======== Newsgroups: rec.drugs.psychedelic,alt.drugs Subject: All About Salvia Divinorum (v1.0, L/M 5/1/1995) From: bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (William E. White ) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 13:10:03 GMT -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- NOTES ON POSTED VERSION: Source is at http://oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu/personal/bwhite/salvia.html This text version will be posted on the 1st of every month. Other formats (postscript, MS Word, etc) are available on request. Please observe the same distribution limits as per the DXM FAQ: essentially, distribute only intact. I apologize if any of the international characters end up looking funny; I'm working on a filter. ALL ABOUT SALVIA DIVINORUM This is a hypertext document covering Salvia divinorum, a member of the mint family with hallucinogenic properties. There has been some controversy about whether or not S. divinorum is actually hallucinogenic or not; hopefully this information should end the controversy. Disclaimer Please note that S. divinorum is not a well-understood plant, and its hallucinogenic properties have not been extensively studied. Very little data exist about toxicity or adverse effects. Furthermore, the use of any hallucinogen may be a violation of applicable federal, state, or local laws in your area. This material is for informational use only; I explicitly inform you not to take any action based on this document which may violate any laws. Neither I nor Ohio University nor any other subset of the Internet community (other than you) are responsible for any injuries or losses that may occur should you do otherwise. So if you take S. divinorum and go crazy, it's your responsibility. Nor am I responsible if you print this document out and give yourself a fatal papercut, or bang your head on a computer terminal, or spill hot coffee in your crotch while reading, or anything else stupid you may choose to do. It's your body and your brain, and thus your responsibility to take care of it. If you do not consent to these terms, stop reading now. _________________________________________________________________ GENERAL FACTS ABOUT SALVIA DIVINORUM USE OF S. DIVINORUM BY MAZATEC CURANDEROS GENERAL EFFECTS OF S. DIVINORUM CONTENT OF S. DIVINORUM HALLUCINATIONS NATURE AND EXTRACTION OF SALVINORIN A OBTAINING AND CULTIVATING S. DIVINORUM HOW SALVINORIN A WORKS RISKS (LEGAL AND OTHERWISE) MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES _________________________________________________________________ GENERAL FACTS ABOUT SALVIA DIVINORUM Salvia divinorum is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), which includes around 700 New World species. S. divinorum has been used by curanderos (healers) of the Mazatec Indians in Oaxaca, Mexico, as a ritual hallucinogen. It has white flowers with purplish calyces and spikes (occurring for about a week). It closely resembles many other mints. It is extremely bitter. Its active principle is the diterpene salvinorin A. Traditionally, S. divinorum leaves are chewed, smoked, or taken as an infusion; the result is a hallucinogen classified (by the curanderos) as somewhat weaker than morning glory seeds and psychedelic mushrooms. Salvinorin A, on the other hand, is extremely potent (200 to 500 micrograms) when vaporized and inhaled. S. divinorum was first introduced into the United States in the early 1960's by Hofmann and Wasson, who were researching Mexican hallucinogens at the time (morning glories and mushrooms). It was identified as a new species. Considerable effort was made to extract the active principle; however, it proved difficult. In the 1980's the active principle, salvanorin A, was identified. It is unique among plant-derived hallucinogens due to its very high potency and its nature (most psychoactive principles of plants are alkaloids). Experimentation with S. divinorum is often not successful for a variety of reasons. Because of this, its status as a hallucinogen is occasionally questioned. However, since the extraction of the active principle, and experiments with the same, its potency has been firmly established. _________________________________________________________________ USE OF S. DIVINORUM BY MAZATEC CURANDEROS The Mazatec curanderos use S. divinorum (which they call las hojas de la Maria Pastora -- the leaves of Mary the Shepherdess) both as a hallucinogen and a general healing herb. When used as a hallucinogen, one of three methods are used: chewing a quid of leaves, smoking, and drinking an infusion. When chewed, four to five pairs of the (extremely bitter) leaves are used. The juices are kept in the mouth and probably absorbed there; ingestion seems to have no beneficial effect. The result is a one to two hour, very light trip. When smoked, six very deep