Salvia divinorum is a plant that belongs to the mint family.1 There are almost 1,000 plant species belonging to the Salvia genus, including sage, rosemary, and chia. While most of them are harmless, salvia divinorum is a mind-altering and dangerous substance of abuse. Cassandra Sierra is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Addiction Professional with over 30 years of experience in mental health and addiction recovery. She has served as Director of Mental Health Services in Palm Beach County, FL, and co-founded the Miracles Club, Inc., supporting recovery since 2001.
- Salvinorin A, salvia’s active ingredient, impacts the brain in unclear ways.
- Many users report intense hallucinations and altered perceptions of reality.
- The long term effects of Salvia show that even a “natural” drug can cause unnatural harm.
- Although not currently regulated under the Controlled Substances Act, salvia is classified as a “drug of concern” by the DEA due to its unpredictable effects and growing recreational use.
How does salvia affect your brain and body?
It is also known by other traditional names such as ska maría pastora and seer’s sage. Native to southern Mexico and traditionally used in spiritual rituals, this member of the mint family contains salvinorin A, one of the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogens. Salvinorin A is the active principle of the plant and is classified as a psychotropic terpenoid responsible for its distinctive psychoactive effects. As a salvia drug, it produces intense, fast-acting psychedelic effects that differ sharply from those of classical hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin. Dual diagnosis effectively addresses addiction and co-occurring mental disorders.
Therapy, rehab programs, and support groups help people break free from dependency and build healthier coping skills. If you use salvia or have considered trying it, it’s a good idea to know what the drug is, what the potential risks are, and what you can expect when you take it. Instead, it begins within seconds of smoking and can completely disconnect a person from reality. While some recover from these experiences, others are salvia use effects and risks left with lasting trauma. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), over 1.8 million Americans have tried Salvia Divinorum. Although the high is short-lived, users frequently report overwhelming hallucinations and disorientation.
Salvia use, especially when it leads to psychological dependence, can significantly impact mental health and well-being. It is important for individuals to seek professional help to address the underlying causes of drug use and create healthier coping mechanisms. While salvia has a long history of use in traditional settings, it has gained popularity in the United States and other countries as a recreational drug. Salvia is typically smoked or chewed, though it can also be brewed into a tea.
What is Salvia divinorum, and how does it affect users?
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional. Content clinically reviewed and medically verified by licensed experts to meet California Prime Recovery’s highest standards of trust, transparency, and evidence-based care. Salvia divinorum plants are relatively easy to cultivate, making them accessible for both indoor and outdoor growing. These plants thrive in well-draining soil and partial shade, and they can be propagated through cuttings or seeds. With proper care, Salvia divinorum plants can grow up to one meter high and require regular pruning to maintain their shape and promote healthy growth.
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Researchers continue to study the drug to better understand its effects. The long term effects of Salvia show that even a “natural” drug can cause unnatural harm. Memory loss, depression, and social withdrawal are not temporary inconveniences—they can reshape a person’s life. The illusion of a short, harmless high often hides the reality of lasting consequences. Even if the hallucinations themselves last only minutes, these long-term effects can change how a person thinks, feels, and functions in daily life. If someone you know is using salvia, it’s important to approach them with compassion and understanding.
Treatment and Recovery from Salvia Misuse
This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk. If you use salvia long-term, you could develop liver and kidney problems. While these conditions can be treated, some damage will remain permanent. Because of this, you should seek help for substance abuse if you continually misuse a drug like salvia. Salvia is a potent naturally occurring hallucinogenic plant that can be dangerous to misuse.
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At DeNovo, our team comprehensively evaluates the patient’s psychological, emotional, medical, and social context. We create personalized treatment plans to ensure effective therapies suited to individual needs and challenges. Prolonged salvia use can cause dissociation, making users feel detached from reality. This state can alter self-perception and perception of surroundings, complicating psychological well-being. But it was also used medicinally for the management of issues like headaches, diarrhea, upset stomach, rheumatism and anemia.
- Salvia’s impact on the body can lead to temporary loss of coordination, altered sensory experiences, and changes in physical perception.
- More studies are needed to fully understand its safety, efficacy, and potential therapeutic applications.
- Even though salvia is commonly abused, it is not considered a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
- Prolonged salvia use can cause dissociation, making users feel detached from reality.
- The effects of Salvia divinorum can be profoundly influenced by a person’s mood and environment.
Evidence from scientific studies supports these effects and highlights the unique neuropharmacology of salvinorin A. Surveys reveal that salvia users have unique experiences and perceptions of the herb’s effects compared to other consciousness-altering methods. Unlike other hallucinogens, the effects of salvia can come on very quickly and have a short duration, often lasting only a few minutes, though the experience may feel much longer. It’s generally consumed by chewing fresh leaves, smoking dried or crushed leaves, or drinking tea made from the plant.
Short-term salvia experiences vary, including vivid sensory distortions like seeing non-existent colors or feeling unreal sensations. Users report a significant loss of coordination, affecting movement and awareness. Salvia alters reality perception, causing euphoric or dysphoric experiences, influenced by the user’s mindset. Effects last 5 to 30 minutes and can leave lasting emotional disturbances post-use.
While traditional use was rooted in spiritual guidance, modern recreational use often leads to confusion, trauma, and long-term psychological harm. While Salvia is not known to cause fatal overdoses, the health risks are serious. Because the hallucinations are so disorienting, people under its influence may put themselves in danger—running into traffic, falling, or harming themselves without realizing it. Salvia Divinorum has a long history among the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Research shows that frequent use of hallucinogens increases the risk of persistent psychological problems. The effects of salvia are short-lived, usually lasting between 20 minutes to an hour, though the intensity of the experience can feel much longer. While most people only experience effects for 20 minutes to 30 minutes, high doses can lead to longer-lasting effects of up to a few hours. Smoking or chewing the leaves of Salvia can produce minimal psychoactive effects. Because the effects of dried leaves are not potent, most people abusing the drug turn it into an extract that is smoked in a pipe or water bong.