Salvia divinorum

Fact Sheet
February 2011

News Release: Harper Government Takes Action to Protect Families

Salvia divinorum (S. divinorum) is a species of sage belonging to the mint family. Certain websites promote the use of S. divinorum as a "legal" alternative to street drugs.  The products are sold in a number of forms, including fresh or dried leaves, liquids or seeds and plant cuttings for growing purposes. 

Canadians should not use products containing S. divinorum and/or salvinorin A because they are hallucinogenic and little is known about the long-term effects of these substances on the brain and body; how it interacts with other substances, including other drugs, natural health products and alcohol; and the potential of S. divinorum to produce physical dependence and/or addiction.

Risks Associated with the Use of Salvia divinorum

S. divinorum is known to have both physical and mental effects, which may include:

• hallucinations
• dysphoria (feeling anxious, depressed or restless)
• out-of-body experiences
• uncontrollable laughter
• loss of consciousness
• short-term memory loss
• lack of physical coordination
• slurred speech and awkward sentence patterns

Legal Status of Salvia divinorum

In Canada

S. divinorum currently meets the definition of a natural health product (NHP) under the Natural Health Products Regulations.  As of February 2011, Health Canada has not authorized for sale any natural health products which contain S. divinorum as an ingredient.  The sale of unauthorized natural health products containing S. divinorum or its main active ingredient salvinorin A may be subject to compliance and enforcement action by Health Canada under the Food and Drugs Act.

While S. divinorum and salvinorin A are not currently scheduled under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), Health Canada has issued a Notice to Interested Parties which proposes to include S. divinorum and salvinorin A as controlled substances under the CDSA.  This means that activities such as possession, trafficking, importation, exportation, production (or cultivation), possession for the purpose of trafficking or possession for the purposes of exporting would be illegal unless authorized by regulation

In Other Countries

Several countries including but not limited to Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Japan, have placed similar controls on the import and/or sale of S. divinorum and/or salvinorin A.

In the United States, S. divinorum and salvinorin A are not regulated under the Controlled Substances Act, but a number of individual states have placed similar restrictions on their sale and/or import.

Research on the use of Salvia divinorum in Canada?

Results from the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey (CADUMS) reveal that, in 2009, 1.6% of Canadians aged 15 years and older have reported using S. divinorum at least once in their lifetime, with a much higher rate of use (7.3%) in youth aged 15-24.  The results from the Canadian 2008-2009 Youth Smoking Survey also show that 5% of 15 year olds have used S. divinorum in the past year.  The 2009 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) indicated that 5.4% of Ontario students in grades 7-12 reported ever using S. divinorum and 4.4% of these students reported using this substance in the past year.

Need More Info?

For information on how to submit a consumer or trade complaint about the unauthorized sale of health products containing S. divinorum please consult the following documents: 

• Consumers
• Trade Or contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate directly by calling toll-free 1-800-267-9675.

To report an adverse reaction or interaction involving any health product, contact Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345 (toll free in Canada), or visit the MedEffect Canada web section at: www.health.gc.ca/medeffect.

For more information on the risks of using Salvia, please see It's Your Health.