Salvia divinorum is a perennial herb in the mint family native to certain areas of the Sierra
Mazateca region of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is not controlled under the federal Controlled Substances
Act (CSA). The plant has large green leaves, hollow square stems and white flowers with purple
calyces. Street names for Salvia divinorum are Maria Pastora, Sage of the Seers, Diviner’s Sage,
Salvia, Sally-D, and Magic Mint. The active constituent of Salvia divinorum has been identified
as salvinorin A, also called Divinorin A. Salvinorin A is believed to be the ingredient
responsible for the hallucinogenic effects of Salvia divinorum. The active ingredient is a
neoclerodane diterpene found primarily in the leaves, and to a lesser extent in the stems. Salvia
divinorum is imported from Mexico and Central and South America is sold through the internet
or local shops (e.g., head shops and tobacco shops) as seeds, plant cuttings, whole plants, fresh
and dried leaves, extract-enhanced leaves of various strengths (e.g., 5x, 10x, 20x, 30x), and
liquid extracts. As of November 2008, thirteen states have enacted legislation to place regulatory
controls on Salvia divinorum and/or salvinorin A. Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas,
Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Virginia have placed the drug and/or its
constituent into schedule I of state law. The states of California, Louisiana, Maine and
Tennessee enacted other forms of legislation restricting distribution of the plant. States in which
legislative bills proposing regulatory controls died are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, and Utah. Legislative bills proposing regulatory
controls are pending in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and
Wisconsin.

Salvia divinorum was first discovered in the late 1930s by anthropologists studying medicinal
and magical cures in Mexico. It has been used by the Mazatec Indians for its ritual divination
and healing. In the United States, the plant material is typically chewed or smoked. When
chewed, the leaf mass and juice are absorbed across the lining of the oral mucosa (buccal).
Effects first appear within 5 to 10 minutes. Dried leaves and extract-enhanced leaves are
smoked. When an individual smokes pure salvinorin A, at a dose of 200 to 500 micrograms,
effects are experienced within 30 seconds and last about 30 minutes. A limited number of
studies have reported using either plant material or salvinorin A. Psychic effects include
perceptions of bright lights, vivid colors and shapes, as well as body movements and body or
object distortions. Other effects include dysphoria, uncontrolled laughter, a sense of loss of body, overlapping realities, and hallucinations. Adverse physical effects may include
incoordination, dizziness, and slurred speech.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (formerly the National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse) is a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMSHA) database which measures drug use by people living in U.S. households. According
to the first NSDUH report on Salvia divinorum, published by SAMHSA in February 2008, it is
estimated that 1.8 million persons aged 12 or older used Salvia divinorum in their lifetime;
756,000 used the drug in the past year. Use was more common among young adults (18 to 25
years old), as opposed to older adults (> 26 years of age). Young adults were three times more
likely than youth aged 12 to 17 to have used Salvia divinorum in the past year. Males aged 12 to
17 were three times more likely to use Salvia divinorum than females, while males ages 18 to 25
were four times more likely to use the drug.

A National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded study conducted by the University of
Michigan, Monitoring the Future, measures prevalence of drug use among eighth, tenth, and
twelfth graders. Data for Salvia divinorum is not collected in this study.

The National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS)/System to Retrieve
Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE) is a DEA database that collects scientifically
verified data on analyzed samples in state and local forensic labs. It also includes data from
STRIDE, which are analyzed samples from DEA labs. The following table shows Salvia
divinorum items seized from 2000 through 2008.

DEA establishes the Aggregate Production Quota for the maximum amount of
Schedule I and II substances which may be manufactured in the United States for legitimate national scientific, medical and export needs, and for the maintenance of stocks. Salvia
divinorum is not a controlled substance in the United States and does not have approved medical
use; therefore, there is no production quota permitted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

IMS National Prescription Audit Plus™, a provider database managed by IMS
America, estimates total U.S. dispensed prescriptions. Salvia divinorum is not reported in this
database of prescription drugs.

Another SAMSHA database, Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), provides data on
drug-related episodes reported by hospital emergency rooms (ERs). Salvia divinorum is not
currently reported in either the DAWN emergency room or Medical Examiner (ME) database.