and very rapid inhalations of dried leaves are reported to give a marijuana-like effect, also lasting one to two hours. An infusion, made of 20 to 80 pairs of fresh, crushed, produces a similar effect to chewing. Although S. divinorum was identified by Wasson as pipiltzintzintli (an Aztec narcotic plant), this was later rejected; it now seems that marijuana was the plant in question. The curanderos typically use three hallucinogens for ritual purpose: mushrooms (various species), morning glory seeds, and S. divinorum ("Mushrooms, Morning Glories, and Mint, oh my!"). The curanderos consider S. divinorum to be the weakest of the three, and thus use it first in training. It is used in specific ritualized circumstances, in darkness and in silence. When used properly it produces intense visions; however, light and noise prevent its effects. S. divinorum trips among the Mazatec usually involve leaving the body, entering the spirit world, and seeking divination and healing. An account is provided by Valdas 1994. S. divinorum is also used, in much lower doses (four to five pairs of leaves in an infusion) as a general healing herb, for sickness, anemia, excretory problems, etc. This may be placebo effect. _________________________________________________________________ GENERAL EFFECTS OF S. DIVINORUM Valdas (1994) characterized his experiences with the infusion as involving sensations of "flying, floating, traveling rapidly through space, twisting and spinning, as well as a heaviness or lightness of the body". He also noted slurred speech and "awkward sentence patterns". Pupil response was normal both during and after the trip. Valdos et al. reported chills, dizziness, and a lowered heart rate after the trip, but noted that "although we recognized the physical incoordination, we felt that mentally we were in combined states of acute awareness and receptive minds." The effects of inhaled salvinorin A are not well known. Siebert (1994) reported incoordination and confusion at high doses. Overall, the hallucinations are reported to be very vivid, encompassing all senses. The imagery is determined almost entirely by expectation and experience, and two people tripping together can "synchronize" their experiences with communication (this is probably why the curandero instructed Valdas to talk about his experiences). The hallucinations are believable, and may become delusional in nature (i.e., the user believes them to be true). _________________________________________________________________ CONTENT OF S. DIVINORUM HALLUCINATIONS Leander J. Valdas III experimented with S. divinorum in a ritual setting under the guidance of a curandero. Interestingly, he was instructed to talk aloud about his experiences throughout the trip. He provides the following description of the effects of S. divinorum (taken as an infusion): For my first encounter with las hojas de la Pastora, I was given a beginner's dose prepared from 20 pairs of leaves. I had a few minor experiences at first, but 45 minutes after drinking the preparation I felt myself flying through pitch-black space past various brightly colored objects. I came to one of them. It turned out to be a Mazatec village and I viewed it from above, as if from a hill. It appeared to be almost real, although the colors were somewhat emphasized. There were shapes like pillars of kaleidoscopic smoke at the sides of some of the houses. Then I began to recede from the apparition. His second experience involved 50 pairs of leaves: This time the curandero felt he did not need to join us. He was a maestro, one who could journey to heaven and talk to God and the saints without resorting to the psychotropic plants (Incháustegui 1977). Felipe told us that his father had direct access to God in Heaven. It was the spiritual version of a long-distance telephone call. We drank the infusion at 9:00 p.m. Unfortunately the village was extremely noisy that evening, especially with continual barking of dogs. After about 15 minutes, we began to have visions. This time I spoke mine out, alternating between English and Spanish, which helped to fix them in my mind. Diaz spoke first and mentioned flowers. These later became giant fruits and seeds. At the same time I felt that I was twisting inside my body as well as spinning around. I saw a burning cross with two horizontal rays. It stopped flaming and began to emit light. Suddenly I seemed to be very heavy, as though something were pushing me into the bed. My arms felt sore. Later I saw what looked like a darkened picture in black and white. Diaz apologized to Don Alejandro for our inability to see the religious figures the curandero had described. My vision then changed back to color, with praying figures resembling those seen in Mexican churches. They were faceless and their clothing was covered with gold. The image of a