News

LANSING – State Representative Mike Simpson (D-Jackson) today announced that legislation he co-sponsored cracking down on the unregulated sale and consumption of a powerful hallucinogenic plant, salvia divinorum, has passed out of the Healthy Policy Committee and will now head to the House for a full vote.

Simpson said he was first alerted to the growing problem of teenage salvia use by the Waterloo Police Explorers, who were on hand to testify at the hearing.

           "When smoked or chewed, the leaves of the salvia divinorum can produce hallucinogenic effects similar to that of LSD," Simpson said. "I'd like to thank Waterloo police officer Shawn Warren for bringing his group up to testify to my colleagues about the dangers of salvia. As of now, this drug is frighteningly easy to get, and it's becoming more and more popular among young people as a way to get high. It's time to get salvia divinorum off the shelves before someone gets seriously hurt."

Salvia divinorum is a powerful natural hallucinogen initially used in religious ceremonies by Mazatec Indians in Mexico. It has recently spread to the U.S. and other countries, where it can often be bought over the counter or from Internet sites as leaves or a liquid extract.

Salvia divinorum is currently illegal in at least 20 states and 6 foreign countries.  Many other states and the Drug Enforcement Agency are currently in the process of taking action to further prohibit this hallucinogen.

Simpson's legislation will classify salvia divinorum as a Schedule 1 narcotic, subject to criminal penalties for purchasing, selling, possessing or using.

"There is little information about what long-term effects salvia use has on people," Simpson said. "We can't take any chances. I call on my colleagues to work with me to pass this legislation in order to protect our children and families."