Salvia Divinorum has broad, green leaves with thick, hollow, square stems. The flowers of this plant are white with purple calyxes and rarely produce viable seeds. Successful cultivation is best achieved by taking cuttings of the plant rather than trying to germinate Salvia divinorum seeds. For more information, see "Growing Salvia Divinorum".
Chemistry
The active compound of Salvia Divinorum is Salvinorin-A, a member of the diterpenoid chemical class, and is present in the dry plant material at approximately 0.2% by weight. Salvinorin-A is one of the most potent hallucinogens known, requiring as little as 200µg before the effects can be felt, while also being one of the safest - no signs of organ damage have been oberseved in rodents exposed chronically to doses of salvinorin-a much greater than that required for a human.Use
There are many ways of using Salvia Divinorum, both old and new. Each method brings with it it's own pros, cons and unique twist to the experience. For more details about each method, see "Using Salvia Divinorum".The Traditional Mazatec Method
Traditionally, the Mazatec people, indigenous to the Oaxaca region of Mexico where Salvia Divinorum was first found, used to use salvia as part of their shamanic practices. It is believed they used to grind up large quantities of Salvia Divinorum leaf, which was then added to water and drank. This method leaves a lot to be desired. We know now that salvinorin-a, the active chemical in Salvia Divinorum is not very readily absorbed through the stomach, so large quantities of leaf must be used. It also doesn't taste particulaly fantastic. These drawbacks are countered by the fact that the effects from the salvia last much longer than any other method outlined here. The Mazatecs also used to chew fresh leaf for long periods of time, which is still quite popular today. See the Quid method for more details.
The Quid Method
A "quid" is basically a big wad of leaves. Fresh leaves, if possible, but dry leaves can be used too. If the leaves are dry, emmerse them in a cup of warm water for about a minute before you wish to begin - this step is essential, otherwise you'll be chewing on dry leaf, which will taste just plain disgusting. Take about ten to fifteen fresh or soaked leaves, roll them up into a ball and pop the ball, or quid, into your mouth. Now all you have to do is chew those awful tasting leaves for a good fifteen to thirty minutes. Sounds easy? Well, you have to do it swallowing as little saliva as possible. This method works by a process called "sublingual absorption": the salvinorin-a is absorbed into your blood through the mouth, so the quid needs to stay in your mouth for as long as possible. After the time is up, you should begin to feel the effects, although rather subtley compared to smoking the leaf or extract. You can now either spit out the contents of your mouth, or swallow it. Swallowing it can be a ghastly experience, but it's recommended, since any remaining salvinorin-a in your saliva or the leaf will eventually get absorbed through your stomach. Just like the traditional Mazatec method, the effects are more prolonged than smoking leaf or extract.
Smoking Leaf
Smoking salvia leaf can be effective, but it's not ideal for non-smokers. The active chemical in Salvia Divinorum, salvinorin-a, requires a high temperature to vapourise, so the leaf should be smoked through a pipe or bong rather than rolled as a cigarette. When smoking the leaf through a pipe or bong, you should try and use a torch lighter if possible. The extra heat generated by the torch flame will vapourise more of the salvinorin-a per hit compared with a regular lighter. That said, many users have reported a more relaxed mood shift when smoked as a cigarette, and a more "trippy" high when using it to replace tobacco in a cannabis joint. It's generally considered harder to achieve the full effects of Salvia Divinorum when smoking only leaf, compared with the stronger extracts. This is because the salvinorin-a from the leaf is metabolised by the body rather quickly, so smoking more over a longer duration will only maintain the level of trip, rather than enhancing it. To get the most from this method, it is advised that you take two to three hits from the pipe or bong, each time holding your breath for as long as you can, exceeding 30 seconds if possible. The effects will be noticeable after about one minute, giving you up to about three hits before you should put the pipe or bong down. The effects will remain for up to about half an hour.
Smoking Extract
Salvia Divinorum extracts are quite simply salvia leaf with a lot more kick. Extracts are prepared by taking the salvinorin-a from a large quantity of leaf and depositing it back onto a much smaller quantity of leaf. For example, one gram of 20x extract is, give or take, one gram of salvia leaf, with the salvinorin-a of 20g of leaf added to it. To visualise it, imagine filling your bowl with 20x the amount of normal leaf, and smoking it all. For more information on the extracting process, you might like this article: How To Make Salvia Divinorum Extract. This method ensures you get enough salvinorin-a into your body as soon as possible, opening up the deeper levels of the salvia experience. Unfortunately, due to the strength of some extracts, it can be hard to accurately measure out a correct dose, so you could end up taking in far more than you intended. The extract should also be smoked in a pipe or bong.
Salvinorin Tincture
Salvinorin tincture works in the same way as the quid method: sublingual absorption. That is, you let the liquid sit in your mouth for 15 to 30 minutes, allowing the salvinorin-a to diffuse into your blood through your mouth. The tincture itself is an alcohol-based solution of salvinorin-a, meaning doses can be measured more accurately by diluting it, and it doesn't taste nearly as bad. The effects are also brought about much faster.
Links
- How To Grow Salvia Divinorum
- How To Use Salvia Divinorum
- How To Make Salvia Divinorum Extract
- Salvia divinorum products
- Salvia Trip - A collection of Salvia Divinorum experience reports
- SalviaSource Salvia Divinorum Community
- SageWisdom
- Sacred Weeds - Salvia Divinorum (Google Video; 63mins)
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