LEWISTON – Salvia is a garden variety flower.

But, to many teens, it isn’t just a pretty plant. It’s a ticket to a nasty hallucinogenic trip, and they don’t have to break any laws to take it. Although banned in Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Delaware, salvia is a legal substance in Maine.

It can be smoked or chewed, according to users and experts, and mimics the experience with LSD.

The herb is so potent that salvia producers and distributors warn users to have a “sitter,” or sober friend, present in case the trip turns bad because users frequently become frightened and can panic and injure themselves or others.

The flower is so common that Kim Johnson, director of Maine’s Office of Substance Abuse, grows it in her garden.

“I remember in the ’70s when people tripped and didn’t come back,” Johnson said. “That’s the kind of thing I think about with this.”

How easy is it to get salvia in Maine? Pretty easy.

WGME News-13 purchased a sample in less than two minutes at Paris Adult Books, operating in the shadow of the Lewiston Police Department. News-13 also found it at the Smokers Depot in Portland and at the Glass Connection in Gorham.

The Glass Connection chose to market the herb last month in a store flier announcing its grand opening.

So, what gives?

Should an herb that does this to teens be allowed to be sold to virtually anyone who just walks in and asks for it?

“It’s very scary because everything I’ve read about it … it can be a very frightening hallucinogenic experience,” Johnson said.

It could be a matter of time before salvia appears on the law enforcement radar in Maine.

Roy McKinney, director Maine’s Drug Enforcement Agency, explained that “up until last year no states had regulated it. Now, there are some states stepping forward.”

Within the past year, local poison control officials have noticed an increase in calls about salvia, and the DEA is now considering classifying it as a scheduled substance.