Age restrictions that prevent the sale of salvia to individuals under 21 are certainly appropriate. This would allow the state to tax and regulate the herb for adults, creating a legal economy that could bring in needed revenue, maximize police resources and allow further investigation into potential medical benefits associated with salvia. Already studies have shown that Salvinorin A could be a candidate for treatment of pain, addiction, depression, eating disorders, central nervous system illnesses, gastrointestinal disorders and HIV infection.
While this draft of the bill was delayed in the Senate and did not make it to a vote before the end of the legislative session, the renewed focus on health and human rights lends promise for passage of a bill next year. A rational approach to salvia bodes well for the possibility of a new era of drug policy in Maryland - one that could eventually entail substantive reform on a range of matters, from drug mandatory minimums to parole system improvements to increased access to treatment instead of incarceration.
