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 HALLUCINOGEN NOT AVAILABLE IN HUNTSVILLE STORE --FOR NOW-- It is ironic, perhaps negligent, that a hallucinogenic herb can be sold to anyone in the country without Health Canada scrutiny or approval, while newly developed cancer drugs are kept out of Canadian pharmacies by the same agency. Salvia divinorum is an herb that has been used for centuries by the Mazatec Indians of southern Mexico in religious ceremony. This sacred, yet potent, herb found its way into Canada via the Internet and mail-order magazines, and until recently, it was being sold at the Silver Daisy in downtown Huntsville. Salvia's recreational use by Huntsville youth is anything but spiritual. The drug, which is most potent when smoked and inhaled, causes hallucinations which at times can be compared to a really bad nightmare from which you can not awaken. The $40 bad dream impairs judgment, can affect perception and senses, and can result in users harming themselves and others. The long-term effects of salvia use have yet to be determined. While there is presently nothing illegal about selling salvia, it is sickening to think that a local business would profit from making this stuff available to our youth. "As of right now, I am not selling salvia anymore," the manager of Huntsville's Silver Daisy told us. It seems that the attention salvia has brought to the Silver Daisy is unwanted. Perhaps attention is just what the community should be paying to ensure that salvia doesn't reappear. - --- MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman