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This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition.
Salvia divinorum's primary active compound, salvinorin A, acts as a highly selective agonist at the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). Unlike classic psychedelics such as psilocybin or LSD, which primarily affect serotonin receptors, salvinorin A does not bind to 5-HT2A receptors. This unique mechanism produces intense but short-acting dissociative and hallucinogenic effects. Salvinorin A is considered the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen, active at microgram doses. Evidence level: C.
Does Salvia divinorum interact with medications?
Salvia divinorum has significant potential for drug interactions due to its potent effects on the central nervous system. It should not be combined with antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, or other psychoactive substances, as combinations may produce unpredictable and potentially dangerous effects. The herb's kappa opioid receptor activity could theoretically interact with opioid medications. Individuals taking any psychiatric or CNS-active medications should avoid Salvia divinorum entirely. Evidence level: C.
What is the traditional dosage for Salvia divinorum?
In traditional Mazatec ceremonial practice, fresh Salvia divinorum leaves are consumed orally, typically 8-20 leaves chewed and swallowed or prepared as an infusion. Traditional use always occurs under the guidance of an experienced practitioner within a ceremonial context. Recreational or unsupervised use is strongly discouraged due to the herb's extreme potency and potential for psychological distress. There is no established safe therapeutic dosage in modern herbal practice. Evidence level: Traditional.
Is Salvia divinorum safe during pregnancy?
Salvia divinorum is considered unsafe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. No safety data exists for use during pregnancy, and the herb's potent psychoactive properties and unknown effects on fetal development warrant complete avoidance. The intense physiological and psychological effects of salvinorin A could potentially harm fetal development or trigger uterine contractions. Women who are pregnant, nursing, or planning pregnancy should not use Salvia divinorum under any circumstances. Evidence level: C.
What are the side effects of Salvia divinorum?
Salvia divinorum produces intense dissociative hallucinations, altered perception of reality, and loss of physical coordination during the experience, typically lasting 15-60 minutes when smoked. Psychological side effects include anxiety, panic reactions, and potential triggering of latent psychiatric conditions, particularly in individuals with personal or family history of psychosis. Cardiovascular effects may include elevated heart rate and blood pressure. The experience can be psychologically overwhelming and potentially traumatic for unprepared users. Evidence level: C.
PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 30 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive mint plant endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico, containing the potent hallucinogen salvinorin A [PMID:33164503, PMID:33546518].
Background
Salvia divinorum is a perennial plant of the Lamiaceae family endemic to the southwest region of Mexico, specifically the Mazateca mountain range [PMID:33164503, PMID:30962708, PMID:33546518]. It is recognized as a source of salvinorin A, the first known non-nitrogenous, nonalkaloidal opioid-mediated psychotropic molecule [PMID:33164503, PMID:23548164].
Traditional uses
The plant has been used for centuries by the Mazatec people for spiritual rites, divination, medicinal purposes, and the treatment of illness associated with pain and inflammatory conditions [PMID:33164503, PMID:33546518, PMID:30962708, PMID:6876852].
Active compounds
The main bioactive compound is salvinorin A, a neoclerodane diterpene [PMID:33164503, PMID:24315983, PMID:16213533]. Loliolide has also been identified in the plant [PMID:3701340].
Mechanism of action
Salvinorin A acts as a potent and highly selective agonist of the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) [PMID:24315983, PMID:16213533, PMID:26617400, PMID:33546518]. It also exhibits allosteric modulation of cannabinoid type 1 receptors [PMID:30962708].
Clinical evidence
Evidence DPain and Inflammation
Salvinorin A has demonstrated analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects at the cellular and molecular level [PMID:30962708]; it showed antinociceptive effects in mice with formalin-evoked trigeminal pain [PMID:40691886].
Evidence DEpilepsy
Salvinorin A ameliorated pilocarpine-induced seizures and neuronal damages in animal and in vitro models by regulating hippocampal microglia polarization [PMID:39154669].
Evidence CPsychiatric Symptoms
Use has been associated with depersonalization, paranoia, and may precipitate psychiatric symptoms or be associated with the development of psychotic disorders [PMID:26617400, PMID:17493110, PMID:26317561].
Safety & adverse effects
Effects include intense hallucinations, disorientation, depersonalization, and synesthesia [PMID:23794315, PMID:18259963, PMID:15706458]. While some believe it has low toxicity and low addictive potential [PMID:26617400], it can negatively affect cognition and precipitate psychiatric symptoms [PMID:26617400].
