soknardalr
Glandeuse pinéale
- Inscrit
- 29 Jan 2007
- Messages
- 104
EDMONTON - Leduc's city council is pushing Ottawa to remove a powerful hallucinogenic drug called salvia divinorum from the shelves of head shops and added to the list of illegal substances.
"This is definitely a preventative measure, and I want the federal government to be aware this is readily available," Alderman Dana Smith said today. "It's being used and it can be another step to another drug."
The psychedelic drug, also called magic mint or diviner's sage, is available in some hemp stores or on the Internet. It is sold both as pills or as a dried product for smoking, and causes intense hallucinations lasting from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.
Council unanimously voted Monday night to bring the issue up as a resolution at next year's annual meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. It wants the drug to be governed under the federal Drug and Controlled Substances Act.
While the use of salvia divinorum is not widespread in the city south of Edmonton, it is legally available in a retail outlet, Smith said.
"As far as I am concerned, that makes it a problem in Leduc in that it is available, but it is not a problem in that it is rampant and that sort of thing," said Smith, the founder of the Leduc's drug action committee.
Leduc's move follows similar concerns in communities such as Saskatoon and Trenton, Ont. The drug has already been banned in Australia and several U.S. states are considering a ban. Health Canada is currently studying the drug.
Smith also wants Ottawa to speed up its procedures in controlling such substances.
"We're looking for a way that we can expedite the review of salvia divinorum to have it added to the list of controlled substances," she said.
Leduc Mayor Greg Krischke is also concerned the drug is available over the counter under current legislation.
"It is like the new acid," he said. "We feel this is not appropriate."
Leduc RCMP Const. Jeff McBeth said even though salvia divinorum is not illegal, he concerned by its powerful effects on users.
"With it being a legal substance, kids can consume it and think everything is fine," he said. He said he did not know how common the use is.
"As far as any trends in our community, I don't know but it's like any culture such as the crystal meth culture, it's a closed group and very hard to break into."
The drug has been chewed or smoked for centuries by Mexico's Mazatec people who use it for spiritual reasons.
Source: Edmonton Journal
I read about this in a few Edmonton based newspapers the other day and was outraged at what was being said. Every article referred to Salvia as being "LSD-like" and comparing the two. This proposed ban is ridiculous and based on fear rather than actual research.
I e-mailed the head of the Leduc Drug Action Committee personally protesting the ban and despite all of my arguments against their comparison of LSD and Salvia and the presentation of my own research of Salvia, the head of the committee just pushed it aside and said; "Thank you for your e-mail, we always value input from the community. We are however, determined in our position regarding Salvia Divinorum."
I also protested that Salvia is very little known about here, printing news articles about it is just going to bring it to people's attention. Also that it was Daniel Siebert who isolated the primary psychoactive component of Salvia, not some government controlled lab. Taking it away from people could leave so much unanswered about Salvia.
Since moving to Canada I've already purchased Salvia extract and not only do they I.D. everyone who asks about it but they also give you fact sheets and strict warnings regardless of your experience. That's more than I got whenever I brought it in the UK.
From my experience of living in Canada so far, its an ideal place for Salvia. The culture and countryside here give such positive vibrations when under the influence of Salvia; I feel that I could actually connect with it and my surroundings on a much deeper level than I ever could in England.
It'll be a sad thing if they actually manage to pass this ban.
"This is definitely a preventative measure, and I want the federal government to be aware this is readily available," Alderman Dana Smith said today. "It's being used and it can be another step to another drug."
The psychedelic drug, also called magic mint or diviner's sage, is available in some hemp stores or on the Internet. It is sold both as pills or as a dried product for smoking, and causes intense hallucinations lasting from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.
Council unanimously voted Monday night to bring the issue up as a resolution at next year's annual meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. It wants the drug to be governed under the federal Drug and Controlled Substances Act.
While the use of salvia divinorum is not widespread in the city south of Edmonton, it is legally available in a retail outlet, Smith said.
"As far as I am concerned, that makes it a problem in Leduc in that it is available, but it is not a problem in that it is rampant and that sort of thing," said Smith, the founder of the Leduc's drug action committee.
Leduc's move follows similar concerns in communities such as Saskatoon and Trenton, Ont. The drug has already been banned in Australia and several U.S. states are considering a ban. Health Canada is currently studying the drug.
Smith also wants Ottawa to speed up its procedures in controlling such substances.
"We're looking for a way that we can expedite the review of salvia divinorum to have it added to the list of controlled substances," she said.
Leduc Mayor Greg Krischke is also concerned the drug is available over the counter under current legislation.
"It is like the new acid," he said. "We feel this is not appropriate."
Leduc RCMP Const. Jeff McBeth said even though salvia divinorum is not illegal, he concerned by its powerful effects on users.
"With it being a legal substance, kids can consume it and think everything is fine," he said. He said he did not know how common the use is.
"As far as any trends in our community, I don't know but it's like any culture such as the crystal meth culture, it's a closed group and very hard to break into."
The drug has been chewed or smoked for centuries by Mexico's Mazatec people who use it for spiritual reasons.
Source: Edmonton Journal
I read about this in a few Edmonton based newspapers the other day and was outraged at what was being said. Every article referred to Salvia as being "LSD-like" and comparing the two. This proposed ban is ridiculous and based on fear rather than actual research.
I e-mailed the head of the Leduc Drug Action Committee personally protesting the ban and despite all of my arguments against their comparison of LSD and Salvia and the presentation of my own research of Salvia, the head of the committee just pushed it aside and said; "Thank you for your e-mail, we always value input from the community. We are however, determined in our position regarding Salvia Divinorum."
I also protested that Salvia is very little known about here, printing news articles about it is just going to bring it to people's attention. Also that it was Daniel Siebert who isolated the primary psychoactive component of Salvia, not some government controlled lab. Taking it away from people could leave so much unanswered about Salvia.
Since moving to Canada I've already purchased Salvia extract and not only do they I.D. everyone who asks about it but they also give you fact sheets and strict warnings regardless of your experience. That's more than I got whenever I brought it in the UK.
From my experience of living in Canada so far, its an ideal place for Salvia. The culture and countryside here give such positive vibrations when under the influence of Salvia; I feel that I could actually connect with it and my surroundings on a much deeper level than I ever could in England.
It'll be a sad thing if they actually manage to pass this ban.