Why Extract that Salvinorin

The human race is never satisfied with the simplicity of any discovery and is constantly in pursuit of a further simplification of the existing formulations, and the psychoactive botanic Salvia divinorum is no exception to this hard and fast rule of thumb.

It is a known fact that the Mazatec shamans used to extract the juice from the leaves of the vegetal salvia and consume its juice mixed in water. This extract was what contained the principal material used for the fabrication of schizophrenic effects in humans, scientifically christened the “active principle”, which is salvinorin A. Erudition goes that salvinorin A is the causative agent for the altered change of mind.

An industrial process has been incorporated to extract the active principle from the leaves of the plant and consequently, readymade concoctions of extractions in various proportions as necessitated are available in the market for purchase. The quantification of effect depends on the quality of the leaves used and the efficacy of the process adopted to obtain the extract.

Generally, these extracts are used while smoking salvia rather than any other method of ingestion, such as quid chewing or administration of tincture.

The “enhanced” or “fortified” leaf generally is described by a number ensued by an “x”, the multiplicative factors generally being the relative measures of leaf concentrations. The emphasis on the word “relative” has been made to demonstrate that there exist no universally accepted conventions or quality guidelines on which the leaf extracts are to be made. Another arbitrary standard measurement includes color indicators for potency quantifications; such as green, red and yellow.

The indicators generally point to the relative intensity of the active principle, salvinorin A, based on which the strength or potency of an extract can be estimated.

One good thing about extracts, however, is that they are efficient and effective, by which we imply that a few wisps of smoke will suffice to give you supreme consciousness alterations, that last for quite long times, again a positive factor.

A relatively scrawny use of the extracts is seen in tincture usages. It is common knowledge that tincture is administered sublingually, using a glass dropper. The essence is essentially an extract of the dry leaves of the plant, with varying grades of potency, demarcated by various standards.

Though extracts enhance the stimulations, it is highly perilous to invade into extremely potent extracts of the

dry leaves, or worse, the purest form of salvinorin, the active principle of the plant. Dr. Dale Pendell points out in one of his studies that salvia is benign and munificent in its natural form and in fact, doesn’t call for any extractions whatsoever. However, if need be, the extracts should be of minimal potency, he warns, for strong extracts tend to deport the user into a scary environ, which might impede his usage of the plant continually. In case one chooses to smoke a heady dose of the salvia extract, it is advisable to do so in the presence of a completely sober companion, to come to aid in case of adverse circumstances.

Thus, the scientific verdict is that, though salvia does not entail an extraction from its leaves to be effective enough, it is sagacious to use less potent extracts for smoking or applying tinctures, in case you find the natural form not effective enough.