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The Different Ways to Use Salvia
Originally from Mazateca Mexico, the
psychedelic herb Salvia, also known as salvia divinorum, had at least two known
traditional methods of how it was used.
The first way was known as infusion. The infusion process consisted of
taking two, raw salvia leaves, rubbing them together, and then squeezing the
leaves until the juices came out. The
salvia juices were then mixed with water and ingested. Infusion is thought to be the least effective
method of usage because the components that create the psychedelic effects of
Salvia are not water soluble. Therefore,
it is believed that achieving the effects of this plant are not because of the
plant being in the stomach, but rather from the absorption of the plant while
it is in the mouth.
The second way that salvia
was used, traditionally and modernly, was through chewing and/or swallowing the
plant. This process consisted of rolling
the herb/plant into a small bundle, chewing the herb/plant up, and then
possibly swallowing it. It is stated
that, if you can handle the bitter taste that can lead to nausea, that chewing
is one of the most effective, long lasting ways to achieve the effects of
Salvia. However, actually swallowing the
Salvia has been proven to be ineffective because it is “deactivated” when it
enters the stomach (gastrointestinal system).
Hence, when chewing is the chosen form of usage, the plant is usually
held in the mouth as long as possible so that it can be absorbed as much as
possible.
While chewing has been a
traditional and modern way to ingest or use Salvia, there are other, more
popular ways to use this plant. Smoking
dried Salvia leaves is probably one of the most popular forms of usage today. However, there is a slight issue with smoking
Salvia leaves. In order to release the
salvirion, which is what is inhaled to achieve the psychedelic effects, the temperature
of the heat or flame applied to the leaves needs to be very high. Moreover, it has been stated that using only
dried and/or crushed Salvia leaves does not produce a very strong effect;
therefore, it is best to use Salvia extract, which greatly reduces the amount
of smoke you would need to inhale to achieve results. Many people use a water pipe to smoke salvia,
so as to cool the smoke before they inhale it.
One last way to use or
ingest salvia is through vaporization. This process consists of bringing either
pure salvinorin A, the Salvia extract, or even the powdered form of the leaf to
a very high temperature, without actually catching salvinorin on fire, and
turning the salvinorin into a gas to be inhaled. This is known to be slightly less damaging to
your lungs because you are not inhaling smoke or carbon monoxide as with
smoking dried salvia leaves, but rather inhaling a gas. Currently, there are
not any vaporizers made specifically for Salvia products or extracts; however,
it is very easy to construct vaporizers at home. The effects of vaporization
are known to be very strong.
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