Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Politicians looking to ban herb
Bill introduced by local Assemblyman Anthony Adams targets hallucinogen Salvia divinorum.
By Ryan Vaillancourt
LA CRESCENTA — Narcotic experts in law enforcement and medical fields group Salvia divinorum, an herb that causes a hallucinogenic “high” when smoked, with LSD and other noted narcotics, but it’s widely available for over-the-counter purchase.
Increasingly popular among teenagers, the substance reportedly sends users into a five- to 20-minute hallucinogenic state, in which the user loses control and self-awareness, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
Scarier to some law enforcement and medical officials is that anyone, regardless of age, can stroll into a smoke shop or surf online stores to purchase the herb.
But if the state Senate votes in favor of a pending bill by Assemblyman Anthony Adams, whose district includes La Crescenta, the herb could be banned from California shelves by next year.
Adams, who is carrying the bill at the behest of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, introduced a similar measure last year, but it failed to gain support in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
Some members of the committee were hesitant to ban the drug in the state since it is not classified as a schedule 1 narcotic by the Food and Drug Administration, Adams said.
But when the same committee’s chief consultant approached Adams later last year and said the committee would likely support a bill that banned Salvia divinorum only for minors, Adams tweaked the measure accordingly and reintroduced it, he said.
“Right now Salvia and law enforcement are both running in this footrace,” Adams said. “If we’re not careful Salvia will hop into a vehicle and we’ll be chasing it on foot.”
Eight states already regulate Salvia divinorum, and along with California, a host of other state legislatures are considering measures.
That’s good news to Howard Samuels, executive director of the Wonderland Treatment Center, a residential drug and alcohol abuse treatment facility in Hollywood Hills.
“It is shocking that a drug this potent, a drug that makes marijuana look tame by comparison, is legal,” said Samuels, who testified on behalf of Adams’ bill before the Senate Public Safety Committee in April. “That means our government has said it’s safe.”
Samuels said he first became aware of the drug about two years ago when patients began listing it as one of the substances that they were using.
“At Wonderland we see clients that come in, and not only are they doing ecstasy and marijuana and cocaine, but they’re now mentioning Salvia, and it’s now part of the arsenal of drugs,” he said. “So when they mention Salvia, they know it’s a drug, they know that they get high on it and they lose control, so it’s grouped with the other drugs by the users.”
The Salvia plant is a member of the mint family native to Oaxaca, Mexico, where it has been used by the Mazatec Indians for ritual divination and healing practices, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The bill is headed in the coming months to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Adams said. If approved, it will then go to the Senate floor for a final vote before heading to the governor’s desk.
RYAN VAILLANCOURT covers business, politics and the foothills. He may be reached at (818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at ryan.vaillancourt@latimes.com.
Increasingly popular among teenagers, the substance reportedly sends users into a five- to 20-minute hallucinogenic state, in which the user loses control and self-awareness, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
Scarier to some law enforcement and medical officials is that anyone, regardless of age, can stroll into a smoke shop or surf online stores to purchase the herb.
But if the state Senate votes in favor of a pending bill by Assemblyman Anthony Adams, whose district includes La Crescenta, the herb could be banned from California shelves by next year.
Adams, who is carrying the bill at the behest of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, introduced a similar measure last year, but it failed to gain support in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
Some members of the committee were hesitant to ban the drug in the state since it is not classified as a schedule 1 narcotic by the Food and Drug Administration, Adams said.
But when the same committee’s chief consultant approached Adams later last year and said the committee would likely support a bill that banned Salvia divinorum only for minors, Adams tweaked the measure accordingly and reintroduced it, he said.
“Right now Salvia and law enforcement are both running in this footrace,” Adams said. “If we’re not careful Salvia will hop into a vehicle and we’ll be chasing it on foot.”
Eight states already regulate Salvia divinorum, and along with California, a host of other state legislatures are considering measures.
That’s good news to Howard Samuels, executive director of the Wonderland Treatment Center, a residential drug and alcohol abuse treatment facility in Hollywood Hills.
“It is shocking that a drug this potent, a drug that makes marijuana look tame by comparison, is legal,” said Samuels, who testified on behalf of Adams’ bill before the Senate Public Safety Committee in April. “That means our government has said it’s safe.”
Samuels said he first became aware of the drug about two years ago when patients began listing it as one of the substances that they were using.
“At Wonderland we see clients that come in, and not only are they doing ecstasy and marijuana and cocaine, but they’re now mentioning Salvia, and it’s now part of the arsenal of drugs,” he said. “So when they mention Salvia, they know it’s a drug, they know that they get high on it and they lose control, so it’s grouped with the other drugs by the users.”
The Salvia plant is a member of the mint family native to Oaxaca, Mexico, where it has been used by the Mazatec Indians for ritual divination and healing practices, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The bill is headed in the coming months to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Adams said. If approved, it will then go to the Senate floor for a final vote before heading to the governor’s desk.
RYAN VAILLANCOURT covers business, politics and the foothills. He may be reached at (818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at ryan.vaillancourt@latimes.com.
Save/Share
 |
 |
|
| Mayor Drayman faces first salvo | Council is fighting antennas |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of glendalenewspress.com.
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
Not registered yet?
RSS