The most ignorant article ever written?(On Salvia divinorum)

[darawk]

http://www.shoutwire.com/viewstory/5...rgeting_Salvia

There's growing alarm about an herb that teenagers are trying.The herb makes them hallucinate. It's been compared to acid and LSD, but it's legal here in Washington State.Eastside Bureau Chief Alison Grande has the warning for teenagers and their parents.It's called Salvia. It's being marketed to teenagers, and how they're using it has the feds investigating. Teens who used it told us they're surprised it's so easy to get.“It's this thing you smoke. It will make you hallucinate,” said one teenager.“You have to ask people, like, ‘What did I do?’ because you don't remember. I don't remember at least.”Salvia Divinorum is an herb in the mint family.We asked around outside an Eastside high school, and in minutes found users of this drug.“It's not my thing because I don't like not having any control over myself and not be able to stop laughing or falling over,” said one teen.Once used for spiritual ceremonies in Mexico, it's legal. The use of Salvia is on the rise and that has the Drug Enforcement Administration worried.“Just because it's legal, just because it's not classified, just because it's not a controlled substance doesn't mean that it's healthy and safe,” said Rodney Benson of the DEA.It's being blamed for the death of 17-year-old Brett Chidester in Delaware. The teen killed himself after using salvia. The note he left behind talked about his experiences while taking the drug.Delaware created "Brett's Law," banning salvia. At least 13 other states are also cracking down on it. Washington is not one of them.Teens we talked to said it was easy to find here -- on the Internet and at smoke shops.Using a hidden camera, we went looking for salvia. In a matter of minutes, a clerk at a smoke shop handed over a vial.Down the street, we asked for salvia. We found it was always kept behind the counter.We paid more than 20 dollars for a container.And it's not just smoke shops. Nutrition shops carry it, too.This clerk told us to be careful not to use too much, and showed us a handout about the hallucinogenic effects. We paid more than $70 for liquid salvia. “It does in some instances create some violent behavior and some hallucinations that could cause harm to our kids,” Benson said.When we showed Special Agent Benson a container, he thought it was frightening. The packaging, the marketing -- obviously for young adults.Salvia could become a controlled substance soon.“Right now there's medical scientific professionals that are reviewing salvia for placement as a controlled substance,” Benson said.But for now, the DEA is counting on parents to patrol their teens, and to talk to them about the risks and hope teens stop being guinea pigs.A 15-year-old who used salvia thinks parent should know about it.“It's just going to keep getting out of hand,” the teen said.In most cases, salvia is labeled as incense, but young adults are smoking it instead.

The part that particularly caught my eye was this little gem:

It's been compared to acid and LSD

How does someone that utterly ignorant of drugs and the drug culture get selected to write an article about them?

[Bajeda]

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24943

Tons of discussion on this topic in the thread above.

[Nagognog2]

Yes, that was the highlight of the prosaic ineptitude exemplified by the author(s). However, as I read the comments of the "15-year-old", for some reason my mind flashed on the movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the little girl Duke's attorney brings on board. The scene where Hunter sees himself in the courtroom and the little girl is telling the judge about being given LSD.

[Alicia]

"Double Castration"

Yeh how they can consider Salvia even remotely similar to lsd is just stupid. fear article nothing more.

[CRUNK]

That's retarded...

[xctico]

it's all fear and loathing... all it takes for a drug to become illegal is for the general public to figure out it has psychedelic effects... after that you can scratch it off the legal list... no matter what the positive negative effects are...

“Right now there's medical scientific professionals that are reviewing salvia for placement as a controlled substance,” --- probably Dr Ricardo [aka... x makes holes to your brain] and friends...

[zera]

Oh my gawd!

