Smoking Salvia is quite different then smoking lets say a cigarette or joint. Smoking salvia is legal everywhere that smoking tobacco is legal. The process of smoking salvia is quite different to the usual preferred method of smoking other herbs. While it is true that you can't really compare them because they have such different actions (neurobiological as well as subjectively), I'd say smoking salvia is more intense than eating LSD (unless you take a ridiculous dose of acid).

Effects vary by dose and method of use. Salvia effects range from mild effects on up to a full out of body experience. As you begin with smaller amounts, be patient and avoid getting anxious and using more since the initial effects can be gradual. The reason a water bong is the preferred method is that effects are usually easier achieved if you manage to inhale and hold down a large amount of smoke. It is best to stop using the lighter once the effects start to come on as sometimes you may not be aware of your own actions and this could result in unnecessary accidents occurring.

Smoking salvia divinorum can be a fun experience but being prepared is in your best interest because it can be an amazing experience to say the least. Smoking salvia produces two different effects on people that include an out of body experience where you are totally lost, or a lighter feeling such as being high. Those who smoke large amounts or highly potent salvia have experienced moments when they have talked to people as if they were foreign objects, or feel as if time itself has stopped.

It is best to try small doses with the help of somebody who has experience with salvia and can help you when you use it. Stronger forms of salvia should only be used if you have some experience and know how sensitive you are. The other key element is to relax with closed eyes and the right music and learn how to meet the experience half way. The music is important because sounds will fuel the visual hallucinations. Then again though, good music in general does really take you somewhere else.

The claim that "young people are dying" from salvia is not backed up by empirical evidence, and, oddly enough, is contradicted by the actual text of AB 259 itself, which states that "medical experts and accident and emergency rooms have not reported any particular health concerns" about the drug. The fact that Salvia has never been shown to have adverse effects on health or society as a whole could easily take a back seat to the notion of red-blooded Americans hallucinating in their own backyards.

These facts are that Salvia is not known to be addictive, when used in proper dosages there are not any adverse side effects, smoking Salvia is not anymore damaging to your lungs then smoking cigarettes, and, when taken properly (not driving or handling sharp objects while using it) Salvia is not known to be harmful to ones health.