Legally tripping: a qualitative profile of Salvia divinorum use among young adults.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2011 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2011.566500 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnographic study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Young adults who use Salvia divinorum |
| Intervention | Salvia divinorum |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Keywords | Legal hallucinogen Psychoactive plant Hallucinogenic plant Youth substance use Adolescent hallucinogen use Risk perception Perceived safety User perception Perceived risk Safety perception Social norms Social influence Peer norms |
| Citations | 39 |
| Key findings | Young adults perceive Salvia divinorum as low risk, with most reporting no significant negative health effects, which may be reinforced by its legal status and lack of peer harm. |
Abstract
During recent years, there has been increasing interest in "legal highs" among youth and young adults. Salvia divinorum is a legally available hallucinogenic plant, primarily utilized in smokable form, that produces a brief but intense hallucinogenic experience for the user. Data are presented from an ethnographic project to provide a qualitative profile of salvia use among young adults. Most users report primarily using in home settings such as apartments and houses, although a significant minority report use in environments such as parks, bars, and parties. The intense nature of the substance creates a differential subjective experience. Some describe the intensity of the hallucinogenic experience in positive ways. Others find the experience so intense that they would not continue to use the substance. With regard to the health effects of salvia, most young adults report no significant negative health effects from salvia use, although some report a mental cloudiness. Beyond their own experiences, users did not report any negative health events among peers. The lack of reports of negative effects may reinforce social norms favorable towards salvia use. Overall, young adults report a relatively low risk profile for salvia divinorum, which may be influenced, in part, by its legal status.
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 | |
| 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 | |
| Novel use patterns of Salvia divinorum: unobtrusive observation using YouTube™. YouTube videos depicting Salvia divinorum use | 2011 | Qualitative and quantitative analysis of online videos | |
| 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 19
- Here today, gone tomorrow…and back again? A review of herbal marijuana alternatives (K2, Spice), synthetic cathinones (bath salts), kratom, Salvia divinorum, methoxetamine, and piperazines. Journal of Medical Toxicology March 1, 2012
- Dose-related effects of salvinorin A in humans: dissociative, hallucinogenic, and memory effects. Psychopharmacology March 1, 2013
- “Legal Highs” – New Players in the Old Drama Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2011
- From local to global-fifty years of research on Salvia divinorum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology February 3, 2014
- The subjective experience of acute, experimentally-induced Salvia divinorum inebriation. Journal of Psychopharmacology April 1, 2015
and 14 more in the library
Cites 9
- Salvinorin A, an active component of the hallucinogenic sage salvia divinorum is a highly efficacious kappa-opioid receptor agonist: structural and functional considerations. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics March 1, 2004
- Ethnopharmacology of ska María Pastora (Salvia divinorum, Epling and Játiva-M.). Journal of Ethnopharmacology May 1, 1983
- Psychopharmacology of the hallucinogenic sage Salvia divinorum. Life Sciences December 22, 2005
- College student use of Salvia divinorum. Drug and Alcohol Dependence April 1, 2008
- Antidepressant Effects of the Herb Salvia Divinorum: A Case Report Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology December 1, 2001
and 4 more in the library