What Kind of Drug Is It?

Salvia divinorum is a member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family of plants. When the leaves from this plant are chewed or brewed as a tea, they release a substance called salvinorin A. The substances cause humans to experience hallucinations, which are images, sounds, or other perceptions of things that are not actually present.

The Salvia divinorum plant grows naturally in the mountainous regions of central Mexico. In the Oaxaca region, the native peoples have traditionally used the plant in rituals that, they believe, cure physical ailments and allow them to see into another world. There are several other plants that have been used for similar purposes in Mexican indigenous (native) cultures, including the peyote (pay-OH-tee) cactus, psilocybin (sill-o-SIGH-bin) mushrooms, and the morning glory flower. (An entry on psilocybin is available in this encyclopedia. Peyote is discussed in the mescaline entry...