It is the stuff you saw Miley Cyrus smoke in a bong in a viral video, and it’s also the herb a New York father blames for leading to his son’s death earlier this month. Now, the New York State Senate has passed a measure aiming to block the sale of the “magic mint” known as salvia.
It is an herb grown mainly in Mexico and part of the mint and sage family that you can buy for about $30 to $50 an ounce in head shops right now, in New York.
But after 21-year-old Ryan Santanna smoked the herb and then fell 15 stories to his death on Roosevelt Island, the State Senate is looking to ban its sale with fines of up to $500.
Assemblyman Peter Rivera of the Bronx hopes to have the Assembly vote on the measure by the close of the legislative session in June.
Another bill proposed by the Assembly would limit the sale of salvia to minors, but not prohibit it entirely.
