salvinorin A

Hallucinogen plant targets pain receptor

Salvinorin Crystals Hazlett

By C. Hazlett. (Dusenostachys123 at en.wikipedia) Wikimedia Commons

The discovery of how the hallucinogen Salvia affects the brain could lead to new avenues for treating drug addiction, chronic pain, and depression.

At the molecular level, drugs like salvinorin A (the active ingredient of the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum) work by activating specific proteins, known as receptors, in the brain and body. [continue reading…]