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 johnm214
 
Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 4,358
Loc: Americas
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 Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen
#7764642 - 12/16/07 02:35 AM |
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last updated: December 16, 2007
http://www.dailycardinal.com/article/1525
Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen
By: Matt Jividen /The Daily Cardinal - December 12, 2007
Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen
There is a danger growing around Madison. And no, it isn’t the sexual assaults, kidnappings, bank robberies, murders or violence. According to state lawmakers (and probably Lou Dobbs), it is imports from Mexico that may be here illegally to destroy American culture and American youth.
I’m talking, of course about Salvia Divinorum—a non habit-forming herb that has historically been used in the Mazatec region of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Oaxaca, Mexico as part of ritualistic healing and prophecy rituals. Since the early 1990s, it has increased in popularity in the United States (although, to call it popular is somewhat misleading.) State Representatives Sheldon Wasserman and David Cullen authored a bill that would prohibit the sale and manufacturing of Salvia Divinorum. The Assembly Criminal Justice Committee held a public hearing on the measure last Wednesday.
Currently, there is no Federal regulation on the herb. According to Bertha Madras, deputy director of demand reduction for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, “Salvia Divinorum is so far down the list, it’s a tiny fraction of 1 percent.” Although Wasserman doesn’t seem to understand much about the herb, he feels it is dangerous. He says, “[Salvia] affects the way we think, the way we act. It impairs our judgment.” I will not dispute these facts, but I emphatically disagree that this is any reason for the government to mandate what citizens can and cannot consume.
While people might not be willing to get on board to defend the marginal Salvia herb, this struggle is symbolic of something far greater. The astute reader will no doubt remember that these same arguments were put forth nearly a century ago to prohibit Americans from imbibing Alcohol. However, the short-lived prohibition was left by the wayside because Americans believe it to be their constitutional right not only to enjoy delicious alcoholic libations, but also to choose what they would consume without governmental interference—on one condition: that it doesn’t present a clear danger to others. This sentiment is reflected in the imposed strict drunken-driving laws. In effect, this stance punishes the people who have proven incapable of moderate usage instead of punishing the majority who are capable of responsible and moderate use. But is that enough?
Does anyone else find it somewhat ironic that Wasserman would be so concerned with an herb that only a handful of people in Wisconsin use while a much more damaging drug actually effects Wisconsin on a grand scale? Right now, Wisconsin ranks No. 1 in the nation for adult binge drinking, and the percentage of high school students who drink is also well above the national average. Furthermore, MADD has ranked Wisconsin as the worst state in the nation as far as DUI deaths are concerned. By Wasserman’s logic as presented in this bill, alcohol should also be illegal in Wisconsin. But, don’t worry. I doubt they will ever prohibit booze… again. After all, “what made Milwaukee famous” sounds a lot better than “what made Milwaukee infamous.”
Just like prohibition in the 1920s, I doubt this legislation would stop the small contingent of Wisconsinites who enjoy Salvia responsibly. First of all, can police officers distinguish the plant from hundreds of different species in the genus Salvia? The plants are not typically grown in the same fashion as the easily recognized marijuana—Salvia grows well as a houseplant without expensive high intensity lights. This is just one of several logistical problems. The legislation is problematic on the grander scale as well. Making a drug illegal does not generally curb usage (especially if said drug is readily available in many adjacent states). With similar legislation, marijuana use has steadily increased since 1937—along with driving an estimated $6.2 billion industry underground in the United States.
This legislation will also hurt a handful of businesses in Madison and across the state, which begs the bigger question—who does this bill really help? I’m not equipped to answer that question, but perhaps this is just a manifestation of a government that has become half mother and half pusher-man.
It demonizes certain substances by making them illegal while condoning others. Most lawmakers turn a blind eye to state condoned drug dealing—alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs. And, if I didn’t know they were honorable men, I might assume it has something to do with the massive alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical lobbies in the United States.
Matt Jividen is a senior majoring in history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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Rachel Hoffman (Click for more info). Shot to death after agreeing to work as an informant for Florida police in exchange for dismissal of marijuana charges. Sent to buy 1,500 extasy tablets, crack, and a gun, she was promptly shot by the dealers. Drug prohibition kills.
Want to do something? Contact the FL Att. Gen. and ask for reform of informant programs involving small time users. An investigation is beginning- be heard:
Florida Attorney General Feedback Form- No referer info. submitted
Shroomery News: http://tiny.cc/l2U7r
Edited by johnm214 (12/16/07 02:36 AM)
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 TTT
True
Registered: 08/07/06
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: johnm214]
#7764812 - 12/16/07 10:16 AM |
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ApJunkie
part-time Ninja
Registered: 08/17/06
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: johnm214]
#7764819 - 12/16/07 10:19 AM |
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Good article with some good points. Unfortunately, unless someone commits political genocide I doubt we're going to see much change.
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"No summit don't call me stupid when you don't know my back round."
