BAN SALVIA NOW!!!
When I first discovered Salvia it was because some teenagers had told me that it was the "legal high" that was pretty popular. I started to investigate this and was really shocked at what I learned. My goal here is to not only inform you - our readers - but to ask you to help us in getting this banned not only in the United States but world wide. Two hits of Salvia and your'e high! It is my understanding that Salvia is possibly more dangerous than marijuana and just as potent as LSD which is a hallucinogenic and very, very dangerous as well as habit forming.
Though I have not discovered anywhere that Salvia is said to be addictive, I believe it won't be too long before there is a very serious problem with this.
For those of you who may not be familar with Salvia - you can smoke it, drink it, chew it, just about any form of digesting it will bring about the immediate hallucinogenic high.
BAN IT!
What is really amazing to me is that the issue of banning this is being tackled in the United States as state by state. For a country that is so focused on safety and protecting our children, I found it quite surprising that the Salvia was being allowed to be brought into the United States period.
Some questions that need to be raised for the United States are:
- Why does it need to be banned state by state? Why can't we focus on banning it by the country?
- Why do we need to wait for a disasterous event prior to banning this hallucinogenic from any single state - let alone country?
Here is a list of the countries and states that have banned Salvia. Australia
As of June 1, 2002, Australia became the first country to ban Salvia and salvinorin. According to the Australian Drugs and Poisons Committee, salvia had not yet shown evidence of damage or threat to public health/safety but had potential to be abused. In a statement which has been criticized as self-negating the committee said, "there was no evidence of traditional therapeutic use other than in shamanistic healing rituals".
Croatia Salvia divinorum was banned in Croatia in April 2008 by addition to the official list of illegal substances and plants.
Denmark With effect from August 23, 2003, Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A were classed as 'category B' drugs in Danish law. Category B includes psilocybin mushrooms, cocaine, amphetamine, and several others substances that are only legal for medicinal and scientific purposes. Possession carries a penalty of up to 2 years in prison.
Finland Finland passed legislation in August 2002 making it illegal to import Salvia divinorum without a prescription from a doctor.
Germany Salvia divinorum was effectively banned in Germany in February 2008 by addition to the official list of illegal substances.
Sweden
Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A were added to Sweden's list of controlled substances with effect from April 1, 2006.
Spain The sale of Salvia divinorum has been illegal since February 6, 2004. The law only prohibits commerce. It does not make possession or use a crime.
Italy
In August 2004, the Italian government decreed salvinorin A "a substance with hallucinogenic properties that may cause conditions of abuse and can manifest latent psychiatric pathologies like acute psychosis and depressive psychosis even in an irreversible way" and put it and the plant Salvia divinorum on their ‘table I’ of outlawed psychotropic substances in March 2005. The Italian government referred to an evaluation of Salvia made by the Italian National Health Institute, assessing it as "a powerful natural hallucinogen" to justify their decision. Cultivation of the plant or the possession of more than 0.5 mg of Salvinorin A carries a penalty from 6 to 20 years in prison.
HERE IS WHERE THE ISSUE STANDS IN THE UNITED STATES:
ALABAMA
SB330
27-Mar-2007
Schedule I
not passed / died
Sen. Hank Erwin
18-Oct-2007
not passed / died
Sen. Roger Bedford & Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow
ALASKA
SB313
05-Apr-2006
Schedule IIA
not passed / died
Sen. Gene Therriault
SB38
16-Jan-2007
not passed / died
CALIFORNIA
AB259
05-Feb-2007
prohibit sale to minors
Passed - 22-Jul-2008
Assembly Member Anthony Adams
Proposed bill wording amended from original Schedule I prohibition to only prohibit sale to minors instead. - Passed. Comes into effect 01-Jan-2009.
Delaware
SB259
16-Mar-2006
Schedule I
Passed - 02-May-2006
Sen. Karen Peterson
aka Brett's Law
Florida
SB340, SB1612 & HB1363
7-Feb-2008
Schedule I
Passed - 29-May-2008
Sen. Evelyn J. Lynn & Rep. Mary Brandenburg
Possession felony for up to 5 years in prison. Effective July 1, 2008
GEORGIA
SB295
8-Mar-2007
'misdemeanor'
proposed House - passed Senate (moved to House Judiciary Non-Civil committee; may be discussed again in 2008 session)
Sen. John Bulloch
n/a possession, cultivation, harvesting ... for aesthetic, landscaping, or decorative purposes. Also exempts research at Georgia universities and use of Salvinorin A as a legal homeopathic.
