Legally tripping: a qualitative profile of Salvia divinorum use among young adults.

Young adults who use Salvia divinorum, a legally available hallucinogenic plant, typically consume it in home settings like apartments and houses, though some use it in parks, bars, or parties. The intense hallucinogenic experience is described positively by some users, while others find it too overwhelming to continue use. Most report no significant negative health effects, aside from occasional mental cloudiness, and no negative health events among peers. This lack of reported harm may reinforce favorable social norms toward salvia. Overall, users perceive a low risk profile for the substance, possibly influenced by its legal status.

Study at a glance

Abstract

During recent years, there has been increasing interest in "legal highs" among youth and young adults. Salvia divinorum is a legally available hallucinogenic plant, primarily utilized in smokable form, that produces a brief but intense hallucinogenic experience for the user. Data are presented from an ethnographic project to provide a qualitative profile of salvia use among young adults. Most users report primarily using in home settings such as apartments and houses, although a significant minority report use in environments such as parks, bars, and parties. The intense nature of the substance creates a differential subjective experience. Some describe the intensity of the hallucinogenic experience in positive ways. Others find the experience so intense that they would not continue to use the substance. With regard to the health effects of salvia, most young adults report no significant negative health effects from salvia use, although some report a mental cloudiness. Beyond their own experiences, users did not report any negative health events among peers. The lack of reports of negative effects may reinforce social norms favorable towards salvia use. Overall, young adults report a relatively low risk profile for salvia divinorum, which may be influenced, in part, by its legal status.