How To Use Salvia Divinorum

[Synchronium]

[Used with permission from The Coffeesh0p - Original article: How To Use Salvia Divinorum]

How To Use Salvia Divinorum

Tue 6th September, 2007 by John Clarke


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 particulaly 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 Divinorum 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 vapourise, 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 vapourise 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 upto 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 extraction process, you might want to check out 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, emmerse 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 subtley 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. 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
• Tasts 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.

[Paradoxic]

This is an awesome guide, a great addition to the knowledge section (we really should have had this a while ago).

I really like how you list the pros and cons for each method, it definitely sets this guide apart from others like it. Genius+

[Sea Mac]

Yes: I remember being impressed when I read that on your site ...

[DrYRHead]

Another advantage to the oral, tincture or quid, methods, is that the trip lasts longer. It is not as intense that way though.

[Dominaduro]

Why does it last longer?

Is it because more gets absorbed or what?

[strangeworld]

My understanding was that virtually anything smoked is absorbed extremely quickly into the bloodstream via the lungs, hits you all at once, and then tapers off quickly. I would also guess that quite a bit of active ingredient is destroyed by the burning process.

Whereas straight eating something, a TON more is eaten than would be smoked, and despite a lot of that being destroyed by stomach acid process, there is still boatloads to be slowly absorbed over the next few hours via the digestive system.

The quid process to me fits somewhere in between - still lots more in volume is taken than would be smoked, and while some is swallowed and absorbed very slowly/destroyed, quite a bit is absorbed via the mouths membranes into the bloodstream, but still waaay slower than via the lungs. I would expect that a slow steady stream of active ingredient absorbed this way (with back up coming later in the form of swallowed active ingredient laden saliva), would tend to draw out the experience significantly, and limit the intensity somewhat as its not all hitting the brain at the same time?

Just my take on the alternate processes...

[Paradoxic]

Another advantage to the oral, tincture or quid, methods, is that the trip lasts longer. It is not as intense that way though.

I have been wanting to try the quid method for some time now, and I should have enough fresh leaves to do it soon. But it is still a bit unclear to me as to what to expect. I cant really imagine Salvia being less intense and still having significant effects. Could someone maybe lay out an example of a specific kind of Salvia effect that was experienced while smoked and how that same effect (or a similar one) is different when the Salvia is ingested using the quid method?

[Dominaduro]

For me..."less intense" was just a major lack of visuals (didn't get them with smoking leaves either). I didn't get much body effects either, maybe my thought process changed.

But that's just because I'm not too sensitive with Salvinorin A, there's people who even get as equally powerful trips using tincture and smoking. Really depends on the person.

Dominaduro

[DrYRHead]

Why does it last longer?

Is it because more gets absorbed or what?

It just goes into the blood stream slower. Comparing the smoked vs quid or tincture methods for SD almost reminds me of comparing smoked DMT to oral DMT via Ayahuasca type brews(DMT + an MAOI). When either Salvinorin A or DMT are smoked the main trip last only about 5 to 30 minutes. However, when taken orally the effects can last from about an hour to up to 4 hours. The effects can come in waves via the oral route with both DMT and SD, also. When either are smoked  the peak effect is very sharp.

[spindrifter]

I have an idea for a novel method of use.

Since oral ingestion seems to destroy the active principle, why not incorporate an accurately measured dose into a polyethylene glycol-based suppository?

All you would need would be some very pure extract, some PEG, a suppository mold, a very accurate balance, a microwave oven, and a refrigerator.

I predict the experience would be extra long, and probably more intense than holding a gross-tasting quid, because the circulation from the rectum largely bypasses the liver, so there would be little 'first-pass' metabolism, if indeed the active principle is hepatically metabolized.

Speaking of which, I'm wondering if anyone knows any actual metabolism & distribution information about salvinorin A. It would be very useful to know if it is short-acting because some enzyme in the plasma is rapidly destroying it by lopping off a vital functional group, or if it gets rapidly locked up in fat.

I think I'll make it a project and let y'all know how it turns out.

[Arcygenical]

Oh god, please do.

Suppositories aren't my thing though :p.

[JDogHerman]

kind of like this? except with salvia rather than DMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6EbDZnkmVw

[spindrifter]

LOL

Yeah, I mean exactly like that. Heh. Their melted butter/syringe method sounds very easy to prepare, and would be well tollerated. The minute I get enough material from my plants, I will give it a shot.

[Arcygenical]

HAHAHAHAHA. That suppositoral DMT video made me laugh really hard.

[cleazenby]

Could someone post something about vaporizing plain leaf or extract? SWIM believed the vape point is around 530F....