what is salvia drug

Salvia is a plant species native to the mountains of southern Mexico that has transient psychoactive properties when its leaves, or extracts made from the leaves, are administered by smoking, chewing, or drinking. The leaves contain the potent compound salvinorin A and can induce a dissociative state and hallucinations. Salvia is also known as diviners sage, magic mint, maria pastora, sally-d, seer's sage, and shepherdess's herb. Salvinorin A affects structures in the brain called opioid receptors, which makes salvia different from other hallucinogenic drugs like LSD and mushrooms, which affect the brain's levels of a chemical called serotonin. Salvia can be ingested in various forms, including smoking, chewing, drinking as a tea, or as a tincture administered sublingually. The effects of salvia can range from inducing a mild meditative state to bringing about a more intense hallucinatory one. The biggest problem with salvia is that it has such dramatic psychological effects, and people under the influence of salvia can be a real danger to themselves due to impaired coordination and reality. Salvia is illegal in a number of foreign countries and in many American states.