Salvia divinorum is a perennial herb in the mint family that is abused for its hallucinogenic effects.
Psychic effects include perceptions of bright lights, vivid colors, shapes, and body movement, as well as body or object distortions. Salvia divinorum may also cause fear and panic, uncontrollable laughter, a sense of overlapping realities, paranoia, and hallucinations.
Users typically experience rapid onset of intense hallucinations that can impair judgment and disrupt sensory and cognitive functions.
Salvinorin A is the principal ingredient responsible for the psychoactive effects of Salvia divinorum.
Neither Salvia divinorum nor its active constituent Salvinorin A has an approved medical use in the United States. Salvia divinorum is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act. Salvia divinorum is, however, controlled by a number of states. Since Salvia divinorum is not controlled by the CSA, some online botanical companies and drug promotional sites have advertised Salvia as a legal alternative to other plant hallucinogens like mescaline.