Pubdate: Wed, 04 May 2005
Source: Huntsville Forester, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 The Huntsville Forester
Contact:  http://www.huntsvilleforester.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2430
Author: Bruce Hickey

SALE OF HERB STIRS PARENTS TO ACTION

Even though it's legal and can be sold to anyone of any age, a downtown 
shop owner says "as of right now" he is no longer selling an herb which, 
when smoked, causes intense hallucinations.

For months, Tony Theos, manager of the Silver Daisy tattoo parlour on 
Brunel Road, had been selling packets of salvia divinorum.

Sometimes known as Divine Mexican Mint, or Diviner's Sage, the herb has 
been used for centuries as a hallucinogen. But when Huntsville teenagers 
started buying the herb and smoking it, some parents decided to put their 
feet down.

One recent Saturday night, a 14-year-old Huntsville boy raised a pipe to 
his mouth and inhaled deeply. Within moments, he began hallucinating. He 
was smoking a teaspoon-size, $40 hit of salvia divinorum purchased at the 
Silver Daisy.

While police have no recourse, the parents of the 14-year-old boy, who 
contacted The Forester, hope by spreading the word about salvia, they can 
steer other teenagers clear of giving it a try.

"Our family doctor had not heard anything about [salvia]. He made some 
calls about it and thought it was something that had slipped through the 
cracks of our medical regulations," said the mother of the 14-year-old. She 
and her husband did not want to be identified in order to protect the 
identity of their son.

While Theos told the Forester "as of right now, I am not selling salvia 
anymore," it can still be bought over the Internet and via magazines. Theos 
said recent media attention about the herb only served to increase the 
number of people wanting to try it.

What bothers the parents of the 14-year-old the most is that the herb was 
being sold to minors, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

"Originally our goal was to get the stuff off the streets. We were hoping 
for a ban or an age limit being put on it, but we realize that is going to 
take a long time," said the boy's mother.

They said their son heard about salvia at school, and that it had become 
popular for many teens to try at least once.

Scared after having a bad experience, the boy confided in his parents. He 
said after smoking the herb, his mind drifted away "to a different land" 
where "little people would not let him leave."

While the boy's parents realize that there is nothing illegal about 
salvia's sale, they question why anyone knowing its potential would sell 
it, especially to young people.

"If you are younger, you don't always have the faculties to make the right 
decisions about these things," said the boy's father.

His mother said, "What's worse is [the store] selling it like you would 
sell bubble gum." When asked about this, Theos refused to make any further 
comment for the record.

The easy availability of salvia is a concern, said the boy's mother. Unlike 
smoking salvia, she said teenagers who drink alcohol or smoke pot still 
have the hurdles of illegality and access to overcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Drug Intelligence 
Centre, abuse of salvia can cause intense and debilitating hallucinations. 
Even smoking small quantities (one-quarter gram) can affect perception and 
senses. These effects can result in abusers harming themselves and others.

Salvia has become a phenomenon in the past eight years, with a lot of its 
popularity due to information easily available on the Internet.

Health Canada reports that it is monitoring the herb; so is the U.S. Drug 
Enforcement Agency. Currently it's legal to import because it's an 
'unscheduled' substance under Canadian law.

The sale of the herb has been banned in Australia. The substance, which 
looks like green tea, is largely imported from Mexico.

According to the Natural Medicines Database, Diviner's Sage was used for 
centuries by the Mazatec Indians, a native people who live in Oaxaca, 
Mexico. While it may serve spiritual purposes for some, the legal sale of 
the product in Canada could hit a dead end soon under new National Health 
Product Regulations.

Brought into force in 2004 by Health Canada, the regulations place 
requirements on people who manufacture, package, label, import or 
distribute natural health products. The law is intended to regulate 
substances that are safe for over-the-counter use. Manufacturers and 
importers have six years to secure their licensing.

"During that six-year period, every single product on the market, all the 
herbs, have go through a re-application to be sold in Canada," said Dr. 
Heather Boon, assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of 
Pharmacy.

"The only way [salvia] would be allowed on the market in future, under 
these new regulations, would be if it had a medicinal use. Honestly, this 
stuff does not seem to have a medicinal use."

Because there are 50,000 herbal and other natural products on the market, 
Boon, a graduate of Huntsville High School, said, it is taking time for 
Health Canada to work through the process.

"That's probably why [salvia] has not been caught yet. I don't know if it 
would even be allowed to be on the market," she said.

Even prior to a licensing review, Health Canada will act if concerns are 
reported about products.

"Should evidence arise that there is an abuse problem or significant risk 
to health and safety, then the department investigates and takes whatever 
action is necessary," said Health Canada media spokesperson Nathalie Lalonde.

She said she could not report if an application for licensing had been 
forwarded for salvia, and even if one had, she could not discuss it while 
under review. But if salvia is going to sold in Canada, it will be reviewed 
for"safety, ethics and quality," said Lalonde.

She added that anyone with a complaint about salvia, or any other natural 
health product, can report it to Canada's Regional Inspectorates at 
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/inspectorate/contact us_e.html
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman