A bill would ban a hallucinogenic plant native to Mexico.
The legislation filed by Democratic Sen. Bill Purcell of Laurinburg today would add Salvia divinorum to the list of Schedule I drugs, the toughest standard in North Carolina.
Under state law, those drugs must have "a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use" or a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. The list currently includes heroin, LSD and barbiturates, among other hard drugs.
At least six states, including Ohio and California, currently ban Salvia divinorum. Sometimes known as "Sally D" or as "diviner's sage," it is a psychedelic member of the mint family which has been used for centuries in Mexico for healing and divination.
The herb is cheap and does not show up in most drug tests.
Purcell is a retired pediatrician.
Update: Purcell said he became concerned after hearing about people using the herb who became violent or suicidal. He said it appears to be more commonly used in the western part of the state.
"Methamphetamine got out of control before we did anything about that," he said. "I'm hoping we can do something sooner this time."
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Re: Bill would outlaw hallucinogenic mint
I'm bothered by the use of the phrase "protecting our children". It's vague, it's tired, and it implies that anyone who disagrees with the speaker's position would do children harm.
I should say upfront that I am not a drug user, and so my concerns are not with preserving my way of life. They have everything to do with preserving personal liberty.
I worry about classifying Salvia in the same schedule as heroin - I don't want to expose more people to criminal prosecution.
I worry that the bill was introduced into the Senate on mere anecdotal evidence.
Most of all, though, I worry that the ban is overreaching and unnecessary. If we trust adults in our state to have an after-dinner drink or a mimosa with brunch, we should trust them with smoking Salvia in their own homes. There can be no justification to ban it while other substances that pose real public health risks remain readily available. Salvia has not been conclusively implicated in a single case of overdose or death, nor a single traffic accident caused by overindulgence.
We live in a country where we need a good reason to ban something rather than a good reason to keep it legal. I hope that the Senators, with their votes, will show that they are proud as well.