Dosage & administration
Leaves can be chewed as a quid, drunk as an infusion, eaten raw, smoked, or vaporized [PMID:33546518, PMID:7844657]. Salvinorin A is essentially inactive if taken orally but effective in doses of 200 to 500 mcg when smoked [PMID:7844657]. Consult a healthcare provider.
Evidence summary
The evidence consists primarily of reviews, case reports, and animal studies (Levels C and D). There is a lack of high-level clinical trial data (Level A or B) in humans.
PubMed sources
1.PMID: 33164503 (2020) — DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Salvinorin A. · ACS chemical neuroscience
2.PMID: 13678554 (2003) — Hallucinogens: an update. · Current psychiatry reports
3.PMID: 24315983 (2014) — From local to global-fifty years of research on Salvia divinorum. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
4.PMID: 25653831 (2015) — Drug models of schizophrenia. · Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology
5.PMID: 22289631 (2012) — Salvia divinorum. · Psychosomatics
No direct government monograph is available for this herb. The content below is AI-generated and has not been verified against an authoritative government source. Use the search links to check official sources before relying on this information.
— Psychopharmacology of the hallucinogenic sage Salvia divinorum.
· Life sciences
7.PMID: 26617400 (2016) — Salvia divinorum: An overview of the usage, misuse, and addiction processes. · Asia-Pacific psychiatry : official journal of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists
8.PMID: 30962708 (2019) — Salvia divinorum: from recreational hallucinogenic use to analgesic and anti-inflammatory action. · Journal of pain research
9.PMID: 33546518 (2021) — Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Salvinorin A and Salvia divinorum: Clinical and Forensic Aspects. · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
10.PMID: 3701340 (1986) — Loliolide from Salvia divinorum. · Journal of natural products
11.PMID: 39350001 (2024) — A chromosome level reference genome of Diviner's sage (Salvia divinorum) provides insight into salvinorin A biosynthesis. · BMC plant biology
12.PMID: 39154669 (2024) — Salvinorin A ameliorates pilocarpine-induced seizures by regulating hippocampal microglia polarization. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
13.PMID: 6876852 (1983) — Ethnopharmacology of ska María Pastora (Salvia divinorum, Epling and Játiva-M.). · Journal of ethnopharmacology
14.PMID: 40565052 (2025) — Salvinorin A and Salvia divinorum: Toxicology, Pharmacological Profile, and Therapeutic Potential. · International journal of molecular sciences
15.PMID: 22578875 (2013) — DNA identification of Salvia divinorum samples. · Forensic science international. Genetics
16.PMID: 23548164 (2013) — Neoclerodanes as atypical opioid receptor ligands. · Journal of medicinal chemistry
17.PMID: 23794315 (2013) — Salvia divinorum: from Mazatec medicinal and hallucinogenic plant to emerging recreational drug. · Human psychopharmacology
18.PMID: 32960103 (2020) — "Making Medicine" with Salvia divinorum: Competing Approaches and Their Implications. · Medical anthropology
19.PMID: 18259963 (2008) — Opioid receptors and legal highs: Salvia divinorum and Kratom. · Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
21.PMID: 15706458 (2005) — Use of nonprohibited hallucinogenic plants: increasing relevance for public health? A case report and literature review on the consumption of Salvia divinorum (Diviner's Sage). · Pharmacopsychiatry
22.PMID: 26317561 (2015) — The Association of Salvia divinorum and Psychotic Disorders: A Review of the Literature and Case Series. · Journal of psychoactive drugs
23.PMID: 24695249 (2014) — Psychoactive natural products: overview of recent developments. · Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita
24.PMID: 17628834 (2007) — Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A: an update on pharmacology and analytical methodology. · Planta medica
26.PMID: 32808003 (2020) — Chemical syntheses of the salvinorin chemotype of KOR agonist. · Natural product reports
27.PMID: 40691886 (2025) — Antinociceptive effect of salvinorin A from the extract of Salvia divinorum in formalin-evoked trigeminal pain behavior in mice: Underlying mechanisms. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
28.PMID: 23627785 (2013) — Salvia divinorum: a psychopharmacological riddle and a mind-body prospect. · Current drug abuse reviews
29.PMID: 7844657 (1994) — Salvia divinorum and the unique diterpene hallucinogen, Salvinorin (divinorin) A. · Journal of psychoactive drugs
30.PMID: 22358078 (2011) — Pharmacological activity of salvinorin A, the major component of Salvia divinorum. · Pharmacological reports : PR