A Guide To Smoking Salvia divinorum

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A simple procedure for this process, which is to use a conventional hash oil pipe. A hash oil pipe is made by creating a bubble or bowl at one end of a glass tube, with an opening at the top. Although hash oil is no longer commonly available4 these pipes can occasionally be found in stores. A hash oil pipe allows better visibility of the melting and vaporization, and better confinement of the vaporized material against escaping without being inhaled. Even with a hash oil pipe the technique requires precision. The use of a micro-torch or "jet flame" lighter is essential, not only due to salvinorin A's high boiling point, but also because a conventional lighter will coat the outside of the pipe in carbon, obscuring visibility of the melting/vaporization process.The flame must be continually moved over the bottom of the bowl until the material has melted. These torches are hot enough to cause the bowl to quickly expand and buckle if the flame is kept at one point on the bowl. This causes the solid salvinorin A crystals to disperse over a large area inside the bowl, which does not allow for efficient vaporization. It is important that only self-extinguishing torches or lighters are used in this process, as salvinorin A takes effect very rapidly. One does not want to be traveling through hyperspace while a lit torch is burning at their side


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Dried leaves can be smoked in a pipe. They need to be smoked hot and the smoke must be inhaled deeply and quickly to have an effect. Because salvinorin requires high temperatures to vaporize, it is best to hold a flame immediately above the leaves, drawing it down into the leaves the whole time you inhale. The leaves can be smoked in a short-stemmed tobacco pipe, glass pipe,in a bong, or in a "steamroller" pipe. Fill up a medium size bowl with leaves. Use a hand-held jet butane lighter that will go out when you are no longer pressing it, not a match. Have a large ashtray or tip-proof bowl to set the pipe in when you feel you've had enough. Remember that when you are immersed in the experience you may forget you are holding a lit pipe. You could drop it, causing a burn or a fire; therefore, it is best to have a sitter present when smoking. First effects will be noticed within a minute of inhaling. After 5-6 minutes the effects will gradually begin to subside. The total duration of the experience may be less than 30 minutes or as long as an hour.


Extract-enhanced leaves can also be smoked. Extract-enhanced leaves can be very strong and should only be smoked when a sitter is present. It is possible to vaporize leaves or extract in a special vaporizer that heats up material without burning it. Vaporization can be deceiving. Because very little smoke is produced, it is possible to inhale a very large dose without realizing it. Anyone trying vaporization absolutely MUST have a sitter present.


Vaporization of pure Salvinorin A is also possible, but it is not recommended! Unless the dose has been measured very precisely, this is extremely dangerous, as it's very easy to vaporize too large a dose. To be done safely, vaporization of salvinorin A requires weighing the dose on a very precise chemical balance capable of weighing in micrograms (millionths of a gram). These analytical balances cost well over $1000. There are now available standardized doses of Salvinorin A on leaves, using such preparations enables one to inhale a known precisely-measured dose of salvinorin A. This makes it possible to experiment with salvinorin A without having to buy an analytical balance, and it greatly reduces the risk of overdose.

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GUIDELINES FOR USING SALVIA INTELLIGENTLY AND SAFELY
Salvia divinorum is a remarkablly safe herb, provided that it is used in a safe manner. It can produce fascinating experiences that are deeply enriching, provided that it is used intelegently. Please pay carefull attention to the follwing basic safety guidlines:
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<LI>NEVER USE SALVIA IF GUNS, KNIVES, OR OTHER DANGEROUS OBJECTS ARE WITHIN EASY REACH.
<LI>NEVER DRIVE WHEN TAKING SALVIA.
<LI>Choose the time and place of your salvia experience carefully. Privacy and safety are essential. Be very careful about heights, and open flames such as candles. Do not take Salvia when you may be interrupted by phone calls, visits, pets, children, etc. Turn off your telephone and set your answering machine to silently record incoming calls. You can return the calls in a couple of hours once you are sober.
<LI>Give careful thought to how much you will take, and how you take it.
<LI>After all smoking material is safely out, lie down in bed, on a couch, or on a carpet. You are much safer lying down than you would be stumbling around. Stay put for the rest of the experience. The visionary effects are best perceived with eyes closed.
<LI>Have a sitter (this is especially important if you are new to Salvia, taking a high dose, smoking a strong extract, or using a very strong delivery system (such as vaporization).
<LI>Volunteer to be a sitter for others.
<LI>If you have mental health problems, don't take Salvia without first discussing it with your therapist, or doctor.
<LI>Practice and encourage responsible use. don't give Salvia to minors, or to violent or unstable people. Don't share it with strangers. Know who you are giving it to and know why they want to use it.
<LI>Never take Salvia while at work or in public. Keep it private. It's not for concerts. It is not for raves. It's not for large noisy parties. Better to use it in a quiet safe private place in the company of a close friend.
<LI>Mixing Salvia with other drugs or large amounts of alcohol may cause out-of-control behavior, or terrifying experiences. While experienced Salvia users have experimented with combinations, these are not for Salvia beginners, and are certainly riskier than just using Salvia by itself. While there are no known toxic drug-drug interactions between Salvia and anything else, this has not been studied scientifically (see above for a discussion of a possible toxic drug-drug interaction of salvia with GABA).
<LI>Be extra careful of flames (candles, lighters, fire, etc.) when using Salvia.
<LI>Be very careful about using vaporized extracts, vaporized leaves, or smoking high-potency extract-enhanced leaves. These require a sitter to be present. Chewing quid or smoking leaves is much less likely to produce out-of-control behavior than these are.
<LI>Never use pure salvinorin A unless the dose you are taking has been weighed with an ultra-accurate balance that can weigh out doses in micrograms, and you know exactly how much you can safely take. Even if you do meet these requirements, you still should have a sitter present. </LI>[/list]

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PROCESSING PLANT MATERIAL
Dried Salvia divinorum leaves should be stored in sealed containers away from light. Stored this way, the leaves will retain their potency for many, many years, perhaps indefinitely (nobody knows just how long). If you are growing your own, you will probably want to dry leaves for future use. There are several ways to do this.



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<LI>Method 1.) Nature's Bounty
Wait until the leaves die or are shed. Gather them. Place them on a plate in a room with low humidity. Turn often. Wait until they are dry, then store. It is not known if naturally shed leaves are stronger or weaker than picked leaves.
Advantage: you won't be depriving your plants of leaves it needs.
Disadvantage: you will have to wait until the plant is ready to make a donation to your cause. Leaves may not be in prime condition.



<LI>Method 2.) Salvia "Tobacco"
Take big, freshly picked leaves and place one atop another (like stacking sheets of paper). Then cut through the pile, making 1/2 cm. (1/4 inch) strips. Pile these on a plate into a heap. Turn them twice daily until they are dry but not crispy.
Advantage: The resulting "tobacco" is said to give a smoother smoke than thoroughly dried leaves.
Disadvantage: It is possible that this slow partial drying results in weaker leaves that may not keep as long as thoroughly dried (crispy) leaves.



<LI>Method 3.) Food Dehydrator
Dry in a food dehydrator. These are available where small kitchen appliances are sold. Drying is very fast and thorough. Dry until the leaves, including the leaf stems, are crispy. Touch the leaves with your fingers to see if they are thoroughly dried. If they are, the leaf stems should snap if pressure is applied to it.
Advantages: speed, thorough drying, and convenience.
Disadvantage: Cost of buying a dehydrator.



<LI>Method 4.) Oven Dried Salvia
Place on an oven-proof dish. Oven dry in an oven set at no more than 175 degrees F.
Advantage: speed, thorough drying, and convenience.
Disadvantages: Somewhat less convenient than using a food dehydrator. It may be hard to keep oven temperature at an optimal range.



<LI>Method 5.) Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) Drying
Calcium chloride is available from chemical supply houses, or as "Damp-Rid" refills, from most hardware stores. Place a sufficient amount of calcium chloride in the bottom of a polyethylene container. Place a piece of aluminum foil over but not touching the CaCl2, and place the leaves to be dried on top of foil. Curling up the edges of the foil, should prevent the leaves from touching the CaCl2. Then seal the container. The leaves should be dry in about two days.
Advantage: very thorough drying.
Disadvantages: less convenient than other methods. Slow.


</LI>[/list]However you dry the leaves, store them in a sealed jar away from light. A clean glass canning jar works very well (Mason jar). Storing the jar inside a kitchen cabinet or medicine chest will keep it away from light. Stored this way, leaves will retain their potency for many, many years.