You know I have a hunch, and this may sound like the crazy ranting of a drug-addled, burnt-out leftist commie athiest, but maybe, just maybe the 9 trillion dollar federal debt, which evens out to about $73,000 for every person under 30 in this country, might be a bigger threat than some mint that makes you giggle for 3 minutes. As for the other real threat to our teens read below about this disturbing trend:

There's growing alarm about an organization that teenagers are joining.The organization's propoganda makes them believe ridiculous things. It's been compared to the Heaven's Gate cult and Central American death squads, but it's legal here in Washington State.Eastside Bureau Chief Alison Grande has the warning for teenagers and their parents.It's called the US military. It's being marketed to teenagers, and how they're using it has the feds investigating. Teens who used it told us they're surprised it's so easy to get in to.“It's this thing you sign up for. It will make you go to the most dangerous place on Earth for $500 a week,” said one teenager.“You have to ask people, like, ‘Why did I sign up for this?’ because you don't remember. And that's when you realize that the recruiter told you it would be a 4 weekend a year commitment.” The US Army is an organization that specifically targets low-income students with false promises and constant downplays of the dangers. We asked around outside an Eastside high school, and in minutes found recruiters.“It's not my thing because I don't like watching my friends get blown up from Improvised Explosive Devices or murdering civilians just so Congress and Bush can pretend they didn't screw the porch,” said one teen. Once used for defending the nation against actual imminent dangers and enemies to the country, it's legal. The number of enlistees in the army is on the rise and that has the Drug Enforcement Administration worried.“Just because it's legal, just because it's not classified, just because it's not a controlled activity doesn't mean that it's healthy and safe,” said Rodney Benson of the DEA.It's being blamed for the death of about 3,200 young people and about 600,000 Iraqis. Many of these deaths were gruesome, painful and slow. Britain passed a law taking its soldiers out of Iraq. At least 15 other countries have also pulled out. The United States is not one of them. Teens we talked to said it was easy to sign up for here -- on high school campuses and at recruiting stations found in strip malls everywhere. Using a hidden camera, we went looking for an army enlistment. In a matter of minutes, a recruiter at a recruitment center handed over an enlistment form. Down the street, we asked for enlistment forms. We found they were always willing to give them to us no matter what stupid reason we gave for wanting to join, girlfriend broke up with you, sign here, want to get out of town, the army's the place for you, want to kill Iraqis, welcome aboard. We were paid more than $250 dollars for signing up. And it's not just the army. Marines, the navy and the air force all send troops to Iraq. One recruiter told us it would be an experience of a lifetime, and showed us a handout about all the benefits. We got paid more than $500 for joining the marines. “It does in some instances create some violent behavior and some post-traumatic stress that could cause harm to our kids,” Benson said. When we showed Special Agent Benson an enlistment form, he thought it was frightening. The packaging, the marketing -- obviously for young adults. Joining the army could become a controlled activity soon. “Right now there's medical scientific professionals that are reviewing the army for placement as a controlled organization,” Benson said. But for now, the DEA is counting on parents to patrol their teens, and to talk to them about the risks and hope teens stop being guinea pigs.A 17-year-old who enlisted thinks parent should know about it.“It's just going to keep getting out of hand,” the teen said.In most cases, the army is labeled as a infrequent weekend committment, but young adults are being stationed in Iraq for consecutive tours of duty instead.

[idmt]

Its upsetting how ignorant people can be. I too had a hunch that it'll become illegal.

Originally Posted by xctico

all it takes for a drug to become illegal is for the general public to figure out it has psychedelic effects... after that you can scratch it off the legal list... no matter what the positive negative effects are...

a fair amount of the general public fear psychedelics. instead of accepting them, they are banned.

im surprised DXM is still on the shelf.. that chem was all over the news for a while..

[Riconoen {UGC}]

Another new whipping boy for the media, nothing will come of this and something else will be the root of all evil in a few months.

[xctico]

Wonder if one of they consider the substance potency for psychedelic one of the "negative side effects" that makes it good for schedule I...

[fluid_lightning]

Here's a little tidbits of politicians. Most are formally educated, but very very few are technically trained. A politician's goal in life is to stay in power, and a sure-fire way to get voted out is to say that we need less drug regulation.

If little Johnny who wanted to experiment with drugs didn't have salvia, he would have had some pot or something really harmful.