KANSAS
SB481
28-Jan-2008
Schedule I
Passed - 24-April-2008
Sen. Peggy Mast
incl. any extract from any part, and every compound, manufacture, derivative, mixture or preparation of such plant, its seeds or extracts
ILLINOIS
SB2589
19-Jan-2006
Schedule I
not passed / sine die
Sen. John J. Millner
HB457
26-Jan-2007
Passed - 18-Aug-2007
Rep. Dennis M. Reboletti
Salvinorin A not mentioned, but bill wording incl. "any extract" from plant. Took effect January 1, 2008.
INDIANA
T.B.A
13-Jan-2008
Schedule I
proposed
Rep. Suzanne Crouch
T.B.A
IOWA
HSB133 SSB1051
18-Jan-2007
Schedule I
proposed
Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy
LOUISIANA
HB20
25-Feb-2005
Schedule I
Passed - 15-Aug-2005
Rep. Michael G. Strain
First State to ban Sd.
MAINE
LD66
Dec-2006
prohibit sale to minors
Passed - 15-May-2007
Rep. Chris Barstow
Amended - originally proposed 'Schedule Z' classification
MARYLAND
Bill Nos. 08-0032 & 08-0006R
28-Jan-2007
prohibit the sale, possession, and use
not passed / died
Councilwoman Belinda Conaway
MASSACHUSETTS
4434
16-May-2007
class C
in committee
Rep. Viriato Manuel DeMarcedo and Rep. Daniel K. Webster
MICHIGAN
HB5700
12-Feb-2008
Schedule I
Passed House
Rep. Micheal Sak
MINNESOTA
HF2949
14-Feb-2008
Schedule IV
not passed / died
Rep. Joe Atkins
SB2668
not passed / died
Sen. Steve Murphy
MISSISSIPPI
SB2456
29-Jan-2008
Schedule I
Passed - 01-Jul-2008
Sen.Hob Bryan
MISSOURI
HB165
05-Jan-2005
Schedule I
not passed / died
Rep. Rachel L. Bringer
HB633
23-Feb-2005
Passed - 28-Aug-2005
Rep Scott A. Lipkeand Rep. Rachel L. Bringer
NEBRASKA
LB840
10-Jan-2008
Schedule I
not passed / sine die
Attorney General Jon Bruning & Senator Vickie McDonald
NEW JERSEY
AB3139
06-Apr-2006
Schedule I
proposed
Assemblywoman Linda Stender
SB1867
15-May-2006
Schedule I
proposed
Sen. Stephen Sweeney
NEW YORK
S695
18-Apr-2005
prohibit sale
being considered by the State Assembly
Sen. John J. Flanagan
fine of no more than $500 per violation
A8920
5-Jun-2007
prohibit possession
proposed
Assemblyman Carl Heastie
fine of no more than $50 per violation
S07736
18-Mar-2008
Schedule I
proposed
no sponsor listed
Possession- Class B Misdemeanor. Sale- Class A Misdemeanor
NORTH DAKOTA
SB2317
15-Jan-2007
Schedule I
Passed - 01-Aug-2007
Sen. Dave Oehlke, Sen. Randell Christmann et al.
bill refers to salvinorin A and "any of the active ingredients" of Salvia divinorum
OHIO
HB215
May-2007
Schedule I
passed House unanimously, now in Senate
Rep. Thom Collier
OKLAHOMA
HB2485
06-Mar-2006
prohibit extracts
Passed - 26-May-2006
Rep. John Nance
enhanced, concentrated, and chemically or physically altered
HB3148
23-May-2008
Schedule I
Passed - 23-May-2008
Rep. David Derby and Sen. Jonathan Nichols
applies to all forms of Salvia divinorum - law comes into effect 01-Nov-2008
OREGON
SB592
22-Feb-2003
Schedule I
not passed / died
Sen. Richard Devlin and Sen. Ryan Deckert
HB3485
15-Mar-2003
not passed / died
Rep. Billy Dalto
HB2494
25-Jan-2007
not passed / died
Rep. John Lim
PENNSYLVANIA
HB2657
02-May-2006
Schedule I
not passed / died
Rep. James Casorio et al.
