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Salvia Watch: Florida Senate Votes to Criminalize the Diviner's Sage

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #533)
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy

The Florida Senate Wednesday passed a bill, SB 340, criminalizing salvia divinorum, also known as "Diviner's Sage," among other nicknames. The Florida House approved a companion measure banning the fast-acting, short-lived hallucinogen last week. If, as expected, the bill is signed by Republican Gov. Charlie Christ, Florida will be the latest in what is a rapidly expanding list of states to take action against salvia.

The state of Florida will protect the youth by subjecting them (and adults) to up to five years in prison for possessing salvia, which would be classified in the same category as LSD and marijuana under Florida law.

Although lawmakers could cite little data about use of the herb, especially among teenagers, they said they were increasingly worried about children buying it online.

The bill passed the Senate by a margin of 39-0 after limited debate. The House version passed by a 109-4 margin a week earlier.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

hey ya know u must be smoking that since ya cant read who singed it into law
duhhhh

Thu, 05/01/2008 - 8:18pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

I have long said that a government that claims the authority to prohibit one plant will assume to authority to prohibit any plant... someone ought to remind the governments of these united States that we are endowed by our creators with certain unalienable rights and that among them is the right to take the seed that god has provided and grow it in our gardens. The governments have made clear their intentions... they have chosen to wage an unholy war against almighty God and God's creation, what fools they are those that believe they will be victorious.

Sadly though, the sheople of this country will roll over as yet another plant is prohibited.

Fri, 04/25/2008 - 4:14pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Calling Americans "sheeple" is an insult to those mammals that provide us with wool and meat for they, at least, have vertebrae. JELLYFISH is a more appropriate term for most Americans have

no backbone, they just go with the flow.

Fri, 04/25/2008 - 11:30pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Go f@$& yourself! Who are you to judge an entire country? I fought for this country and I can tell you now that I had and still do have a backbone. Also I do not recall a time that I "went with the flow". Stop generalizing and grouping people all together. Whatever country you unfortunately inhabit contains it's share of week people. Weekness is a disease spread by ignorance and lack of birth control. Please inform your partner to practice safe sex. We don't want another 'you' walking around.

And as an American, I agree that this is just government overstepping its bounds. You can't make a plant illegal. God creates the plants and government decides that we can't have them. What's next? Making FAT illegal? That is going to put a serious kink in my diet!

Sun, 04/27/2008 - 1:57pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

So, are we soon going to see big (in our town 3-4 cars) police busts because the police can't tell the difference between ornamental, culinary, and diviner's sage? When young, the plants are very similar.

Sun, 04/27/2008 - 11:04pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

if you cant tax it you cant control it. I sell cigarettes and beer at my store, but these plants anyone can grow in their storage room. i am sure if we all start cutting large checks to the representative like the cigarette companies this wouldn't be a problem.
but thats life, the world has to live by the united states of American empire and the non-scientific Christian rules.

Thu, 05/08/2008 - 5:27pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Just because somebody says I'm not allowed to do something does not mean I have to comply to them.

Somebody I have never even met doesn't like a plant, so they want to tell me than I can't enjoy it? NO WAY!

How about I turn it around and I tell them what they are not allowed to do?

They sure can dish it all out, but how about taking it?

Society and Authority is a big game created by people for years to control other peoples by using lies and manipulation of the minds and thoughts and beliefs of others.. That's all. It's a game of "I'm better than you, so you have to do as I want and obey my commands" Most of these people in Society in this world that claim to have "Power" are completely incapable of really working, or doing anything for themselves, so they need to control other people to do it for them, to get wealth, resources, possessions, etc.

I kiss no butt, I obey no king or powers that be. I question and mistrust authority. They are only humans just like I, and they are not above me.

Wed, 05/14/2008 - 1:57pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

i havent done it but i do believe its retarded to tell us what we can or cannot do as long as we dont harm others in the event.

Wed, 05/28/2008 - 11:43pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

why dont we all start sending letters, calling phones, and maybe even an occasional brick in the window? sitting here on the internet talking about how much bullshit it is isn't going to do anything about it. Hell, while were at it why don't we yell at them about weed too?

Wed, 05/28/2008 - 11:59pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Florida can't stop making laws! Even when they don't enforce them. Everyone out there know that selling or giving away clove cigarrettes is a 2nd degree misdemenor? Yet FL has a tax stamp on every pack . . .

YEAH! More unenforcable laws!

