Is Salvia divinorum legal in Canada?
- Legal status
- Controlled. NAMED: Order SOR/2015-209 added 'Salvia divinorum, its preparations and derivatives, including salvinorin A' to Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, in force February 2016. Schedule IV bars production, trafficking, import and export but does not itself prohibit simple possession. Mechanism: NAMED (plant + salvinorin A).
- Consequences if caught
- Producing, selling, importing or exporting salvia is a Schedule-IV CDSA offence (up to 3 years on indictment); simple possession is not prohibited under Schedule IV.
- If prescribed or medical
- Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A have no approved therapeutic use; before CDSA scheduling salvia products were subject to Food and Drugs Act enforcement, and there is no lawful prescription route.
- Documentation
- No lawful commercial import/export route; salvia consignments are treated as Schedule-IV imports and seized.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Canada’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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If you’re detained or arrested abroad
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