Salvia divinorum, Yopo, Ololiuqui, Morning Glory and Other Documented Plants

Safety note. These plants are less studied than psilocybin or mescaline, and the amount of active compound in a plant or seed is not predictable. If someone becomes confused, very agitated, has a seizure or cannot be roused after taking any plant or seed, call 911 or US Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. See plant and mushroom poisoning. This page does not help identify plants and gives no preparation or use instructions.

Evidence labels used here: insufficient evidence, preclinical (cells or animals only), evidence of harm. Where nothing usable was found we write "Proper evidence not found".

Salvia divinorum

Salvia divinorum is a sage that the Mazatec culture has used for centuries. A pharmacology review explains that its potent hallucinogenic effects seen in case reports led to research and to the discovery of salvinorin A. [1] NIDA classes salvia among drugs that work differently from classic psychedelics: it activates kappa opioid receptors rather than the serotonin receptors that psilocybin acts on. [2]

Salvinorin A

Salvinorin A is the main active compound. The review calls it the first highly selective non-nitrogenous kappa opioid receptor agonist. In animals it acts quickly and is cleared quickly, and the authors found a lack of evidence of short- or long-term toxicity in animal studies. [1] Label: preclinical for any therapeutic potential; the authors say many further investigations are necessary. A review of use and misuse notes that salvia became popular with adolescents and young adults as a "legal high", that it is widely believed to have low addictive potential and toxicity, but that recent findings suggest salvinorin A can precipitate psychiatric symptoms and negatively affect cognition. [3] Label for those harms: insufficient evidence, with reasons for caution. In NIDA's 2022 student survey, 0.8% of 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported using salvia in the previous year. [2]

Yopo and the Anadenanthera trees

Yopo is a name linked to Anadenanthera trees of South America. The review we could read covers a close relative, A. colubrina, an endemic South American tree whose seeds are used as entheogens in religious rituals and whose bark is used for respiratory conditions. It reports bufotenine, a compound related to hallucinogenic activity, isolated from the seeds. Most medicinal claims rest on laboratory and animal tests and are preliminary, and the authors discuss protection of the species. [4] Label: preclinical. We did not find a source about A. peregrina specifically, so we do not describe it. Bufotenine appears on the US federal Schedule I list. [5]

Ololiuqui

Ololiuqui (ololiuhqui) is the Aztec name for the seeds of Turbina corymbosa, which a Mesoamerica review says contain lysergic acid amide and were used by Olmec, Zapotec, Maya and Aztec peoples. [6] Proper evidence not found on human health effects of ololiuqui in the sources we checked (PubMed searches and the Mesoamerica review). Respect for these traditions matters: see Indigenous traditions, ethics and conservation.

Morning glory species

Seeds of some morning glory species (Ipomoea tricolor and I. violacea) and of Argyreia nervosa are sources of D-lysergamide. A study of online user reports and medical case reports found that recreational use of I. tricolor and I. violacea had reappeared after no reports in the medical literature since 1968. The most worrying symptom reported was suicidal ideation in two users, and use was often combined with other drugs such as cannabis and dextromethorphan. [7] Label: evidence of harm (case and user reports; not controlled studies).

Risks across these plants

• Unpredictable content. NIDA says effects depend on amount and potency, personal biology and surroundings, and that contaminants or other substances can alter effects. [2]
• Impaired judgment. NIDA links psychedelic and dissociative drugs to dangerous behavior and injuries, particularly when no sober person is present. [2]
• Mental health. Possible psychiatric effects are noted for salvinorin A. [3] Clinical research excludes people with psychosis or bipolar disorder as a precaution. [2]
• Medicines. See medication interactions; we did not find plant-specific interaction data.

Legal status

Not legal advice; laws change. We did not find salvia, yopo seeds, ololiuqui or morning glory seeds named in the US federal Schedule I list we read, apart from bufotenine as a compound. [5] Status in US states, Mexico, Brazil, the UK, the EU and elsewhere: not verified here. See legal status by country.