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News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Sixteen States Passing New Laws Against Possession/Sale of Salvia

A popular herb that teens use recreationally to achieve altered states of consciousness may soon be illegal. Legislators in eight states have already passed laws against the sale of Salvia divinorum, and another 16 states have legislation pending.

"Parents are pretty clueless," said Jonathan Appell, an assistant professor of psychology and criminal justice at Tiffin University and an expert on the herb. "Salvia is much more powerful than marijuana."

It is also readily available on the Internet at relatively cheap prices. An ounce sells for around $30, and you can buy it in flavors like strawberry and spearmint. Salvia is usually smoked, but some teens drink it as a tea or chew it. It reportedly provides users with out-of-body experiences or a sense of merging with objects. The herb's effects vary according to the person: Some people experience no effect whatsoever, some experience effects lasting under five minutes, and still others have full-blown hallucinogenic experiences lasting up to an hour.

Many people expect demand for Salvia to increase before it becomes illegal. In some states, possession of Salvia will be a felony punishable by five years in prison.

Learn more about Salvia divinorum from this informative article: Teens Discover Cheap New Hallucinogenic Drug.

Labels: drugs, laws, substance_abuse

posted by ByParents-forParents at 8:39 PM 0 comments

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008