Bill Before State Senate To Ban Yet Another Drug

The Iowa State Senate has a bill before it to classify salvia divinorum, a drug that’s legal in most states and many European countries, as a Schedule I drug. It is a hallucinogen derivived from the sage plant that was traditionally used by Mazaztec shamans in the mountains of Mexico. While it is considered non-addictive and to have limited potential for abuse, it’s being banned partially because a 17 year old who used it later committed suicide.

While there are very justifiable reasons to prevent people from using any hallucinogenic drug, the bill before the State Senate would make salvia a Schedule I drug. This means that saliva has “a high potential for abuse and no medical purpose in treatment.” However, not only is salvia not addictive, but, more importantly, it also has a medical purpose. Early research into salvia is showing a lot of potential for medical use, it could even lead to drugs that would treat Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. Not only that, much of this research is being done by a doctor at the University of Iowa.

There’s a lot of legitimate reasons to regulate salvia or even ban it from being used recreationally. But to classify it in the same catagory as heroin seems short-sighted. The state legislature should take steps to guarantee that medical research into the properties and potential of salvia can continue, regardless of whatever restrictions are placed on its recreational use.

4 comments January 31st, 2007