Ohio House votes unanimously to ban Salvia divinorum

[lulz]

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Aaron Marshall

Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus- Ohio House lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday to ban a psychoactive herb that can take smokers on a mind-bending psychedelic ride akin to LSD.

Ohio is poised to become the sixth state to ban the plant - known as Salvia divinorum - putting the substance on par with marijuana as a drug that is illegal to purchase, possess or sell in any quantity. To become law, the measure needs to be approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Ted Strickland.

Rep. Thom Collier, Republican of Mount Vernon, who sponsored the bill, called the obscure Mexican herb in the mint family "one of the most potent, naturally occurring psychoactive compounds."

The active ingredient in the plant - salvinorin A - is widely regarded by biochemists as one of the strongest natural hallucinogens known to man, but is not considered addictive.

"It is truly a mind-altering herb," Collier said.

The lawmaker said he was prompted to act by the death of a 12-year-old Loudonville boy, who was killed by a friend who had smoked the herb. Although it isn't clear whether the friend was on the drug when he shot and killed the 12-year-old, Collier said the bill will put Ohio "on the cutting edge of ensuring the safety of its young people."

Small packages of the herb - sold under the name Holy Smoke - could be found last year at a Lorain Avenue pipe store in Cleveland and are available on the Internet with varying degrees of potency. The dried leaves can be smoked or chewed.

The plant, used for centuries in ceremonies by medicine men of the Mazatec Indian tribe in Mexico, produces potent and intense hallucinations in which users report feeling separated from their body and as if they are entering another reality. The effects are said to last for less than an hour, a much shorter duration than synthetic hallucinogens such as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide).

http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer...960.xml&coll=2

[Paracelsus]

Strickland will approve without hesitation. After all, drugs compete with higher interests such as Big Tobacco's, which he seems to defend. He's currently after 230,000,000 $ that belong to the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation. If he gets that money (judge will rule next week), lots of free smoking cessation projects will have to close due to lack of funds.

[klaatu]

Originally Posted by lulz

The lawmaker said he was prompted to act by the death of a 12-year-old Loudonville boy, who was killed by a friend who had smoked the herb. Although it isn't clear whether the friend was on the drug when he shot and killed the 12-year-old, Collier said the bill will put Ohio "on the cutting edge of ensuring the safety of its young people."

So ban guns then.

Klaatu

[TMM]

Originally Posted by klaatu

So ban guns then.

Klaatu

Better yet, ban water. I'm sure the killer had had some of that as well.

[RaverHippie]

DAMN! This is extremely co-incidental for my friend, you see he made his first purchase of salvia two days ago over the internet. Looks like he just dodged a bullet...

[Hyperspaceblastoff]

they werent even clear he was on the drug
that is so FUCKING STUPID
apparently its guilty until proven innocent
and he obviously wasnt on the drug since it lasts 5 minutes and ur incapable of moving

[lulz]

Originally Posted by Hyperspaceblastoff

they werent even clear he was on the drug

In Ireland magic mushrooms were recently legal until a guy "on mushrooms" jumped off a balcony - turns out he drank a bottle of wine or two, had a few cans of beer, and then ate something like 1/16th ounce of mushrooms. =/

[jazzmetalguitar]

SWIM ran and stocked up after hearing this....