Use patterns and self-reported effects of Salvia divinorum: an internet-based survey.
Matthew J. Baggott, Earth Erowid, Fire Erowid, Gantt P. Galloway, John Mendelson
Drug and Alcohol Dependence October 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.05.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 500 |
| Population | Individuals who had used Salvia divinorum and visited related pages of a drug-information website |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Keywords | Psychoactive plant Psychoactive experience Acute effects Brief Unique experiences User survey Online survey Users Well-being effects Positive mood effects |
| Citations | 78 |
| Key findings | 25.8% of users reported persisting positive effects lasting at least 24 hours, often an increased sense of well-being, while 4.4% reported persisting negative effects, most often anxiety. |
Abstract
There is growing use of Salvia divinorum (SD), a psychoactive plant that produces hallucinogen-like effects through a kappa opioid receptor (KOR) mechanism. Little is known about KOR agonist effects in humans and about users of SD. To characterize the reasons, methods, and reported consequences of SD use. Individuals reading SD-related pages of a drug-information website were invited to anonymously complete an online questionnaire if they had used SD. Participants (N=500) were 92.6% male and 23.4 ± 8.7 (mean ± s.d.) years old. They had used a median of six times (range 1-250). 80.6% probably or definitely would use SD again. Most participants (92.6%) typically smoked or vaporized SD product. When smoked, the drug's main effects were estimated to last 14.1 ± 12.8 (range 0.5-120) minutes. When asked to compare SD effects to other methods of altering consciousness, the most common answer was that SD was unique (38.4%). 25.8% reported persisting (≥ 24 h) positive effects (often described as increased sense of well-being) on at least one occasion. 4.4% reported persisting negative effects (most often anxiety). SD is typically smoked, acute effects are brief, and persistent adverse effects are uncommon. In addition to acute hallucinogenic effects, SD may produce subacute increases in subjective well-being. Such a subacute effect would be unusual for a drug that is used non-medically, as withdrawal from other drugs typically either does not affect mood or causes dysphoria. Findings from this convenience sample should be confirmed and extended using surveys of random samples and controlled clinical studies.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users. Recreational users of salvia and other psychedelics | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 32 |
| College student use of Salvia divinorum. College students at a large public university in the southwestern U.S. | 2008 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,516 |
| Salvia Divinorum Use among a College Student Sample Students at a large public university | 2008 | Survey | |
| Recent national trends in Salvia divinorum use and substance-use disorders among recent and former Salvia divinorum users compared with nonusers. Noninstitutionalized US residents aged 12 or older | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey analysis | n = 166,453 |
| Salvia divinorum use and phenomenology: results from an online survey. Recent users of Salvia divinorum | 2011 | Survey | n = 154 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 45
- Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 2012
- 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
- Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 23, 2017
- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2016
- Dose-related effects of salvinorin A in humans: dissociative, hallucinogenic, and memory effects. Psychopharmacology March 1, 2013
and 40 more in the library
Cites 21
- Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 3, 2002
- Salvinorin, a new trans-neoclerodane diterpene from Salvia divinorum(Labiatae) Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1 1982
- 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
- Divinorin A, a psychotropic terpenoid, and divinorin B from the hallucinogenic Mexican mint, Salvia divinorum The Journal of Organic Chemistry November 1, 1984
- Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 8, 2006
and 16 more in the library