jewel-encrusted, single-rayed cross appeared. It converted itself slowly back and forth to a sword. In the center of the image I could see animals, plants, and people. If the vision started to change or disappear, I could concentrate and bring it back. The last image was that of a castle that was transformed into a Byzantine church. Hooded, faceless, monklike figures marched around it. After a prolonged interruption, he returned to his motel room, where the hallucinations returned: Even though I did not speak out, I saw a pulsating purplish light that changed to an insectlike shape, perhaps a bee or a moth, and then into a pulsating sea anemone. It expanded into a desert full of prickly pear cacti, and remained so for several minutes. During the first session and throughout the night, my visions had all appeared to be something like a cross between a silent moving picture and a cartoon. I felt myself to be an observer of these mute visions, rather than being an actual part of them. Suddenly, however, I was in a broad meadow with brightly colored flowers. I had just crossed a stream by way of a small wooden bridge. Next to me was something that seemed to be the skeleton of a giant model airplane made of rainbow-colored inner tubing. The sky was bright blue and I could see a woods in the distance. I found myself talking to a man in a shining white robe who was either shaking my hand, or else holding on to it. It was an amazing hallucination, as I truly believed I was in the meadow. It was not like a dream. After a few moments the desert landscape returned and I slowly went to sleep after an hour or so. I rose early the next morning, feeling no adverse effects. _________________________________________________________________ NATURE AND EXTRACTION OF SALVINORIN A The active principle in S. divinorum is salvinorin A, a furanolactone neoclerodane diterpene: O ____// ___ O \ O \\___/ H_\____ |___/ /\ / \ --- H \____/_CH3 \ \ / H_\____/_CH3 / \ _/ \__C=O O-\ / | \____/ OCH3 / O=C-O | CH3 Boldface represents above-the-page, and italic, below-the-page. I'd do it with colors if someone told me how. For those of you reading this as a text document, my apologies. The two methyl groups are below, as is the hydrogen next to the furan, and the O=C-O-CH3. The furan, and the other two hydrogens, are above. The above is the best I can do with ASCII. I'll try and get something better if anyone wants it. I tried to get an IUPAC name out of this; unfortunately, I gagged when trying to decide whether it was a naphthopyrone, or a modified phenanthrene, or whether it should start from cyclohexane instead of aromatic rings, or whatever. The fact that phenanthrene is numbered funny didn't help. The best I could do is 8-methoxycarbonyl-4a,8a-dimethyl-6-acetoxy- 5-keto-3,4,4b,7,9,10,10a-septahydro- 3-(4-furanyl)-2,1-naphtho[4,3-e]pyrone. (whew!) Sorry, I haven't done o-chem since the Reagan administration. If anyone wants to correct me, please feel free to do so. Salvinorin A is hydrophobic, which explains a lot about the methods of dosing; an infusion is always made using fresh leaves, so that an emulsion is formed (thus giving a foamy head). Its activity and potency in open-field tests with mice are similar to mescaline: decreased activity without sedation, and no loss of righting reflex. Doses of up to 100mg/kg were tested in mice, although the method of administration was later found to be highly inefficient. It is active in humans at 200-500 micrograms, and is thus many times more potent than any other plant-based hallucinogen. Doses of 1000mg/kg in mice did not produce fatalities (this is 5000 times the effective dose for humans!) Salvinorin A may be extracted from fresh or dried leaves (dried leaves are probably easier). Valdas et al. successfully isolated salvinorin A: After extracting the dried leaves with ether in a Soxhlet apparatus and partitioning the extract between hexane and aqueous methanol, one has a fraction that is almost 10% salvinorin A by weight when dried. This procedure is so effective at concentrating the diterpene that the crude compound often precipitates out of the aqueous methanol solution before being subjected to chromatography. Ether is used to extract the plant material because it has a low boiling point, but chloroform or methylene chloride will serve as well for this initial extraction. Chromatography is used for final purification of the compound because it is faster and gives higher yields than repeated recrystallization of the precipitate. An underground chemist, however, would not need to be so meticulous. There is no need for using a Soxhlet apparatus, and experimenting could lead to the use of commonly available solvents for the extraction. Extraction without a Soxhlet apparatus should be fairly simple, and commonly available solvents (e.g., ether from starting fluid) should