USA - Salvia banning

[Greenport]

Oh wonderful, this country is going to ban yet another psychoactive substance for being psychoactive.

People are going to get arrested and thrown in jail for smoking a plant. OH WAIT, WE ALREADY DO! Except this time the plant is going to be salvia!

Why are we banning it? Methinks because it's PSYCHOACTIVE. I can't really think of any other reasons, yet states are banning it all over the place. One can't possess it in Louisiana unless for decorative purposes, and one also can't possess it in Illinois apparently, unless they want to risk FELONY CHARGES.

What exactly are the people who are pushing for its banning, writing in the bills? "This plant causes people to go out of their minds for 2 minutes. We should ban it." WTF.

If somebody else can come up with a better argument on its criminalization please elaborate.

Reputation Comments on this post:

A good topic to put out there

[Paracelsus]

Please use the blog for monologues such as this one and the other ones you've been posting.

[aerozeppelin123]

Probably it's at least partly due to Salvia users not making any effort to be discreet, such as the huge number of stupid kids posting videos of themselves going mad on salvia on YouTube. Then the authorities go, look at what these kids are doing it's terrible we need to ban it, not because they have done any research or know anything about the plant or its properties, it's just that they have one-track minds, i.e. it's a drug ---> therefore it must be bad ---> must make it illegal. The idea of educating people about it's effects and giving advice on how to minimise harm from it doesn't even enter their heads.

[senorsalvia]

In a few of the states lately, the legislators have taken the more sensible approach of deciding not to go after criminalizing Salvia, but instead, they have entered and passed bills that would regulate the sale and possession to those 18 and over..... Makes me wonder if a few of the politicos are rolling the dice, thinking about possible backlash from an ever growing consituency.... Side note... California, a state that started to place Salvia in the same class as heroin, decided to go for the age regulation instead (bill passed).... They noted that 1 private citizen spoke in opposition to criminalizing the plant.... We can only hope that more people will get off their asses and speak out against criminalization...

[zera]

Originally Posted by aerozeppelin123

Probably it's at least partly due to Salvia users not making any effort to be discreet, such as the huge number of stupid kids posting videos of themselves going mad on salvia on YouTube.

Frankly if I lived in a free country I should be able to post videos of me going bonking nuts on youtube without any fear of reprisal. That's how freedom works. I'm fucking tired that every time a great new drug comes along that the drug using community needs to keep it a grand secret lest the federal government find out about it.

[aerozeppelin123]

Originally Posted by zera

Frankly if I lived in a free country I should be able to post videos of me going bonking nuts on youtube without any fear of reprisal. That's how freedom works. I'm fucking tired that every time a great new drug comes along that the drug using community needs to keep it a grand secret lest the federal government find out about it.

Yep I totally agree with you, unfortunately none of us live in free countries, and we have to live with less than perfect circumstances.

[bcubed]

I remember, back when that 13(?) y.o. died triying to set a record for "the youngest x-c flight," AOPA (the general aviation interest group) supported legislation outlawing future record flights, the reason being is that there was a critical mass of pressure to do something, and that supporting the weakest possible regulation was in everyone's best interest.

I bring this up because it seems we're at the same point w/r/t Salvia. I wonder if the time isn't now to push for something like laws against sales to minors, etc, in each SWIMmer's home state, so that a weak law gets introduced (and passed) before something like in IL.

Obviously though, I'd be loath to argue for anything that'd just draw attention to something "flying below the radar," if Salvia could be said to be doing that. Any comments?

[Salvinorin A]

SWIM is all for pushing for the weak laws like prohibiting sales to minors. Not only will that quiet most people down for some time, but in a sense swim agrees with it quite a bit.

SWIM thinks it's coming out of hiding. SWIM's reading about all these states considering salvia bans..it's just going to keep going until most states are pro-ban...and it will end up back in the House to try to get it federally banned. But once again...what do they have? SWIM thinks that they haven't learned anything more about Sal since 2002 that would incriminate it in any way (anybody heard word from the DEA study?).

Quite a shame.....but SWIM is at least happy that he feels safe in his home even if it became illegal....but would highly prefer that it not....wouldn't be surprised though.

Sal-A

[Iheartbradrenfro]

Originally Posted by aerozeppelin123

Yep I totally agree with you, unfortunately none of us live in free countries, and we have to live with less than perfect circumstances.

Life right!? Lol !

[Iheartbradrenfro]

Originally Posted by zera

Frankly if I lived in a free country I should be able to post videos of me going bonking nuts on youtube without any fear of reprisal. That's how freedom works.

I agree with you about the idiocy of banning Salvia. But I wonder where you get your notion of 'freedom' from. Is enslaving yourself to some sort of pseudo-anarchy, other people's concepts and using time less than constructively 'freedom'? That's news to me. Seriously I am not attacking you, I am just trying to make you see the flaw in the argument. Freedom is NOT doing whatever you feel like. Freedom (by the American libertarian concept anyway - I'm not a libertarian, I'm a socialist but I'll use the dialogue. Plus for this particular situation, distinction isn't necessary) is doing what you like providing the health of society isn't destroyed. And people don't seem to realise how their small actions can affect a greater culture. If freedom WAS doing what people wanted for no reason, then society would fall apart. And then we'd see what kind of 'freedom' that would result in.

[cra$h]

yea but it doesnt pose a harm to anyone exept yourself, which is what you control, and the risk you take, just like skydiving. no one swim knows jumps out of windows while in salvia land, and matter of fact, cant even move just because they dont know where they are, and they're laughing to hard

[AquafinaOrbit]

Free market economies, but beyond that most countries these days tend to lean more on the communism side of government. Really is sad they are trying to ban a drug simply because they think they should be able to control what we see.

[Nucking Futs]

Hello all,

I wonder if we would be having this conversation if it were tobaco or alcohol that were being band? Obviously there would be a MASSIVE out sry from the greater community (worlwide) but how about us? I for one would be pissed @ the banning of alcohol but tobaco ??? The possative effects are almost non existant and the negative almost to many to mention.

Please use the blog for monologues such as this one and the other ones you've been posting.

^^^^ I think that this is a good disscusion topic and congratulate you.

Salvia altho legal in my country has not been tried by myself. I have however read alot about it on this and other forums an it seems to me like a matter of time before it is more widley band. If LSD and Shrooms and other psychedelic drugs are band with no chance of declasification then how can one reasonably expect Salvonorin (I assume this is whats been band) stay legal ?? Oh I forgot these policy makers are not reasonable. Notable that a hard ass state like California has given age restriction the ok over a total ban. A move in the right direction for drug policy I think.

Regards,

ME.

[Greenport]

If it were tobacco or alcohol on the table we could come up with many reasons to ban them. But salvia has no known negative medicinal effects.

Ftw thanks for the responses thus far