well-tailored to recreational use.

Shelly Glover claims that parents should support the criminalization of this plant. I would counter that perhaps instead parents should educate their children! This law applies to adults as well, and I don't appreciate self-righteous busybodies legislating away my rights as though I was a child.
lui

Yah it all sounds so harmless till some entrepreneur cuts the stuff with Ecstasy to give the experience a kick.
Lots of evidence that Salvia has a profound effect on the human body, overt symptoms are gone in minutes but what can affect you that stong in the short term may have long lasting ramifications.
FYI, Salvi divinorum is not the same as common sage. And extracts are concentrated, not natural doses. As with pot, the doses being pedaled can affect some far more than others
Get to know your sh*t man. Fool you once, could be the end!
Ariadne

Yes, it is bad but if the government will successfully ban this, then they just provide criminal organizations a free advertisement for substance to make money from. Spend money where it matters, public education drive against addiction.
Ted

Cuts it with e? Are you for real?

Salvia lasts a very short time. Extracts don’t change that.

You can’t cut it. Especially with e.

One: that’s gross and not something someone would waste their e on.
Two: e doesn’t burn that well.

How about you get an idea about what you’re talkin about before you beak off at someone yourself?
Timmy

Oh no!
A 5-minute high that may include hallucinations!
If that is criminal, then they had better criminalize prayer and meditation as well.

Although, I don't see a way that organized crime can make money from prohibiting prayer and meditation.

When will people realize that prohibitionists are almost invariably in the the pay of organized crime?
StonerStan

Help me prevent the canadian government from irresponsibly attempting to legislate morality yet again and join my facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_1369446…
Help me make the conservatives, and every other party, acknowledge realize that prohibition doesn't work, never has worked, and never will. Required reading for mr. Harper? http://www.economist.com/printedition/index.cfm?d…
sourstud

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb.

Do the Hells Angels really need another product to sell?