Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive shrub indigenous to regions of Mexico that has gained popularity as a means of inner exploration. Also known as “Diviner’s Sage,” it is classified as an entheogen, a plant that can be used for mystical or hallucinogenic effects. Its active compound Salvinorin A, is responsible for the intense effects of shifts in perceptions, auditory and visual hallucinations, and warping of stimuli. There are three main methods of use with Salvia. Salvinorin is unable to be activated if ingested while in its leaf form, so the most common method is to smoke either the dried leaves or extract in a pipe or bong. The next two common methods of use involve oral absorption through the mucous membranes of the mouth. The first involves chewing on fresh leaves for as long as possible to facilitate oral absorption of Salvinorin A. The second is an increasingly popular method of use known as Salvia tincture.
A tincture is quite simply a substance mixed with alcohol. Generally when one hears the word tincture, images of quack doctors and dubious remedies of nineteenth-century medicine advertisements come to mind. Salvia tincture is not much more than the name implies. It is salvinorin A that has been chemically bonded to an alcohol base. There are a number of online and chain vendors that sell Salvia tincture, although the strength and efficacy of these preparations varies greatly. In general, salvia tincture is more expensive than commercially-prepared leaves or extracts that are smoked. This is due to the fact that it is marketed as having different effects than one would experience if he or she smoked salvia.
Salvia tincture is absorbed through mucous membranes in the mouth, which means it takes longer for the Salvinorin A to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Smoking leaves or extract means that the substance is readily absorbed into the blood through the lungs and effects can be felt within a couple of minutes. Salvia tincture on the other hand can take ten or fifteen minutes to “kick in.” Furthermore, as smoking salvia divinorum produces a very short experience with a peak after about three to five minutes, salvia tincture can potentially produce an experience that can last up to an hour or more. The possibility of a longer psychoactive experience has led to improved sales of salvia tincture in the past few years. However, there are some problems with this preparation of salvia.
Salvia tincture is notoriously varied in its potency. An online vendor could potentially just fill a one-ounce bottle with grain alcohol mixed with tree leaves and get away with it. Other vendors who actually take pride in their entheogen marketing could potentially make a preparation with an extremely potent mix of Salvinorin A and alcohol. Thus, it is very important if you’re thinking about using salvia tincture to start out small in a dosage. Dosages of salvia tincture are measured in dropper loads since bottles commonly come with an eye dropper to place the dosage under the tongue for sublingual absorption.
A second problem with salvia tincture is that in order to create the tincture, vendors have to use a high-proof alcohol in order to bind as much salvinorin A as possible. This usually means 190 proof grain alcohol is used in the preparation process. The problem with the use of this kind of alcohol is that it can burn the mouth. Literally. Since one has to hold salvia tincture under their tongue for up to eight minutes to get maximum efficacy, the caustic alcohol can hurt the mucous membranes. Users can experience a burning or tingling sensation under their tongue for several hours after use. A popular means to get around this is to cut the salvia tincture with equal parts of warm water or honey to dilute the powerful grain alcohol.
Salvia tincture is for the most part a crapshoot in terms of legal ethneogens. There are some vendors out there who sell very effective mixes, but charge very high prices for them. Low-priced tinctures are most likely ineffective and not even worth the meager sum. As I always say, it is best to be informed no matter what kind of experience you’re going for in this world, and salvia tincture is no exception. Take the time to look into what you’re getting into before you actually get into it.
