Salvia Divinorum is famous for its hallucinogenic properties. The herb has the power to induce hallucinations in the consumer because of its active component Salvinorin A. Salvia is considered as a non-toxic and a non-addictive legal drug. Like any other medicinal substance, Salvia has its pros and cons. Users tend to experience beneficial, unfavorable and some neutral feelings as well after ingesting the herb.

Misconceptions Regarding Salvia Divinorum

It is assumed that Salvia is in the same class of drugs as that of marijuana and cocaine. This is not true! Salvia ingestion is legal in countries where other drugs are banned. This means that Salvia is safe to ingest provided it is done in a proper manner following safe methods and techniques.

Salvia divinorum is often misinterpreted as a party drug. It is to be noted that the herb is not something to be taken at leisure like alcoholic beverages. Many consider Salvia divinorum as a legal counterpart to drugs like marijuana and cocaine. This is far from the truth! Ingestion of Salvia can lead to lack of coordinated movement, slurred speech and hallucinations which can lead to unwanted repercussions at parties or other occasions.

Pros of Using Salvia

Noted medical benefits of using Salvia include –

1. Recovery from Addictions – Researchers have found that Salvia can be effectively used to treat drug addicts and alcoholics.

2. Powerful Healing Capacity - Detailed studies of the herbal plant has shown that it has a healing property which can be used to treat diseases and mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis to name a few. Doctors in China have used Salvia successfully to treat heart related problems and diseases.

3. Antidepressant Properties –Salvia also seems to possess compounds which can effectively cure extreme depression.

4. Access to Remote Psyche Areas – Due to its powerful effect on the human mind and body, Salvia is used by psychotherapists to enter the inner mind of their patients.

Apart from these, research has shown that Salvia Divinorum has various other medical benefits which include its ability to improve blood circulation and its effectiveness against skin problems.

Cons of Using Salvia

Apart from the different medical benefits, Salvia ingestion can have some negative side effects on your mind and body as well.

1. Extreme Depression – Salvia Divinorum can cause depression or Dysphoria if ingested in large concentrations.

2. Nausea or dizziness

3. Altered speech – Salvia is known to affect human speech. It can result in incorrect sentence formations as well as slow speech delivery.  
4. Trapped in ‘High Trips’ – Salvia has powerful hallucinogenic properties due to which the user can feel trapped into seeing abstract forms, shapes and patterns which do not exist in real. Users have to wait till the effect of the drug wears off in order to see things in the right perspective again. It is recommended to have someone near you who is sober while you are ingesting Salvia due to its powerful impact. 
5. Changes in Body Temperature – Ingestion of Salvia divinorum can result in body temperature alterations. Profuse sweating is seen in users.

These are only some of the benefits and side effects with regards to Salvia. It is still a fairly new topic for experts and extensive research is being done in order to learn more about the herbal plant.