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Investigations

State taking steps to make salvia illegal

State taking steps to make salvia illegal

Bernadette Flores, Reporting

A concerned mom called the Eyewitness News tip hot line wondering how and why a powerful psychoactive drug is being sold legally across Kern County. Now the department of health fears this drug could be abused, eventually landing on the long list of illegal contraband. Eyewitness news found dozens of videos online. In them teen after teen high on salvia. The more outrageous, the better. They hallucinate, laugh uncontrollably, and its perfectly legal. Think its not happening right here in Kern County, think again says Laurie Wilson. she's shocked at how easy her 17-year old son was able to get a hold of what she calls a legal LSD. Wilson tells us " it scares me that it's a hallucinogenic and young kids can smoke it or ingest it, and then hallucinate, and get hurt basically." Salvia is available at tobacco shops across Kern county. It's so popular it was sold out at four tobacco shops we visited recently. We finally found it at one shop. The label says "for incense use only " " not for human consumption" and "no sales to minors." But the Drug Enforcement Administration says the label is just a courtesy suggestion from the manufacturer. And the label didn't stop these two teenagers. They tells us " we just had one of our friends that's 18 go in there and buy it for us, it was like thirty-bucks for just a little tiny bit." The teens did not want to be identified. Both claim the tobacco shop worker told their friend exactly what to do with it. And that's exactly what they did one day. A worker at one of the tobacco shops we visited said they don't let anyone under 18 even enter their store. And they never tell kids to smoke it.The DEA tells me salvia abuse is on their radar, but legally speaking, there is nothing they can do about it since its not a controlled substance. Bakersfield DEA Agent in Charge Stephen Peterson tells us "it is a concern because any substance that does a mind altering effect to a person clearly is a concern to us, we certainly hope legislation will be enacted in order to help regulate this substance." In the meantime, these two teens say they won't be doing it again. They're afraid of what they might do while on it. The DEA says Salvia can be purchased by anyone, but because its usually found in tobacco shops you have to be 18 to even enter, thus 18 to buy. But its also available on dozens of websites online. We want to stress no tobacco shop we found was doing anything illegal. View Bill AB 259 currently going through the State Congress

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