Christie:
Well what Politicians don't understand is by making something"Illegal" makes it more popular. They still have not figured this out even with the war on drugs this has not stopped their use. Instead they should do the opposite so that it can be grown,Taxed and not limit the medical exploration and benefites of such plants like Salvia
divinorum but fear and misunderstanding prevales over good judgement. What can one say? Grow more garden Salvias!
Art

I think as long as something's addictive, it becomes "popular" either way so it probably won't make a huge difference whether it's legal or not. It might have made a difference with the mom that was on the show though. I think she was assuming that it was safe just because it was legal but most people aren't that stupid... or are they? lol If you didn't see the show, not only was she using it herself but she was buying it for her son who's failing in school now (surprise surprise)

Anyway - Actually I didn't mean to start a discussion on whether it should be legal. I was just thinking that moms all over the country are going to freak when they see "salvia" for sale in the garden department and there will be Walmart managers pulling it off the shelves. If they're really trying to educate people on the Dr. Phil show, they should've at least mentioned that it's a particular type of salvia that's being used to get high and not all salvias.

I understand that Salvia splendens has a similar effect also.just someting I read on a web page don't know if it
is true. My point was people are going to do things if
it is legal or not. Europe has much lower drinking ages
that we do in the USA.They don't have the teen drinking
problem we do. So if you want to make a problem out of nothing make it illegal and it will become a problem.
How are your Salvia's doing?
Art

That's disappointing about the splendens although it's not one that I usually plant. I'm mostly planting salvia for hummingbirds and splendens is not one of their favorites. Guaranitica is though, and if they were to outlaw that one, I might be willing to fight to the death for it. lol

Still waiting to see what will return this spring. I don't think we had any nights below zero over the winter and it hasn't been quite as soggy as last year so I'm hoping they will all come back.

As far as I know, rumors that S. splendens has the same effect as divinorum are baloney. As many as 500 salvias have been tested for Salvinorin A, the active component, and only divinorum has it.

In courses of logic, there is the slippery slope fallacy that claims that because a condition might exist or occur, it must exist or occur. Lots of pundits try to score points by invoking panic. They know that many prefer the strong voice of an alpha to the discomfort of dealing with their own emotion of fear.

Just goes to show you can't beleive everthing you read. I
had kids coming into the Nursery I worked at asking for
Salvia divinorum (10 years ago).I told them it did not grow here. I agree fear is what drives things when logic should
dictate reality.
Art

why is it 'wrong' to grow plants used to get high, but perfectly acceptable to grow those that could be used to kill (ricinus, aconite, solanum, digitalis, etc)?

I didn't hear about this until last year. Granted, I'm only just out of college, and since high school there's always gossip about what will get you a cheap high, and the item changes weekly it seems. Never being one to touch any of that crap, it was quite hilarious to step back and think "Wow ... that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard". When I first heard about divinorum, I thought BS at first. I took notice when the local paper put out an article (and of course, being the conservative community we are, "Thousands of kids are addicted in our high schools! Legal high runs rampant through high schools!" etc. Panic in the streets. Only AFTER the article came out, did I see no more than 6 kids come into the nursery, asking if we sold Salvia. I pointed out the salvias (some in the herb section, some splendens, guaranitica, and coccinea in the Annuals) for them. They asked me with interest 'How do you use the herbal ones?' and I responded with 'adding flavor to bland cooking, drying and hanging to look like a fancy herb grower. And they smell good *scratches leaf* Mmmm ... pineapple'. They left dissapointed, and after 3 weeks never heard about it again. Except once from some concerned mothers, who I basically told we didn't have the drugs they were looking for.

I agree Christie, it was pretty irresponsible not to mention the species name. I watched that show too and the whole time I was getting angrier by the moment :O

As a person who doesn't watch him that much. Dr Phil comes across as a self serving windbag. I guess that sounds mean but it's what I truly feel.
The only reason he and now Dr.Oz have shows is because of the fan base of Oprah.

> As a person who doesn't watch him that much. Dr Phil
> comes across as a self serving windbag

My opinion exactly.