The Different Ways to Use Salvia

The Different Ways to Use Salvia

Originally from Mazateca Mexico, the psychedelic herb Salvia, also known as salvia divinorum, had at least two known traditional methods of how it was used. The first way was known as infusion. The infusion process consisted of taking two, raw salvia leaves, rubbing them together, and then squeezing the leaves until the juices came out. The salvia juices were then mixed with water and ingested. Infusion is thought to be the least effective method of usage because the components that create the psychedelic effects of Salvia are not water soluble. Therefore, it is believed that achieving the effects of this plant are not because of the plant being in the stomach, but rather from the absorption of the plant while it is in the mouth.



The second way that salvia was used, traditionally and modernly, was through chewing and/or swallowing the plant. This process consisted of rolling the herb/plant into a small bundle, chewing the herb/plant up, and then possibly swallowing it. It is stated that, if you can handle the bitter taste that can lead to nausea, that chewing is one of the most effective, long lasting ways to achieve the effects of Salvia. However, actually swallowing the Salvia has been proven to be ineffective because it is “deactivated” when it enters the stomach (gastrointestinal system). Hence, when chewing is the chosen form of usage, the plant is usually held in the mouth as long as possible so that it can be absorbed as much as possible.



While chewing has been a traditional and modern way to ingest or use Salvia, there are other, more popular ways to use this plant. Smoking dried Salvia leaves is probably one of the most popular forms of usage today. However, there is a slight issue with smoking Salvia leaves. In order to release the salvirion, which is what is inhaled to achieve the psychedelic effects, the temperature of the heat or flame applied to the leaves needs to be very high. Moreover, it has been stated that using only dried and/or crushed Salvia leaves does not produce a very strong effect; therefore, it is best to use Salvia extract, which greatly reduces the amount of smoke you would need to inhale to achieve results. Many people use a water pipe to smoke salvia, so as to cool the smoke before they inhale it.



One last way to use or ingest salvia is through vaporization. This process consists of bringing either pure salvinorin A, the Salvia extract, or even the powdered form of the leaf to a very high temperature, without actually catching salvinorin on fire, and turning the salvinorin into a gas to be inhaled. This is known to be slightly less damaging to your lungs because you are not inhaling smoke or carbon monoxide as with smoking dried salvia leaves, but rather inhaling a gas. Currently, there are not any vaporizers made specifically for Salvia products or extracts; however, it is very easy to construct vaporizers at home. The effects of vaporization are known to be very strong.