-albino_shroom
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TheravadaDreams
Cosmic Voyager
Registered: 12/16/07
Posts: 78
Loc: North Central Florida
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: TTT]
#7764847 - 12/16/07 10:24 AM |
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Man, that is so fucked up.
It's all about control, Uncle Sam wants to
tell us what we can & can't ingest.
Fuck the government!
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"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." -Siddhartha Guatama a.k.a Buddha.
MonsterMitch Mono-Tub.
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PoisonedV
Fuming Shrooming
Registered: 09/13/07
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Especially since all the founding fathers partook in our favorite herb, and other things. (including hallucinogens)
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Lazy...
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aiyobro
Egocidal
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: PoisonedV]
#7765405 - 12/16/07 12:44 PM |
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illegalize all you want
just gonna be easier for me to get it
who wants to spend 60$ on 60x anyway?
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Curiosity killed the cat nine times before it died
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2FiNiTe
Consideratly Killing Me
Registered: 06/12/06
Posts: 1,524
Loc: New England
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: aiyobro]
#7765441 - 12/16/07 12:51 PM |
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Quote:
He says, “[Salvia] affects the way we think, the way we act. It impairs our judgment.” I will not dispute these facts, but I emphatically disagree that this is any reason for the government to mandate what citizens can and cannot consume.
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"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living."
General Omar N. Bradley
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RipVanWinkle
The Benzodiathang
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: johnm214]
#7766341 - 12/16/07 04:42 PM |
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Its been illegal in my state for a while now.
Headshops still sell it though 
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Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.
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ROX
Traveling...
Registered: 11/18/06
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Wow, first positive Salvia article I read.
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TheravadaDreams
Cosmic Voyager
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Quote:
RipVanWinkle said:
Its been illegal in my state for a while now.
Headshops still sell it though
I'm going to call you on your bluff.
A business, even if it is a head shop is not going
to sell a product which violates laws.
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"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." -Siddhartha Guatama a.k.a Buddha.
MonsterMitch Mono-Tub.
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fapjack
Registered: 07/26/07
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: johnm214]
#7767078 - 12/16/07 07:54 PM |
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I don't see how they can possibly say that salvia is harmless. There has been very few studies on it, and its mechanics aren't well documented. It has been used for quite a long time by indigenous people, but at different concentrations and even this doesn't prove anything. Even if it is non-toxic, which it might be, it still has risks. If you drive your car while smoking salvia for example, or walk around the road and smoke salvia. Not to say that you wouldn't have to be a complete moron to do this, it still shows that it has risks in certain situations. Harmless is not a good word for any drug, from marijuana to caffeine.
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 Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
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Re: Salvia bill demonizes harmless hallucinogen [Re: fapjack]
#7767139 - 12/16/07 08:04 PM |
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tyler_0_durden
Aspiring Mycologist
Registered: 10/28/07
Posts: 448
Loc: The PNW
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I wouldn't give a shit if salvia was illegalized. It's not fun at all...it's just fuckin weird...
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RipVanWinkle
The Benzodiathang
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 2,084
Loc: West Tenuhsee
Last seen: 27 minutes, 52 seconds
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I bought some last month. It was sold as "incense" but it was standardized and made up in nice pretty packaging ta boot. Some businesses do naughty things if you didn't know.
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Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
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Posts: 2,869
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> I wouldn't give a shit if salvia was illegalized. It's not fun at all...it's just fuckin weird...
I agree that it is weird, but that isn't a good reason to put people in prison.
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johnm214
Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 4,358
Loc: Americas
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Quote:
tyler_0_durden said:
I wouldn't give a shit if salvia was illegalized. It's not fun at all...it's just fuckin weird...
so you don't mind paying to incarcerate, investigate, and fuck w/ people and buisnesses who would engage in teh distribution and consumption?
you don't find that wrong?
I don't care for salvia either, but I care even less for the deprivation of liberty and wastefull spending of taxes its prohibition will cause.
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Rachel Hoffman (Click for more info). Shot to death after agreeing to work as an informant for Florida police in exchange for dismissal of marijuana charges. Sent to buy 1,500 extasy tablets, crack, and a gun, she was promptly shot by the dealers. Drug prohibition kills.
Want to do something? Contact the FL Att. Gen. and ask for reform of informant programs involving small time users. An investigation is beginning- be heard:
Florida Attorney General Feedback Form- No referer info. submitted
Shroomery News: http://tiny.cc/l2U7r
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TheravadaDreams
Cosmic Voyager
Registered: 12/16/07
Posts: 78
Loc: North Central Florida
Last seen: 4 months, 17 days
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Quote:
Alan Rockefeller said:
> I wouldn't give a shit if salvia was illegalized. It's not fun at all...it's just fuckin weird...
I agree that it is weird, but that isn't a good reason to put people in prison.
I think George Bush is weird, let's lock him up and throw away the key.
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"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." -Siddhartha Guatama a.k.a Buddha.
MonsterMitch Mono-Tub.
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