| After more than five years of examination, the Drug | | | | to ban salvia," Bruning said. "I think it is important that |
| Enforcement Administration (DEA) has yet to find that | | | | salvia not be allowed to be used by members of the |
| salvia divinorum is dangerous or addictive enough to | | | | public." |
| merit placement as a scheduled drug under the | | | | Nebraska's northern neighbor, South Dakota, is on the |
| Controlled Substances Act, but that isn't stopping | | | | verge of doing the same. A bill pronouncing the salvia |
| legislators across the land from moving to criminalize it | | | | "threat" an emergency easily passed the House two |
| or restrict its sales despite the lack of any real | | | | weeks ago and a Senate committee this week. Under |
| evidence that it does anything more than take its users | | | | the emergency legislation, a ban would go into effect |
| on a psychedelic journey of a no more than a few | | | | immediately upon the governor's signature of the bill. |
| minutes duration. | | | | And the Kentucky House Tuesday voted 99-0 to |
| Since the plant was first banned in Delaware in 2004, | | | | make it illegal to possess, buy, sell, or cultivate |
| a handful of states each year have made efforts to | | | | K]A,WC?O7U*6PH3H>*CT4HZ$WN#B/E[ ^P/1 |
| prohibit the increasingly popular psychedelic. This year, | | | | &articleid=1945908&message=Article Added! |
| the trickle is turning into a tide despite a rising chorus of | | | | Your Article is now pending approval." |
| opposition from scientists, researchers, public health | | | | title="salvia">salvia. The sponsor of that bill, Rep. Will |
| experts, and people who believe they should be able | | | | Coursey (R-Benton) told his colleagues the plant was |
| to control their own consciousness. | | | | a safety risk. |
| The Nebraska legislature voted 44-0 last Friday to add | | | | Meanwhile, similar bills have been filed or proposed in |
| salvia and its active ingredient, Salvinorin A, to Schedule | | | | Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North |
| I of its controlled substance list, the same as LSD and | | | | Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. |
| psychedelic mushrooms. The state of Nebraska is | | | | Thirteen states -- Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, |
| going to save its youth from themselves by sending | | | | Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, |
| them to prison for up to five years for having some | | | | Oklahoma, and Virginia -- have classified salvia as |
| leaf or extract, and up to 20 years for selling it. | | | | Schedule I under state drug laws. Three more -- |
| The man behind the campaign to ban the plant, | | | | Louisiana, Maine, and Tennessee -- restrict the sale of |
| Attorney General Jon Bruning, pronounced himself | | | | the plant. Maine and California ban it only for minors. |
| satisfied. "I'm pleased with the legislature's vote today | | | | |