work well. One kilogram of dried leaves produces about 1 gram of Salvinorin A (about 2000 doses). When smoked, salvinorin A is vaporized. Any vaporization pipe should work quite well. In all the reports that I could find, the salvinorin A was placed onto a piece of aluminum foil and heated, and the vapors inhaled through a glass pipe (I suppose a straw would also work). _________________________________________________________________ OBTAINING AND CULTIVATING S. DIVINORUM S. divinorum does not grow well from seed; most US strains are probably derived from a single clone. At the Botanical Dimensions Gardens in Hawaii, Siebert (1994) has harvested viable seeds, which grow slowly. It is best propagated by cuttings; this is reported as being easy to do. Two strains are available in the US; the more recent one is significantly less bitter (no data exists on whether this affects potency). Valdas suggests 80 to 100 12-inch pots with 5 cuttings per pot in an area of 4m x 4m (12ft x 12ft), grown indoors under fluorescent lighting or outdoors. This should yield somewhat over 1kg per month, after three months or so. When grown outdoors, it is mostly indistinguishable from other mints. Currently (to my knowledge), growing S. divinorum is legal in the USA. The use and distribution of salvanorin A is most likely illegal under the Drug Analog Act. Several greenhouses around the country sell S. divinorum. The only one I am familiar with is Companion Plants located in Athens, Ohio. They sell several other interesting ethnobotanicals, and hundreds of "normal" herbs and spices. I purchased a coffee tree from them and was quite satisfied; if you're in the area, drop by and take a look. (No, I don't work for them. They're just cool). Their address is: Companion Plants 7247 N. Coolville Ridge Rd. Athens, OH 45701 1-800-529-3344 (orders) 1-614-592-4643 (inquiries) They don't ship international orders, except possibly for seeds. Please note that any greenhouse selling S. divinorum is not interested in conducting illegal transactions and will not sell to you if your stated or implied intentions are illegal. Don't be stupid. You are also unlikely to be able to obtain seeds; most greenhouses propagate S. divinorum from cuttings. According to the Companion Plants catalog, S. divinorum is a tender perennial, growing to 6 to 10 feet, best placed in partial sunlight. Companion Plants sells individual S. divinorum plants for US $20.00 each. Availability is limited. _________________________________________________________________ HOW SALVINORIN A WORKS Nobody knows. However, I have some speculations. There are four general classes of hallucinogens, which all tend to act differently (q.v.). The very high pharmacological index (i.e., the ratio of lethal to effective dose) and lack of pupil dilation rule out the anticholinergics, which have a very low index (and are thus very dangerous) and dilate the pupils. The lack of significant "stoning" activity probably rules out anandimidics. This leaves two classes: 5HT and NMDA/Sigma. The nature of the hallucinatory experiences tend, I believe, to point away from the 5HT class. Salvinorin A induces hallucinations that are not only believable, but often fully believed by the user. Furthermore, salvinorin A hallucinations tend to occur only in darkness and silence, unlike the 5HT class. However, it is entirely possible that salvinorin A may have some 5HT hallucinatory activity. The NMDA/sigma class, however, shares a lot in common with salvinorin A. The hallucinations tend to be eidetic at lower doses, i.e., more like vivid imagination than true hallucinations. Like salvinorin A, NMDA/sigma agents tend to be more hallucinatory in the dark and in silence. The synchronization of experiences among people who share their experiences as they have them is also a feature that has been identified in NMDA/sigma hallucinogens. The general nature of the hallucinations is also consistent with NMDA/sigma agents. Interestingly, salvinorin A does not seem to produce significant dissociative effects. Thus if it is a NMDA/sigma agent, it is probably much more potent at sigma receptors than NMDA. Thus it is my belief that we may have come across the very first natural NMDA/sigma hallucinogen. If so, its lack of dissociative effects could lead to significant improvements in our understanding of the psychophysiology of sigma receptors. I'd like to see a binding study done (well, actually, I'd like to do it myself, but it's slightly out of my field). _________________________________________________________________ RISKS (LEGAL AND OTHERWISE) The use of S. divinorum and its active principle salvinorin A is probably illegal, thanks to the Drug Analog Act. However, nobody has yet decided to crusade against it, for a variety of reasons. First, obviously, is the fact that S. divinorum is almost