The State Senate voted Tuesday to ban the manufacture and distribution of the hallucinogenic drug salvinorin A, which is commonly sold in the form of the herb Salvia Divinorum.

The ban carries a fine of up to $10,000 but does not extend to salvia in the form of a currently FDA-approved homeopathic drug, which will still be able to be sold in stores without a prescription.

The bill was passed by the State Assembly in December and is currently awaiting Gov. Jim Doyle’s signature to become law.

Salvia is a Mexican drug that can cause intense hallucinations. It is currently unregulated and legal to buy and sell in any store in the state.

Tom Engels, vice president of public affairs for the Pharmacy Association of Wisconsin, said he supports the bill and the regulation of a potentially hazardous drug.

“Salvinorin A is starting to become abused, and it’s starting to become dangerous because it’s not regulated by anyone,” he said.

He added the misuse of such a powerful hallucinogen could have potentially harmful side effects on the person using it and a person under the influence could become dangerous to others.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 1.8 million people in the United States are estimated to have used salvia at least once in their lifetime.

The DEA reports adverse physical effects that can come from smoking dried salvia leaves include “[lack of] coordination, dizziness and slurred speech.”

According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, which monitors “drug-related episodes” in hospital emergency rooms across the country, there are currently no reports of medical emergencies caused by salvia use.

Steve Aged, manager of Knuckleheads Tobacco & Gifts on State Street, made his store’s policy concerning salvia quite clear.

“If something is legal and our customers want it, we will sell it. If something is illegal, we won’t sell it,” Aged said.