Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/CC0Also known as: Diviner's Sage, Magic Mint, Maria Pastora, Sally-D, Seer's Sage, and Shepherdess's Herb
Salvia (Salvia divinorum) is an herb in the mint family found in southern Mexico. The main active ingredient in salvia, salvinorin A, changes the chemistry in the brain, causing hallucinations (seeing something that seems real but isn’t). The effects usually last less than 30 minutes but may be very intense and frightening.
Although salvia is not illegal (according to Federal law), several states and countries have passed laws to regulate its use. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists salvia as a drug of concern that poses risk to people who use it.
How Salvia is Used
Usually, people chew fresh S. divinorum leaves or drink their extracted juices. The dried leaves of S. divinorum are smoked in rolled cigarettes, inhaled through water pipes (hookahs), or vaporized and inhaled.
Researchers are studying salvia to learn exactly how it acts in the brain to produce its effects. What is currently known is that salvinorin A, the main active ingredient in salvia, changes the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters. Salvia affects this signaling process.
Salvinorin A attaches to parts of nerve cells called kappa opioid receptors. (Note: These receptors are different from the ones involved with opioid drugs like heroin and morphine.)
Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs. And check out how the brain responds to natural rewards and to drugs.
Short-Term Effects
Salvia’s effects usually appear in less than 1 minute and last less than 30 minutes. Short-term effects can include:
- intense hallucinations (seeing or feeling things that aren’t really there)
- mixed senses (such as "seeing" sounds or "hearing" colors)
- feelings of detachment (disconnected from one’s environment)
- mood swings
- sweating
There also are reports of people losing contact with reality—being unable to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not. Many of these effects raise concern about the dangers of driving under the influence of salvia.
The long-term effects of salvia have not been fully studied.
It is not clear if there have been any deaths associated with salvia. However, because we do not know all of salvia’s effects, it is a drug that public health experts are watching carefully.
It’s not clear if using salvia leads to addiction. More studies are needed to learn whether it has addictive properties.
Salvia has never been very popular among teens. In fact, the percentage of teens reporting its use in the past year continued to drop in 2018, with less than one percent saying they used it. Below is a chart showing the percentage of teens who use salvia.
Swipe left or right to scroll.
| Drug | Time Period | 8th Graders | 10th Graders | 12th Graders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salvia | Past Year | 0.60 | 0.70 | 0.90 |
For more statistics on teen drug use, see NIDA’s Monitoring the Future study.
If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide—they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)
If you want to help a friend, you can:
- Share resources from this site, including this page.
- Point your friend to NIDA's Step by Step Guide for Teens and Young Adults.
- Encourage your friend to speak with a trusted adult.
If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.
For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.
NIDA Resources:
- Commonly Abused Drugs Chart
- DrugFacts: Salvia
- DrugFacts: Hallucinogens
- DrugFacts: High School and Youth Trends
Educator Resources:
- Monitoring the Future
- National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration]
Publications
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Hallucinogens
Provides basic facts about various hallucinogens, including how they are abused, how they affect the brain, and other health effects.
Chat Day Transcripts
Infographics
Drug and Alcohol Use in College-Age Adults in 2015
Monitoring the Future 2015 Survey Results
Cite this article
The National Institute on Drug Abuse Blog Team. (). Salvia. Retrieved from https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/salvia on
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