SB1217
16-Jun-2006
not passed / died
Sen. Lisa Boscola et al.
SB710
29-Mar-2007
proposed
Sen. Lisa Boscola et al.
HB1379
29-May-2007
proposed
Rep. Beyer et al.
HB1547
18-Jun-2007
proposed
Rep. James Casorio et al.
SOUTH CAROLINA
H4687
13-Feb-2008
Schedule I
Passed House
Rep. Huggins
TENNESSEE
SB3247 /HB2909/TCA 39-17-452
15-Feb-2006
Class A misdemeanor
Passed - 01-Jul-2006
Rep. Park M. Strader, Sen. Tim Burchett
not an offense to possess, plant, cultivate, grow, or
harvest Sd for aesthetic, landscaping, or decorative purposes
TEXAS
HB2347
02-Mar-2007
Penalty Group 2
not passed / died
Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson
Penalty Group 2 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act
HB3784
09-Mar-2007
Penalty Group 3
Rep. Tan Parker
Penalty Group 3 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act
SB1796
prohibit sale to minors
Sen. Craig Estes
proposed concurrently to HB2347 and HB3784 above
UTAH
HB190
18-Jan-2007
Schedule I
not passed / died
Rep. Paul Ray
HB260
09-Jan-2008
proposed
Yes
VIRGINIA
HB2844
10-Jan-2007
Schedule I
not passed / died
Delegate John M. O'Bannon, III
only
Any material, compound, mixture, or preparation, which contains any quantity of Salvinorin A (another name: Divinorin A). - The plant Salvia divinorum was not mentioned
HB21
29-Nov-2007
Passed - 02-March-2008 to take effect 01-July-2008
only
originally referred to salvinorum, but committee corrected to salvinorin, Salvia divinorum plant not Schedule I listed
WISCONSIN
AB477
07-Aug-2007
fine not to exceed $10,000
proposed
Rep. Sheldon Wasserman et al.
only
prohibits manufacturing, distributing, or delivering salvinorin A with the intent that it be consumed by a person
WYOMING
HB49
13-Feb-2006
Schedule I
not passed / died
Rep. Stephen Watt
Here is what the DEA has listed on their site:
The DEA website is reviewing Salvia divinorum and is evaluating the plant for possible scheduling. Daniel Siebert claims he was informed on July 20, 2007, that the DEA had initiated an Eight Factor Analysis of Salvia divinorum. The Controlled Substances Act requires that this analysis be performed before a substance can be scheduled as a controlled substance. The eight factors considered are:
Actual and potential for abuse
Pharmacology
Other current scientific knowledge
History and current pattern of abuse
Scope, duration, and significance of abuse
Public health risk
Psychic or physiological dependence liability
If an immediate precursor of a controlled substance
Based on the results of the analysis, the DEA may recommend that Salvia divinorum be scheduled as a controlled substance. This analysis will probably take several months to be completed.
NOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT YOU CAN DO - SCROLL BACK UP TO THE NAMES LISTED UNDER THE UNITED STATES AND LOOK AT THE NAMES THAT HAVE ASSISTED WITH TRYING TO PUSH THIS THROUGH TO BAN THIS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND EITHER OUR OFFICE A LETTER THAT WE CAN FORWARD ON FOR YOU, OR GOOGLE THEIR NAMES FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL CONTACT INFO I URGE YOU TO PLEASE DO SO.
This is something that is affecting our youth. It is at this time a legal hallucegenic that kids are able to buy.
We have been successful in the past by taking on the Hershey Company for the insane marketing that they have done in the past in regards to a candy that was pulled from the shelf called "PACS".
I believe that we can be successful in this as well. Together!
Remember - your state representatives, congressman, etc - are electted officials who work for you. Let them know that you want them to persue banning Salvia in your state as well.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us at
watchfuleye@cableone.net.
PLEASE BAN SALVIA - DO NOT SPEND ANYMORE DOLLARS AT ANY OF THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE SELLING THIS PRODUCT!!!
If you would like to see for yourself what the effects are of Salvia click on this link to You Tube -