Thu, 05/29/2008 - 5:44am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

our glorious governor signed the bill this past thursday

heres his email: [email protected]

send him an email, be plentiful, and tell your friends to do the same

Wed, 06/04/2008 - 1:57am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

this is seriously a retarded law that has been passed. Like most said salvia is non addictive and basicaly like smoking a cigarette. Plus its not like people will smoke it and then go out drive and total theyre car and kill someone in the process. i give props to the perosn that can smoke it get off theyre couch, turn on their car and start going fast enough to do actual damage. It just doesnt last that long. Another thing is you can OD. Also i find it excessive that they will slap you with a five year penalty for possesing it. This pisses me off because where do u go when you get arrested? jails and prisons. Who pays for the construction, and basicaly keeps them running? Tax payers. More people incarserated means mine and everyones taxes will go up and that the last thing we need right now. Also, since it will be illegal people will deal it, there will be shottings robberies, and smuggling the salvia divinorum into the country and illegal growth. So basical the goverment are just driving themselves farther into the ground. THANKS USA AND FLORIDA! that would be sarcasm

Mon, 06/23/2008 - 11:05pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

We all need to do something.. We as individuals need to stand up again. Wake up to this. People shuoldn't be afriad of the government, government should be afraid of the people, right?? I mean I understand we have our lives to distract us and I can't say much myself but we need to get together and make the change somehow.. It won't happen over night but maybe, MAYBE if we just try, there's got to be some change, at least the way we act as citizens in this country. I thought we had a say in what goes on in this country or even our state.. I know this may not be a major event but it's ridiculous how something so irrelevant and natureal by the way be taken away from us. I'm more than angry, I am weary and dissapointed..

Tue, 07/01/2008 - 9:48am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Everytime they focus on a different drug they make it out to be worse than other drugs...But really...Tabacco is a drug...it kills millions of people a day. Alcohol is a drug that kills people and helps people kill people everyday. So between these two LEGAL drugs we are allowing people to kill each other and others everyday because we havent made them illegal. So whats thdifference between Salvia and pot? They both grow NATURALLY without the help of people...Are they gonna bust someone because one of these plants happens to grow in someones yard? God made hearbs and weeds and he said they were good...Salvia is an herb and pot is a weed/herb. no one who smokes either is either motivated/energetic enough to go out and do anything. They woul rather veg at home and play games and watch movies and laugh their asses off. People who drink want to dve around and go into public. you tell me....Which sounds worse...A drug that will make people angry and lash out and drive like a maniac....Or a drug that makes people wanna sit at home and zone out? Id rather be zoning out. *smokes his jay proudly* At least when I smoke I dont run people over because the road wont stay put. I fall down because the couch isnt high enough lmao

Thu, 09/11/2008 - 8:32pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Ten countries including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Poland, South Korea and Sweden have criminalized Salvia.

In the U.S., Salvia is illegal in Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Delaware, and Oklahoma. Legislation is being considered in New York, Illinois, Alaska and California.

- crazyjoezx

Sun, 09/28/2008 - 12:32am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

What a waste of time this plant is, what a horrible high. Why bother with having your consciousness twisted into oblivion or juggle incoherent thoughts for five minutes when you can have a truly enlightening experience for hours or an entire day? Why not just hole up in the room and do whippets all night? That's about all this salvia amounts to, whippets on crack.

Sun, 05/03/2009 - 7:19pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

It's sad simple drugs such as Marijuana, Mushrooms and things of that sort weren't legal. Instead you go down the street and buy it off the same guy pushing crack or heroin that doesn't ID your fifteen year old kid to make sure he's above age and safe to do the drug. He doesn't care about him all he cares about is making a profit.
At least when a drug is legalized and sold inside of a store such as Alcohol there are certain regulations to make sure this drug is pure. To process alcohol there are many regulations in place one of many is making sure the environment that it is brewed in, is sterile and clean another is to make sure the final product only contains no other harmful substances besides the alcohol such as antifreeze or methanol.
So far my experience with alcohol compared to drugs such as Marijuana, Mushrooms, and saliva have been usually much safer. It's not normal to see someone break out into a fight just from smoking dope or to kill someone in a car accident.

Tue, 12/30/2008 - 10:22am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Do your research, and you will see that the two single largest teen killers, alcohol and tobacco, have funded this law. This ensures, once again, that the only two legal choices kids and teens have readily access to, is tobacco and alcohol. Since when are they allowed to create our laws?

I believe you need proof of harm, and proof of the claims which allows the substance to fall into that law. If those criteria are not met, the law is unjust. Since the law describes a "Salvia", that does not exist, it is not the "Salvia", that you posses, which is a crime... It is some other fictitious "Salvia", that is harmful, abused, and has no medical value. (Again, like marijuana, salvia has strong medical value. Ask the thousands of researchers who have created patents and done experiments on the plants chemicals, using government and state funding.)

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 12:05am Permalink
Anonymous floridian (not verified)

what can we do to change this? can we petition it or have the actual people of the state vote instead of representatives? there's got to be something we can all do. im trying to think of ways and start some kinda of following but im not a very good speaker. people lets do something!!!!!!!!

Thu, 04/15/2010 - 8:40pm Permalink

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