Senate H&SS Committee Approves SB 52 – Adding Salvia Divinorum to List of Controlled Substances

Powerful Hallucinogenic Becoming More Popular Among Youth

JUNEAU – The Health and Social Services committee on Monday passed SB 52, a bill that would add Salvia Divinorum to the state’s list of controlled substances. Marketed as an “herbal high,” Salvia is gaining in popularity among young people, and is compared to mescaline in its hallucinogenic effects.

“The problem with continuing to allow uncontrolled access to Salvia is that the long term effects appear to be the same as other hallucinogens, such as LSD and mescaline, and that is often depression and schizophrenia,” said Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, the bill’s prime sponsor.

Therriault noted that Salvia Divinorum is a very potent naturally-occurring vision inducer. Doses of 250 micrograms (equal to 250 millionths of a gram) can have a threshold effect on the user, while a dose of one milligram will have extreme effects. As of 2006, about 1.8 million individuals 12 years of age or older have used Salvia, and approximately 750,000 used it in the past year, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a publication of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).

“I appreciate the interest the H&SS committee has shown in this issue, and especially the willingness of the committee chair, Sen. Bettye Davis, to hear the bill and move it on to the next committee,” said Therriault.

HB 52 was next referred to the Judiciary committee.

# # #