Novel use patterns of Salvia divinorum: unobtrusive observation using YouTube™.
Ivan Casselman, Michael Heinrich
Journal of Ethnopharmacology December 8, 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.07.065 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative and quantitative analysis of online videos Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | YouTube videos depicting Salvia divinorum use |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Keywords | Ska maría pastora Youtube research Online observation Digital ethnography Web-based research Social media analysis Video analysis Internet research User experience Drug experience Psychedelic experience Subjective effects Personal accounts Human-plant interactions Ethnobotany Plant use Psychoactive plants Ethnopharmacology |
| Citations | 30 |
| Key findings | The majority of analyzed YouTube videos presented indications of a positive Salvia divinorum experience, contradicting media reports. |
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE AND AIMS: The traditional use of the Hallucinogenic sage, Salvia divinorum has been of ethnopharmalogical interest for some time. This plant, endemic to Oaxaca Mexico and traditionally used by the Mazatec, is now utilized worldwide for its psychoactive effects. This use demonstrates a novel use pattern which is distinctly different from Mazatec use. This study offers a new methodology to study emerging global plant use and assesses the users' experience with it. The aim of this research was to develop a new methodology to collect and analyze archived data on the World Wide Web, specifically videos which depict Salvia divinorum use. The basis of the methodology for this project was unobtrusive observation which allows the researcher to observe without influencing the event which is being observed. Qualitative, ethnographic data was used in conjunction with quantitative meta data collected by a customized web crawler programed to archive YouTube™ data. Using this methodology enabled us to understand reported uses and the users' experiences as expressed on the World Wide Web. The main result of this research was the documentation of a distinct, novel use pattern of Salvia divinorum which has developed outside of Oaxaca; a use pattern which differs in a number of ways from traditional, Mazatec use. The majority of the YouTube™ videos analyzed were found to present indications of a positive Salvia divinorum experience. This result highlighted the contradiction between ethnographic data and what is reported by the media. Finally the representation of Salvia divinorum on YouTube™ (and by inference the WWW as a whole) is a growing phenomena. While anthropological and more specifically medico-anthropological research has, for many years, embraced the dynamics of cultures, until recently, ethnopharmalogical research has generally focused on 'traditional' plant use, failing to capture the dynamic elements of plant/human interaction and framing research in the past or as decontextualized largely descriptive reports. Global migration and urban environments formed a basis for looking at the interplay of continuity and change. Such cultural dynamics are exacerbated by the opportunities which the WWW offers.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnopharmacology of ska María Pastora (Salvia divinorum, Epling and Játiva-M.). Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico | 1983 | Ethnographic and pharmacological review | |
| Legally tripping: a qualitative profile of Salvia divinorum use among young adults. Young adults who use Salvia divinorum | 2011 | Ethnographic study | |
| Regulating a novel drug: an evaluation of changes in use of Salvia divinorum in the first year of Florida's ban. Young adults in Florida and law enforcement personnel from the state's most populated... | 2012 | Mixed methods: three self-report surveys and qualitative interviews | |
| Subjective effects of Salvia divinorum. Salvia users | 2007 | Qualitative study | n = 10 |
| Salvia divinorum: a psychopharmacological riddle and a mind-body prospect. Mazatec traditional practitioners and users of Salvia divinorum | 2013 | Ethnographic field research with multidisciplinary review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- From local to global-fifty years of research on Salvia divinorum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology February 3, 2014
- Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Salvinorin A and Salvia divinorum: Clinical and Forensic Aspects Pharmaceuticals February 3, 2021
- The subjective experience of acute, experimentally-induced Salvia divinorum inebriation. Journal of Psychopharmacology April 1, 2015
- Salvia divinorum: from Mazatec medicinal and hallucinogenic plant to emerging recreational drug. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental September 1, 2013
- DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Salvinorin A. ACS Chemical Neuroscience December 2, 2020
and 5 more in the library
Cites 8
- Psychopharmacology of the hallucinogenic sage Salvia divinorum. Life Sciences December 22, 2005
- Salvinorin A: from natural product to human therapeutics. Molecular interventions October 1, 2006
- Salvia divinorum: effects and use among YouTube users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence April 1, 2010
- Evaluation of herbal dietary supplements marketed on the internet for recreational use. Annals of Pharmacotherapy October 1, 2005
- Use of nonprohibited hallucinogenic plants: increasing relevance for public health? A case report and literature review on the consumption of Salvia divinorum (Diviner's Sage). Pharmacopsychiatry 2005
and 3 more in the library