Salvia which strength

Confined within an fMRI machine in the basement of a research hospital in Baltimore, with a mask over my eyes and the countdown crackling through my earbuds, I felt as if I were an astronaut about to blast into orbit. But where I was headed was far stranger than space. I had lent my gray matter to researchers at Johns Hopkins University for the first imaging study of what your brain does on salvinorin A, a potent, naturally occurring psychedelic produced by a plant called salvia divinorum.

I knew what I was getting into. I had done a trial run the day before, lying on a couch in a laboratory that was furnished to look like a tastefully trippy living room.

During that experience, I had felt my physical self disintegrate as a stunning diamond pattern began rolling from both sides of my face toward a boundless horizon. Any sense of self washed away and time became a meaningless abstraction. I was pure existence having an encounter with the infinite. My psychedelic experience in the fMRI machine was markedly less otherworldly. On the second round, I saw some colorful pinwheels and felt as though my body had merged with the machine.

This may have been because I received a lower dose. The point was to allow the researchers to watch my brain and those of the 11 other volunteers in the study on salvia. The team was led by Manoj Doss, a postdoctoral researcher in neuropharmacology at Johns Hopkins University working under the guidance of the veteran psychedelic scientist Roland Griffiths.

A decade earlier, Griffiths had orchestrated the first controlled study of the subjective effects of salvinorin A. To get a better understanding of how the drug produces its incredibly strong psychedelic effects and whether it might have any clinical relevance for treating conditions like depression or drug addiction, they needed to see what was happening at the neural level.

It can be chewed and orally absorbed. The smoke is normally held in for long periods to obtain the full effect. Smoking with a water pipe seems to produce the most immediate and extreme effects. Salvia is a strong hallucinogen that is also physically powerful. The effects peak quickly and begin to fade after about minutes, however with larger doses this will be longer.

Salvia is not known to be physically addictive. Although salvia isn't illegal according to federal law, a handful of states and a number of countries have passed laws to regulate its use. Still, it's often called a "legal" trip because it can mimic the effects of illicit substances like LSD and ecstasy though salvia's effects don't last as long—usually around 8 minutes—after which, they taper off.

Despite its legal status, salvia has not been deemed safe. In fact, the Drug Enforcement Administration DEA lists salvia as a drug of concern that poses risk to people who use it. Drug Class: Salvia is classified as a hallucinogen. Salvia has large, spade-shaped green leaves that look similar to mint. They have white and purple flowers and typically grow to more than three feet high. This perennial herb is often mistaken as a legal alternative to marijuana. But other than the fact that it is green, dried, and can be smoked, it has nothing in common with cannabis.

People who smoke salvia will not experience a milder type of high than when smoking pot. The active ingredient in the salvia herb is salvinorin A, a chemical that acts on certain receptors in the brain and causes hallucinations.

This short duration may be appealing to first-time users who are afraid of having a long trip that can last for hours. Precisely how much salvia is needed to produce these effects varies depending on the person as well as leaf quality and potency.

Many people who try salvia don't like it, describing the experience as intense, disturbing, and frightening—not fun or euphoric. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, salvinorin A is the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen. How salvia acts in the brain is still being studied, but we do know that salvinorin A changes the signaling process of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain by attaching to nerve cell receptors called kappa opioid receptors.

It also influences dopamine receptors in the brain. In the early s, teenagers were recording themselves using salvia and posting videos online some with , views on YouTube. Luckily, salvia has decreased in popularity among teenagers since then. Salvia has traditionally been used by shamans as a healing and divining tool salvia divinorum translates to "sage of the seers". According to Daniel Siebert, who's researched salvia for more than 20 years, the herb was used to induce a visionary trance state that made it possible for these healers to determine the underlying cause of disease and learn what steps to take to remedy it.

At this time, there is no medical use for salvia. Salvia has been reported to cause intense effects, including:. Many of these effects raise a concern about the dangers of driving under the influence of salvia. Additionally, any drug that leaves you incapacitated during the time it's working increases the risk for serious injury in any capacity. It's not clear if there have been any deaths associated with salvia.

The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction notes that emergency reports have described lasting psychosis in vulnerable people. At least one suicide has been blamed on salvia.

The long-term effects of using the drug also aren't known. However, studies with animals showed that salvia can harm learning and memory. Since teens can access salvia easier than some other types of drugs, it's important for parents to educate themselves and their kids on its potential danger. Also, take note if your loved one is burning incense; which many say is similar to the smell of Magic Mint when smoked.

Consider searching for any seeds, leaves, liquid extracts, or drug paraphernalia such as bongs, pipes, or rolling papers.