unknown, and that many who do know of it doubt its hallucinogenic properties. The extreme bitterness of the leaves and infusion dissuades all but the most hard-core psychonauts. Still, the extraction of salvinorin A is easy, as is cultivating the plant itself (which is still legal). A 12ft by 12ft garden is enough to provide 2000 doses per month! I know -- some of you are thinking "easy money". Please, please don't! Salvinorin A is very new, not well understood, and effectively legal at the present time (like most ethnobotanicals). If people start selling salvinorin A, it could become DEA-scheduled, and the next thing you know, people will be flying overhead looking for strange mint plants. It's also probably not the sort of hallucinogen that the casual drug buyer would enjoy. As for medical risks -- nobody knows anything. Certainly the pharmacological index is high (at least in mice). However, drug-drug interactions are a complete unknown. First on my list of things to avoid would be MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), which include a few prescription drugs for depression and Parkinson's disease, and a few ethnobotanical chemicals such as harmaline. Note that Prozac is not a MAOI; neither is cheese, beer, Seldane, or MDMA. It would probably also be a good idea to avoid mixing with antidepressants entirely, as well as prescription antihistamines, antifungals, antibiotics, strong stimulants, and alcohol. But in general, you're on your own. Good luck! _________________________________________________________________ MISCELLANEOUS Anyone who decides to try S. divinorum (which I advise against ... disclaim, disclaim, disclaim) is encouraged to tell me how it went. Currently there are no drug-slang terms for salvinorin A, at least not to my knowledge. Anyone got any suggestions? ("Mint"?) Certainly experience with salvinorin A would help here. Incidentally, there is a salvinorin B. It's not psychoactive (it's the desacetyl form). So we can probably refer to salvinorin A as just "salvinorin". _________________________________________________________________ SOURCES Most of this document was prepared from information contained in Valdas 1994, which I would suggest as a starting place. Most of the sources were obtained from references in the same. I have not consulted all of these sources; instead I list what I know is available on the subject. 1. Anonymous, 1994. Salvia divinorum [communication]. Entheogen Review 3 (1): 11. 2. Anonymous, 1973. Legal Highs (Where to Obtain Them, How to Use Them, What Are Their Effects). San Francisco: Level Press 3. Diaz, J.L. 1979. Ethnopharmacology and taxonomy of Mexican Psychodysleptic plants. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs 11 (1-2):71-101. 4. Epling, C. & Jávita-M., C. 1962. A new species of Salvia from Mexico. Botanical Museum Leaflets, Harvard University 20:75-76. 5. Grubber, H. 1973. Growing the Hallucinogens. San Francisco: High Times/Level Press 6. Hofmann, A. 1990. Ride Through the Sierra Mazateca in Search of the Magic Plant Ska María Pastora. In: T. Riedlinger (Ed.) The Sacred Mushroom Seeker: Essays for R. Gorden Wasson. Portland, Oregon: Dioscorides Press. 7. Ortega, A.; Blount, J.F. & Marchand, P. 1982. Salvinorin, a new trans-neoclerodane diterpene from Salvia divinorum (Labiatae). Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions I:2505-8. 8. Ott, J. 1993. Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, Their Sources and History. Kennewick, Washington: Natural Products Company. 9. Valdas, L.J. III. 1983. The pharmacognosy of Salvia divinorum (Epling and Játiva-M.): An Investigation of Ska María Pastora. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 10. Valdas, L.J.III. 1994. Salvia divinorum and the Unique Diterpene Hallucinogen, Salvinorin (Divinorin) A. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 26(3): 277-283. 11. Valdas, L.J. III; Butler, W.M.; Hatfield, G.M.;Paul, A.G. & Koreeda, M. 1984. Divinorin A, a psychotropic terpenoid, and divinorin B from the Mexican hallucinogenic mint Salvia divinorum. Journal of Organic Chemistry 49:4716-20. 12. Valdas, L.J.III.; Dias,J.L. & Paul,A.G. 1983. Ethnopharmacology of Ska Maria Pastora (Salvia divinorum, Epling and Játiva-M.). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 7:287-312. 13. Valdés,L.J.III; Hatfield, G.M.; Koreeda,M. & Paul, A.G. 1987. Studies of Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae), a hallucinogenic mint from the Sierra Mazateca in Oaxaca, Central Mexico. Economic Botany 41:283-91. ============================================================================= THIS FILE PASSED THRU SWITZERLAND'S BIGGEST /H/P/C/V/A/D BOARD - REALMS OF MAGIC - [TAC] WHQ - MARIE JEANNE SHQ - MADWARE DST - +41 (0) 91 / 646 1378 =============================================================================