Lawmakers Bid to Ban the "Next Marijuana"
Lawmakers across the United States are ever trying new tactics to gain ground in the "War on Drugs" (what many see as a losing battle). While statistics show that around 45% of the adult population has at one time or another tried marijuana, drug users have also turned to other legal substances to get a high, mostly to avoid the hassle of running into law enforcement in the process of procuring and using it.
In the 80s, "huffing" substances such as aerosol inhalants and glue became popular; in the 00s, some would have you believe, the new alternative is called salvia divinorum. Known as a handful of names including a translation of its Latin name, "Diviner's Sage," or just salvia, the psychoactive herb has been long used in religious or shamanistic practice by many societies across the world.
Now some marijuana users in particular are turning to salvia, which is not regulated by the Controlled Substances Act, though several states have passed laws banning its use. Salvia is currently prohibited for use and distribution in Delaware, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maine and North Dakota.
Many states are realizing the growing popularity of the drug over the Internet, though usage statistics are under 2 percent of people 18 to 25, compared to 28 percent of this same group having used marijuana. According to an AP article, 16 states are now considering legislation to ban salvia.
Legislators in Florida proposing that salvia possession be punishable as a felony with a prison sentence of up to five years believe that they have to stay hot in pursuit of drug users who will continue to move on to another drug when one is banned.
However, critics of the drug suggest that the problem faced by salvia is minimal, and that reports of growing usage over the Internet are overblown.
A recent column at Reason Magazine suggested one reason why legislators may be making much ado about nothing: it's not very good. A website devoted to information about psychedelic drugs also suggests that "its effects are considered unpleasant by many people."
So how will the fight against this reportedly foul-tasting yet nonetheless powerful hallucinogenic go? Probably fairly well, considering that drugs have long been a favorite target of federal and state legislators for placing the blame on society's ills. But one has to wonder about the motivation of some state legislators, including the Florida state senator who said, "I'd rather be at the front edge of preventing the dangers of the drug than waiting until we are the 40th or more," referring to a potential number of states banning the drug.
Are lawmakers deciding based on examination of the drug and its effects, or based on comparison and competition with other states? Hopefully, that's a question that doesn't need to be asked.
