Introduction

This guide is by no means a complete reference for any would-be Salvia divinorum user. It simply describes, compares and contrasts the different methods by which one can experience the effects of Salvia Divinorum. There are other factors which must first be taken into consideration before you should embark on your journey with salvia: don’t take too much. Start off with smaller doses first and get comfortable with the experience, then maybe later, increase that dose slightly. Never jump in at the deep end – it could put you off salvia for a long time. Also, especially if it’s your first time with salvia, or the first time you’ve increased your dose, make sure you have someone sober nearby making sure nothing bad happens. With that warning out of the way, here we go!

The “Mazatec Oldskool” Method

Traditionally, the Mazatec people, indigenous to the Oaxaca region of Mexico where Salvia divinorum was first found, used to use salvia as part of their shamanic practices. It is believed they used to grind up large quantities of Salvia divinorum leaf, which was then added to water and drank. This method leaves a lot to be desired. We know now that salvinorin-a, the active chemical in Salvia divinorum is not very readily absorbed through the stomach, so large quantities of leaf must be used. It also doesn’t taste particularly fantastic. These drawbacks are countered by the fact that the effects from the salvia last much longer than any other method outlined here. The Mazatecs also used to chew fresh leaf for long periods of time, which is still quite popular today. See the Quid method for more details.

Pros:

• Safe
• Doesn’t harm the lungs
• Longer lasting effects

Cons:

• Inefficient – lots of leaves required for desired effect
• Tastes horrible

Smoking Leaf

Smoking salvia leaf can be effective, but it’s not ideal for non-smokers. The active chemical in Salvia divinorum, salvinorin-a, requires a high temperature to vaporise, so the leaf should be smoked through a pipe or bong rather than rolled as a cigarette. When smoking the leaf through a pipe or bong, you should try and use a torch lighter if possible. The extra heat generated by the torch flame will vaporise more of the salvinorin-a per hit compared with a regular lighter. That said, many users have reported a more relaxed mood shift when smoked as a cigarette, and a more “trippy” high when using it to replace tobacco in a cannabis joint. It’s generally considered harder to achieve the full effects of Salvia divinorum when smoking only leaf, compared with the stronger extracts. This is because the salvinorin-a from the leaf is metabolised by the body rather quickly, so smoking more over a longer duration will only maintain the level of trip, rather than enhancing it. To get the most from this method, it is advised that you take two to three hits from the pipe or bong, each time holding your breath for as long as you can, exceeding 30 seconds if possible. The effects will be noticeable after about one minute, giving you up to about three hits before you should put the pipe or bong down. The effects will remain for up to about half an hour.

Pros:

• Quick
• Easy
• No bad taste
• Relatively safe – It’s quite hard to get too much salvinorin-a into your body from smoking only leaf

Cons:

• Hard to achieve effects
• Smoking anything is never good for your lungs
• Harsh on the throat/lungs – the smoke is very hot
• Short effect duration

Smoking Extract

Salvia divinorum extracts are quite simply salvia leaf with a lot more kick. Extracts are prepared by taking the salvinorin-a from a large quantity of leaf and depositing it back onto a much smaller quantity of leaf. For example, one gram of 20x extract is, give or take, one gram of salvia leaf, with the salvinorin-a of 20g of leaf added to it. To visualise it, imagine filling your bowl with 20x the amount of normal leaf, and smoking it all. For more information on the extracting process, you might like this article: How To Make Salvia divinorum Extract. This method ensures you get enough salvinorin-a into your body as soon as possible, opening up the deeper levels of the salvia experience. Unfortunately, due to the strength of some extracts, it can be hard to accurately measure out a correct dose, so you could end up taking in far more than you intended. The extract should also be smoked in a pipe or bong.

Pros:

• Effects are very easy to achieve
• Less material needs to be smoked compared to leaf for the same effects

Cons:

• Short effect duration
• Easy to take too much
• Smoking anything is never good for your lungs
• Harsh on the throat/lungs – the smoke is very hot

The Quid Method

A “quid” is basically a big wad of leaves. Fresh leaves, if possible, but dry leaves can be used too. If the leaves are dry, immerse them in a cup of warm water for about a minute before you wish to begin – this step is essential, otherwise you’ll be chewing on dry leaf, which will taste just plain disgusting. Take about ten to fifteen fresh or soaked leaves, roll them up into a ball and pop the ball, or quid, into your mouth. Now all you have to do is chew those awful tasting leaves for a good fifteen to thirty minutes. Sounds easy? Well, you have to do it swallowing as little saliva as possible. This method works by a process called “sublingual absorption”: the salvinorin-a is absorbed into your blood through the mouth, so the quid needs to stay in your mouth for as long as possible. After the time is up, you should begin to feel the effects, although rather subtly compared to smoking the leaf or extract. You can now either spit out the contents of your mouth, or swallow it. Swallowing it can be a ghastly experience, but it’s recommended, since any remaining salvinorin-a in your saliva or the leaf will eventually get absorbed through your stomach. Just like the “Mazatec Oldskool” method, the effects last longer than smoking.

Pros:

• Safe
• Doesn’t harm the lungs

Cons:

• Tastes horrible
• Takes longer for the effects to set in
• Can be harder to obtain full effects

Salvinorin Tincture

Salvinorin tincture works in the same way as the quid method: sublingual absorption. That is, you let the liquid sit in your mouth for 15 to 30 minutes, allowing the salvinorin-a to diffuse into your blood through your mouth. The tincture itself is an alcohol-based solution of salvinorin-a, meaning doses can be measured more accurately by diluting it, and it doesn’t taste nearly as bad. The effects are also brought about much faster.

Pros:

• Quick
• Easy
• Relatively safe
• Tastes nicer than quid method
• Doesn’t harm the lungs

Cons:

• If the tincture is not diluted enough, it can burn the mouth

Conclusions

Many people report a variety of different effects from each method, from nothing at all, to a full-blown shit-your-pants trip. Non-smokers will naturally prefer the oral methods, while smokers would naturally be more comfortable smoking the leaf or extract. It’s also not unheard of for people to combine two or more of the above methods to achieve a greater effect than either on their own.