Everywhere you turn, there seems to be yet another unregulated drug getting people high in New Jersey.

First we heard about the skyrocketing use of "K-2" – a synthetic marijuana that is being marketed at local smoke shops as incense and sold to anyone with a few bucks. Then, there was Four Loko – a $3 can of booze with the equivalent potency of three beers, an energy drink and a shot of espresso.

Now, I am concerned to see the rise of yet another unregulated hallucinogen that has been gaining popularity among recreational drug users, including several clients now in treatment at Sunrise Detox in Stirling.

The substance, known as salvia or by the street names Ska Pastora, Magic Mint, Shepherdess's Herb and Sally-D, has been known to carry some of the most negative effects of another hallucinogen, LSD. Salvia is derived from a plant native to Mexico and contains an extremely powerful psychoactive component that was used centuries ago by shamans in religious ceremonies. It is known to cause loss of self, uncontrollable laughter and calmness. Clients at Sunrise have also described a darker side to the substance that includes paranoia, uncontrollable movements and bizarre and frightening hallucinations.

Those who have studied salvia for both its psychoactive properties and use in spiritual ritual claim there is a real and significant risk of physical danger with use of the substance. They also claim the drug's effects are less predictable and more difficult to manage than other psychoactive drugs used for religious and spiritual ceremony. As such, the use of salvia among our youth as a legal alternative to illegal psychoactive substances is particularly disturbing.

You may know of salvia as the substance that pop star Miley Cyrus was recently caught smoking out of a bong. Or you may have read about salvia because the suspected Tuscon shooter, Jared Loughner, is believed to have regularly used it.

Salvia is now regulated or illegal in 11 countries, but not the United States. Fifteen states have developed their own regulation of salvia, including our neighbor Delaware; both New York and Pennsylvania have proposed regulation as well. In 2006, efforts to regulate salvia began to mount in New Jersey. Senator Stephen Sweeney introduced a bill that attempted to criminalize salvia. The bill went nowhere. It has been introduced three more times, but remains stagnant, to the dismay of many advocates in New Jersey's anti-drug movement.

Meanwhile, in the Assembly, a bill regulating salvia has been sponsored and is sitting in front of the Assembly Judiciary Committee with no hearings scheduled.

There is no logical reason why salvia should remain unregulated in New Jersey. Salvia can be eaten or smoked, and because it is unregulated, can be easily purchased off the Internet and is relatively cheap. Access to such a dangerous and potent psychoactive substance can lead to unpredictable effects and harsher, illegal drug abuse.

At Sunrise Detox, as well as other facilities dedicated to fighting alcohol and drug dependence throughout New Jersey, we need the help of our lawmakers. We face a daily uphill battle. Drugs and alcohol still remain plentiful and accessible to those who are eager to abuse it.

It is my hope the New Jersey Legislature will prioritize this pending legislation and do what it should have done five years ago – criminalize the use, sale and possession of salvia in our state.