Don't let your career go up in smoke Published Jan. 11, 2011 By Senior Airman Daryl Knee 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WYO. -- The 90th Missile Wing leadership recently banned the use of the herbal drug Salvia and the mixture of herbs with psychoactive effects called Spice. "The abuse of these substances by military members contradicts the nature of our profession of arms, threatens our military readiness, and diminishes our ability to conduct the military mission entrusted to us," said Col. Greg Tims, 90th MW commander. "In order to ensure the military readiness, safety, welfare, security, and good order and discipline of all members of the 90th Missile Wing," he continued, "I order all military members [assigned here] ... to not possess, distribute or use ... the herb commonly known as Salvia in any form or the intoxicant commonly known as Spice in any form." Failure to obey this order constitutes a violation or Article 92, Uniform Code of Military Justice, Failure to Obey Order or Regulation, and may result in punitive or administrative actions. The Drug According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Salvia Divinorum is a perennial herb in the mint family that resembles common sage. The plant contains the hallucinogen Salvinorin A and is abused for the mind-altering sensations it produces. The plant grows in large clusters and typically reaches more than three feet in height. It is identifiable by its large, bright green leaves; hollow, square stems; and white and purple flowers. The leaves of the Salvia Divinorum plant can be dried and then smoked or, while still fresh, wadded together and chewed. Salvia is considered legal in most states. The mixture Spice is a blend of legal herbs that when smoked together have psychoactive effects similar to those of marijuana. The mixture is not permitted to be sold in the United States. The Abuse "Most abusers get into the mindset that Salvia and Spice are not dangerous," said Al Dyke, Drug Demand Reduction program. "It's wrong to think the drugs are harmless when, in fact, they have very serious effects associated with them," he said. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports people who abuse Salvia generally experience hallucinations or "psychotomimetic" episodes, a transient experience that mimics a psychosis. Subjective effects have been described as intense but short-lived, appearing in less than 1 minute and lasting less than 30 minutes. They include psychedelic-like changes in visual perception, mood and body sensations, emotional swings, feelings of detachment, and importantly, a highly modified perception of external reality and the self, leading to a decreased ability to interact with one's surroundings. The Solution The Air Force Institute of Pathology has the capability to test for Salvia usage, Mr. Dyke said. So, random urinalysis tests can detect members who consume the drug. The institute is also working to develop a singular method for detecting Spice, which is difficult due to the inconstancy of its makeup. As compiled from the Drug Enforcement Agency's Office of Diversion Control, as of October of 2009, 14 states have enacted legislation placing regulatory controls on Salvia Divinorum or Salvinorin A. Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Virginia, Ohio and Nebraska have placed the plant into schedule I of state law. California, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, and Tennessee enacted legislation restricting the distribution of the plant. Wyoming has not banned the drug as of yet.