Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users.
Débora González, Jordi Riba, José Carlos Bouso, Gregorio Gómez-jarabo, Manel J. Barbanoj
Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 8, 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.04.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 32 |
| Population | Recreational users of salvia and other psychedelics |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Keywords | Salvinorin-a Psychoactive effects Altered reality Derealization Psychedelic effects Hallucinogenic effects Altered self-perception Visual changes Intense effects Mind-altering Recreational drug use Substance use Recreational users Smoking extracts Drug administration Plant use Neuropharmacology Brain receptor activation Mechanism of action Receptor binding Drug duration Short-lived effects Rapid effects Potent experiences Onset Pharmacokinetics |
| Citations | 163 |
| Key findings | Salvia divinorum produces intense, short-lived psychedelic-like effects with marked derealization and impairment, supporting kappa-opioid receptor activation as the pharmacologic mechanism. |
Abstract
Salvia divinorum is a member of the Lamiaceae family and contains the psychotropic diterpene and kappa-opioid receptor agonist salvinorin-A. Originally a shamanic inebriant used by the Mexican Mazatec Indians, the plant and its preparations are becoming increasingly popular among non-traditional users. Demographic data and information on pattern of use and subjective effects were obtained by means of self-report questionnaires from a sample of 32 recreational users of salvia and other psychedelics. Involvement with salvia appeared to be a recent phenomenon. Smoking the extract was the preferred form of administration. Subjective effects were described as intense but short-lived, appearing in less than 1 min and lasting 15 min or less. They included psychedelic-like changes in visual perception, mood and somatic sensations, and importantly, a highly modified perception of external reality and the self, leading to a decreased ability to interact with oneself or with one's surroundings. Although some aspects of the subjective effects reported were similar to high doses of classical psychedelics with serotonin-2A receptor agonist activity, the intense derealization and impairment reported appear to be a characteristic of salvia. The observed simultaneous high scores on the LSD and PCAG subscales of the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI) have been previously reported for other kappa-opioid agonists, and support kappa receptor activation as the probable pharmacologic mechanism underlying the modified state of awareness induced by salvia.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Users reported intense but short-lived effects (under 1 minute onset, 15 minutes or less) with marked derealization and impairment, supporting kappa receptor activation.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Use patterns and self-reported effects of Salvia divinorum: an internet-based survey. Individuals who had used Salvia divinorum and visited related pages of a... | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 500 |
| 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 89
- Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 23, 2017
- Potential anxiolytic‐ and antidepressant‐like effects of salvinorin A, the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, in rodents British Journal of Pharmacology May 5, 2009
- Dose-related effects of salvinorin A in humans: dissociative, hallucinogenic, and memory effects. Psychopharmacology March 1, 2013
- Human psychopharmacology and dose-effects of salvinorin A, a kappa opioid agonist hallucinogen present in the plant Salvia divinorum. Drug and Alcohol Dependence May 1, 2011
- Psilocybin-induced changes in brain network integrity and segregation correlate with plasma psilocin level and psychedelic experience. European Neuropsychopharmacology September 1, 2021
and 84 more in the library
Cites 17
- Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 3, 2002
- The Standardized Psychometric Assessment of Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) in Humans Pharmacopsychiatry July 1, 1998
- Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry February 1, 1994
- Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 18, 2003
- Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers Psychopharmacology February 22, 2001
and 12 more in the library