Salvia

What is Salvia?

Often simply referred to as “salvia”, Salvia divinorum is an herb commonly found in Southern Mexico and other parts of Central and South America. Its primary psychoactive ingredient Salvinorin A is “one of the most potent naturally occurring psychoactive drugs” and can produce intense (albeit short-lived) hallucinogenic effects with a miniscule dose.  

Salvia can be consumed by chewing the plant’s leaves, drinking juice made from crushed leaves, or smoking dried leaves or extracts. Depending on dosage, its effects typically last 5-20 minutes (when smoked) or 1-2 hours (when chewed), and may include hallucinations, anxiety, dissociation, lethargy, and laughter.

Traditionally, salvia was used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes by the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Is Salvia Legal in Canada?

For the most part, no. Simple possession for personal use is not prohibited, but production, trafficking, import and export are illegal unless authorized by regulation or s. 56 exemption.

Salvia divinorum, as well as its derivatives and preparations, were scheduled in 2015 by an order amending Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

As a Schedule IV substance, per s. 4(1) of the CDSA, possession is not prohibited but “production, trafficking, possession for the purposes of trafficking, importation and exportation and possession for the purposes of exportation” are.

Note: The official Government of Canada webpage on salvia states that possession is illegal, but this does not appear to be correct based on our reading of the CDSA. The 2015 order also explicitly states that “[s]imple possession will not be prohibited under the CDSA.”

Medical or Therapeutic Use?

Scarce reliable medical data exists regarding the potential benefits of salvia, though some studies suggest salvia could be used to treat drug abuse and addiction, and even “reduce agitation of patients” with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Mazatecs reportedly used salvia leaves to treat arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, and other illnesses.