Beginning in January 2008 the state of Illinois has made the use and possession of this compound and the plant material illegal.
Historical Use
Salvia divinorum has been used by the Mazatec Indians of northern Oaxaca, Mexica for many hundreds of years. Some common names are Diviner's sage, ska Pastora, hojas de la Pastora, seer's sage and la Maria. The plant is a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family and was employed for its hallucinogen effects for ritual divination and healing. Originally reported in 1939 by Jean Basset Johnson and has brought to the mass media by Daniel Siebert in the early 1990’s. Route of administration was oral via chewing the leaves and holding them in the mouth similar to cocaine use. Dried leaves were also smoked with first effects appearing in 5-10 minutes. Salvia species are members of the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family, also known as the Mint family, which contains is a family of plants in about 210 genera and some 3,500 species with at least 95 species of the genus salvia. The plant has some interesting history and botany. Salvia divinorum exhibits partial sterility with very few seeds produced and is propagated by cuttings or laying and is considered a true cultigen.