Is Salvia Legal in Canada

Hello everyone! I hope you guys are doing good. Today, you are going to enjoy the discussion because today’s article will provide a detailed discussion on “is salvia legal in Canada?” In simple words, I will be talking about the legality of salvia in Canada. We will see the Canadian authorities’ rules and regulations on the use of salvia in their region.

You will take a deeper look at what exactly salvia is, why people use it, its effects on human health, and its legal status in Canada? You will see whether it is completely banned by Canadian officials or allowed in some specific conditions.

What Exactly is Salvia?     

Salvia is a psychoactive plant or herb, and it belongs to the mint family. Anyone in Ontario can easily buy this herb for personal use. In Ontario, there are no safety precautions or age limits on the purchase of salvia. This herb can produce around 20 minutes of powerful and strong hallucinations. This plant naturally grows in Mexico (in the Sierra Mazateca region).

Salvinorin A is an active component of salvia that provides the plant with hallucinogenic characteristics. This plant disrupts consciousness even more than Lysosomal Storage Disorder (LSD). Among hallucinogens, the effects of salvia are unique.

The illegal forms of salvia include plant cuttings, dried leaves, concentrates, ad extracts. The extracts produce powerful effects in comparison to cuttings or leaves. You can take extracts either alone or can spray on the leaves of salvia. Salvia is known by a couple of names in today’s market, e.g., magic mint, incense special, puff, diviner’s sage, maria pastora, lady sally, ska pastora, and sally D. Let’s move forward and discuss more “is salvia legal in Canada or not.” Let’s talk about the fact is salvia legal in Canada?

Is Salvia Legal in Canada?

In this section, we will have a discussion on the legality of salvia in Canada. Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act started to control salvia in August 2015. Canada has no commercial or industrial applications of salvia.

The activities like production, consumption, and sale of salvia are illegal in Canada, but it is allowed for research, medical and clinical trial purposes. Some species of salvia are not hallucinogenic, and you can use them for gardening.

Salvia is legal in most countries, but at the same time, it is considered illegal in many regions of the world. The areas in which salvia is illegal to use are Brazil, Finland, Denmark, Japan, Spain, Norway, Canada, Germany, Iceland, thirty-three states of America, and many more.

Austria is involved in one of the rare countries where there is no restriction on salvia, and everyone can easily consume this psychoactive herb.

In Canada, salvia’s possession is legal, whereas its cultivation, sale, and transport are completely banned. As a result, Canada is no longer a safer place for salvia, but it is still being sold out openly on head shops and other online platforms.

Nobody is aware of the rules and regulations, and Health Canada is not forcing to impose the law. Some shopkeepers and websites are advertising salvia as it is a legal activity. Some YouTubers are also active in promoting this plant online in Canada.

Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey have monitored salvia’s use by Canadian people for the first time in 2009. According to this survey, around 1.6% of Canadian people (15 years or older) have already taken one ride on this herb. For people between 15 to 24 years of age, the percentage gets increased to 7.3%.

Do you know? Salvia became illegal to sell in Canada. Let’s take a look in detail.

Salvia Illegal to Sell in Canada

Canada’s federal government stated that the products with an active ingredient, salvinorin A, are natural health products and must be sold but only after receiving Health Canada’s secure approval.

Natural Health Products (NHPs) are not legal to sell in Canada until Health Canada reviews them and permits them to sell. The representative told this of Health Canada through an email sent to The Canadian Press. Today, Canada has not issued any license for selling any natural health product or drugs containing salvia as an active ingredient. This was a piece of shocking news for the shops that were involved in selling NHPs and other drugs having salvinorin A.

One shopkeeper said that he literally has no information that salvia can no longer be sold in Canada’s territory. According to him, he was continuously purchasing salvia extracts from the Canadian supplier.

In 2006, Health Canada reported a case in which a teenager took salvia and became suicidal and incoherent and was threatening to kill the police officers. Health Canada clearly stated that salvia cannot be sold without having authorization from the natural health product regulations.

Gary Holub, the departmental spokesperson, said why Health Canada is not stopping salvia’s illegal sale. He has also given a contact number (1-800-267-9675) at which people can register their complaints. The salvia suppliers were given the time till June 2008 to apply for a license.

Legault said that the Canadian people must not use the products with salvinorin A because there is very little information about this plant and its effects on human health. Unlike marijuana, salvia does not have any long-term negative effects.    

Rona Ambrose was the Canadian federal minister of health. He said that the government is committed to protecting its population, especially the young people, from the harmful effects of salvia, and that is why they are making this plant illegal in their territory.

You can check the official Canadian gazette of the ban on Salvia from here. If anyone is caught with salvia, the maximum penalty could range from 1 to 3 years in prison. The possession of salvia (in small amounts) for one’s personal use is allowed. Let’s have a look at the platforms that help you buy salvia.

From Where Can You Buy Salvia?

As I mentioned earlier, salvia is legal in many countries, and you can purchase it in various forms. It is very difficult in many places to buy salvia because the market for hallucinogen is working on a comparatively small scale, and the advocates are not exporting this herb as a customer good.

You can buy salvia from smoke shops wherever it is legal to purchase. You can also purchase this plant from different online platforms doing this business—these online platforms ship salvia to your doorstep. If you are planning to buy salvia online, you must ensure whether its consumption and sale are allowed in your area or not. If it is restricted, you can purchase it at your own risk.  

Salvia is available in various types, including dried salvia, salvia extracts, and plants. Now, let’s take a look at how salvia affects human health?

Effects of Salvia

Salvia does not have any long-term effects on human health, as I already mentioned in the above discussion.

Physical Effects of Salvia

I have provided the physical effects of salvia below.

  • Impaired speech,
  • Higher heartbeat rate,
  • Reduction in physical coordination,
  • Drowsiness,
  • Laughter (uncontrollable), and
  • Lethargy.

Risks Associated with Salvia

As you know, salvia can impair your emotions and thoughts. It causes losing contact with the external reality. It can also cause traumatic injuries, risky behavior, and even death. The risks associated with the psychotic episodes get increased with the use of salvia.

If you have a mental disorder, you should not use this herb because you may be at a higher risk of developing psychotic episodes. To increase the strength, salvia products are usually laced with drugs or other concentrated extracts, and it may cause serious complications for you.

You will be scared to know that lots of young people have died due to taking salvia. Cassie Walde jumped from the window and got seriously injured after having salvia. A young 21 years old boy (Ryan Santana) died in 2011 when he smoked salvia and jumped from the 15th floor of the building in New York.

Conclusion

Salvia is legal in most countries in comparison to ones where it is not legal. In light of the above discussion, we can conclude that salvia’s selling and cultivation are illegal in Canada. You cannot consume this psychoactive herb without getting authorization from Health Canada.

In 2015, salvia was banned for the first time in Canada. Its possession is legal, whereas transport and production are not allowed after 2015. Their consumption is allowed to authorized dealers for research and medical purposes. Some online platforms are dealing with this plant, and you can purchase it from there. You must make sure whether you are allowed to buy this product or not in your area.

Hopefully, you are now well aware of Canadian official’s rules and regulations on the use of salvia. I have tried my level best to provide you enough information to have a clear idea if you are planning to purchase salvia from either an online or physical platform. 

Here is all from the article on “is salvia legal in Canada?” I hope you have enjoyed the content. Please do not forget to provide your feedback and stay tuned for more informational articles. I have a lot more to share with you guys. Till the next article, take good care of yourself, and stay blessed.

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