Salvia divinorum: an hallucinogenic mint which might become a new recreational drug in Switzerland.
Christian Giroud, F Felber, Marc Augsburger, B Horisberger, L Rivier, Patrice Mangin
Forensic Science International August 14, 2000 DOI: 10.1016/s0379-0738(00)00180-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Salvia divinorum specimens seized in Switzerland |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Keywords | Salvinorin a: hallucinogen Psychoactive substance Entheogen Psychedelic European drug market Illicit drug trade Recreational drug use Emerging drug trend Greenhouse operations Drug plantations Plant cultivation Drug production Legal status Substance control Drug laws Unregulated substances |
| Citations | 70 |
| Key findings | Salvia divinorum plants and their active compound salvinorin A are being cultivated and used recreationally in Switzerland, likely due to their legal status under Swiss narcotic law. |
Abstract
Salvia divinorum Epling & Jativa is an hallucinogenic mint traditionally used for curing and divination by the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico. Young people from Mexican cities were reported to smoke dried leaves of S. divinorum as a marijuana substitute. Recently, two S. divinorum specimens were seized in a large-scale illicit in-door and out-door hemp plantation. Salvinorin A also called divinorin A, a trans-neoclerodane diterpene, was identified in several organic solvent extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The botanical identity of the plant was confirmed by comparing it to an authentic herbarium specimen. More plants were then discovered in Swiss horticulturists greenhouses. All these data taken together suggest that many attempts exist in Switzerland to use S. divinorum as a recreational drug. This phenomenon may be enhanced because neither the magic mint, nor its active compound are banned substances listed in the Swiss narcotic law.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antidepressant Effects of the Herb Salvia Divinorum: A Case Report 26-year-old woman with history of depression | 2001 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Chemogenomics knowledgebase and systems pharmacology for hallucinogen target identification-Salvinorin A as a case study. | 2016 | Database construction with computational prediction and case study | |
| A Report of Nausea and Vomiting with Discontinuation of Chronic Use of Salvia divinorum 51-year-old Caucasian woman | 2015 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Prolonged hallucinations and dissociative self mutilation following use ofSalvia divinorumin a bipolar adolescent girl A 17-year-old girl with bipolar disorder | 2010 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Case series: Salvia divinorum as a potential addictive hallucinogen. Patients presenting with an enduring and pervasive pattern of salvia use | 2018 | Case study | n = 2 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 33
- Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 3, 2002
- 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
- Salvinorin A: the "magic mint" hallucinogen finds a molecular target in the kappa opioid receptor. TIPS - Trends in Pharmacological Sciences March 1, 2003
- Neuropharmacology of the naturally occurring kappa-opioid hallucinogen salvinorin A. Pharmacological Reviews June 1, 2011
- The plant-derived hallucinogen, salvinorin A, produces kappa-opioid agonist-like discriminative effects in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology March 1, 2004
and 28 more in the library
Cites 5
- Salvinorin, a new trans-neoclerodane diterpene from Salvia divinorum(Labiatae) Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1 1982
- Divinorin A, a psychotropic terpenoid, and divinorin B from the hallucinogenic Mexican mint, Salvia divinorum The Journal of Organic Chemistry November 1, 1984
- Ethnopharmacology of ska María Pastora (Salvia divinorum, Epling and Játiva-M.). Journal of Ethnopharmacology May 1, 1983
- Salvia divinorum and the unique diterpene hallucinogen, Salvinorin (divinorin) A. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1994
- Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A: new pharmacologic findings. Journal of Ethnopharmacology June 1, 1994