Have you ever heard about this new and so-called "feel-good" herb called Salvia Divinorum? A personal friend was once asked if he has heard of Salvia and all he could do was to shrug his shoulders. But when explained in simple terms about Salvia, the first question that came out of his mouth was, "So, it's basically the same as marijuana or cocaine?" Why? What is Salvia Divinorum, really? Is it some kind of drug that can induce a feeling of "high" just like marijuana or cocaine? If yes, then, is Salvia legal?

Here are some of things you need to know about Salvia Divinorum before you can judge it and somehow, this might be a big help for anyone.

Salvia divinorum is an herb that grows mostly in Oaxaca, Mexico and they are found usually in moist, isolated and shaded places. It can grow to about a meter in height, has green leaves which can occasionally grow white & purple flowers and its stems are hollow and square in shape.

It is also known in many different terms like "Diviner's Sage", Ska Maria Pastora or simply "Salvia". The term derives from the Latin word "salvare", meaning "to heal" or "to save".

Salvia is considered to be a psychoactive herb and it was found out that it was used by Mazatec shamans and the tradition of using it in aid for spiritual healing is continuous even up to this day. Anyone who uses it can experience visionary states of consciousness during spiritual healing sessions. It can be chewed, smoked or taken as tincture. When an individual uses Salvia, he can also experience uncontrollable and boisterous feeling of laughter. So, in this point in time, you can say that it's a "feel-good" drug which has the same effects like, say, of using marijuana but quite interestingly, it can also be used as analgesic and a therapy for drug addiction.

But the duration of its effects are short-lived compared to other psychedelics. Smoked Salvia can only last for a few minutes. The reports after-effects can also include an increased feeling of insight and improved mood and you could feel you're flying in and out of your mind but you can't be "out of your mind" and you know what that means. You will also experience a feeling of serenity and that's why they are used for spiritual healing. A very depressed individual can be helped with his mental problems through the use of Salvia Divinorum.

Now, Salvia has become increasingly well-known and more widely available in modern culture. It is even promoted heavily in many different online stores selling live Salvia plants, dried leaves, extracts and other preparations. On its legal issue, there have been no reported significant events like public offenses or criminality that can be linked with the use of Salvia. Yet, the members of the media and lawmakers are keeping a watchful and suspicious eye on this psychoactive herb.

But if this information is not sufficient enough to close the issue and answer the question, "Is Salvia legal?", the best way is to find more about it through the Internet.