Beginning July 1, Salvia divinorum, a hallucinogenic drug, will no longer be legal in the state of Florida.
A bill passed by the legislature makes possession of the drug a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in jail and a fine of $5,000.
"People try it once, and that's it," said Patrick Patton, owner of Modern Age Tobacco & Gift Shop, where salvia is currently sold. "I've never had repeat customers."
Salvia is a member of the sage family, whose leaves can be used in their raw, powdered or extract form.
It can be ingested by smoking, vaporizing or chewing and induces a short-lived inebriated state with intense feelings of depersonalization, according to an article in the medical journal "Pharmacopsychiatry."
Patton said his University Avenue store would have the drug off of shelves the day before the bill goes into effect.
