Salvia divinorum is most often smoked/vaporized, but can also be used sublingually or orally (chewed and swallowed), producing effects that last longer but have a slower onset than when smoked/vaporized. Many people find it difficult to achieve full effects by smoking/vaporizing plain dried Salvia divinorum leaves. Those who are successful may require multiple large hits from a pipe or bong. In 2009, typical smoked/vaporized doses with plain leaf ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 grams, or about one large, dried leaf. As of 2023, typical vaporized doses of good leaf were 0.1 to 0.3 gram.

When consumed sublingually, a number of leaves are chewed and held (along with the saliva produced) under the tongue, without swallowing, for approximately 15-20 minutes before being spit out. Oral ingestion is the traditional Mazatec method of consumption, but as the stomach (and intestinal?) linings appear to be very poor at absorbing the active constituents, it is the least efficient method of consumption, requiring a larger number of leaves.1,2 This method is seldom employed outside traditional contexts.

The primary active constituent of Salvia divinorum is salvinorin A, which can be extracted from the plant material and re-applied to dried S. divinorum leaves to produce fortified leaf of various strengths (5X, 6X, 10X, etc.) for smoking/vaporizing. Correspondingly less material is required the more potent the extract is (10X is more potent than 5X). Salvia extracts are also sold in various types of liquids, which can be consumed sublingually; the salvinorin A slowly enters the bloodstream through absorption in the mouth. While some people only achieve a full experience using fortified leaf or extract, many people can have a full experience from a single or small number of smoked/vaporized hits of plain leaf. Care should be taken with fortified leaf and liquids, as they are much more potent than normal S. divinorum leaf and can produce an unexpectedly overwhelming experience.

The charts below show typical dosages for smoked/vaporized plain and fortified leaf, and for sublingual consumption of plain leaf. Note that plain, un-enhanced S. divinorum leaf has been bred to be much stronger than it was prior to 2010.

Vaporized S. divinorum Dosages for un-enhanced strong dry leaf circa 2023 Threshold 30-80 mg Light 75-200 mg Common 150-400 mg Strong 300-800 mg Heavy 600-1500 mg Smoked/Vaporized S. divinorum Dosages (Avg Potency Leaf circa 2010) Light 0.25 g Common 0.5 g Strong 0.75 g

Onset : 30-180 seconds Duration : 5-30 minutes Normal After Effects : 30-60 minutes

Smoked/Vaporized Salvia divinorum Dosages (5x Extract) Light 0.05 - 0.10 g Common 0.08 - 0.15 g Strong 0.10 - 0.25 g

Onset : 30-180 seconds Duration : 5-30 minutes Normal After Effects : 30-60 minutes

Note: Salvia divinorum extracts vary greatly in potency from one vendor to another.3 Be VERY careful.

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Sublingual/Buccal Salvia divinorum Dosages (plain leaf) Light 10 g fresh / 2 g dried Common 30 g fresh / 6 g dried Strong 50 g fresh / 10 g dried

Onset : 10-20 minutes Duration : 30-90 minutes Normal After Effects : 30-120 minutes

Note: When chewed (used buccally/sublingually), dried leaf is rehydrated with water first.