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Salvia divinorum is highly variable in its effects, some people achieve
pronounced results from smoking or chewing plain leaves, while many do
not. In response to this, extracts have been developed that are a much
more effective way to experience the full effects of this magical plant.
These extracts are available in 5X and 10X formulations. As the name
implies, a 5X or 10X extract is 5 times or 10 times stronger than plain
leaf. There are two kinds of extracts on the market: regular and
standardized. Standardized extracts are far superior to regular extracts
in several ways. A regular extract is a crude extract made by simply
soaking Salvia divinorum leaves in a solvent to dissolve the salvinorin-A
out of the leaves. The trouble is, a lot more than just the salvinorin-A
gets pulled out of the leaves; much of the chlorophyll and plant fats
get dissolved as well and end up in the finished extract and
subsequently in your lungs. In contrast, a standardized extract is made
by first producing pure crystalline salvinorin-A, and then applying this
to the leaves, so there is no extra chlorophyll or plant fats in the
extract. A standardized extract burns very cleanly and is milder on the
lungs because it produces smoke with much lower amounts of unhealthy tar
in it. Also, with a standardized extract, you get a guaranteed quantity
of the active ingredient; with a crude extract you don't know how much
you are getting. A 5X standardized extract has 12.5 mg of salvinorin-A
per gram of leaf and a 10X has 25 mg per gram of leaf. A gram of
standardized 5X contains approximately18 moderate doses or 12 full
doses; the standardized 10X contains twice this amount.
STANDARDIZED EXTRACT FAQ
WHAT EXACTLY IS A STANDARDIZED EXTRACT?
A standardized extract is one in which the active compound - in this
case salvinorin A - is extracted from the plant and purified and then
redeposited back onto the dried leaves. A standardized extract contains
pure crystalline salvinorin A, a very rare compound that few people have
ever seen and even fewer people have ever produced. It takes a fair
amount of chemistry knowledge and skill to produce pure salvinorin A, so
a standardized extract may cost a little more, but it is well worth it.
Many of the other salvia extracts on the market are crude extracts.
Crude extracts are made by soaking salvia leaves in toxic solvents to
dissolve the salvinorin A out of the leaves. The trouble is, a lot more
than just the salvinorin A gets dissolved out of the leaves, much of the
plant lipids get dissolved in the solvent as well and end up in the
extract and subsequently in your lungs. (Lipids are a large class of
organic substances, insoluble in water and greasy to the touch,
including the fats, waxes, and sterols.)
WHAT DOES 5X AND 10X MEAN?
It means it is 5 times or 10 times as potent as dried leaf, so it
contains 5 or 10 times the amount of salvinorin A. Our 5X contains 12.5
mg of salvinorin A per gram & our 10X contains 25 mg/gm.
DOES A STANDARDIZED EXTRACT LOOK DIFFERENT THAN A CRUDE EXTRACT?
Yes, you can tell the two apart by looking at them. A crude extract
contains extra chlorophyll and plant fats, so it is darker in color and
has a slightly gummy consistency. A standardized extract retains the
normal leaf color and is absolutely dry, there is no gummy quality to it
at all.
IS A STANDARDIZED EXTRACT MORE POTENT THAN A CRUDE EXTRACT?
Yes it is. A crude extraction does not pull all the salvinorin A out of
the leaf, it is an inefficient extraction. So a 5X crude extract is not
really a 5X at all, it is actually a 3X or 4X depending on how diligent
the person was who made it. A 5X standardized extract is a true 5X
because you are redepositing a known quantity of the pure compound onto
the leaves. A crude extract would have to be a 6X or 7X strength to
equal a 5X standardized extract in potency, or 11X or 12X to equal a 10X
standardized extract in potency.
IS A STANDARDIZED EXTRACT MORE HEALTHY TO SMOKE?
Absolutely, that is the main reason we go to the extra trouble to
produce it. The extra plant fats contained in a crude extract, when
burned, produce a lot more unhealthy tar in the smoke (very similar to
the tar in tobacco smoke). A standardized extract contains *none* of
these additional fats, so it burns very clean and is much easier on the
lungs. Also, crude extracts can contain solvent residues which obviously
are harmful if inhaled. The solvents get trapped in the gummy portion of
the extract and can be hard to evaporate off completely during
processing. We know, we used to produce crude extracts before we started
producing standardized extracts.
HOW LONG WILL A STANDARDIZED EXTRACT KEEP?
If kept dry it will keep indefinitely. Salvinorin A is a very stable
compound and will not lose any potency over time. If you are planning on
storing if for long periods of time it would be best kept in a glass
container and out of direct sunlight.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS TO A STANDARDIZED EXTRACT?
Yes, a standardized extract will be absolutely consistent from batch to
batch, always containing the same amount of salvinorin A. A crude
extract will vary in potency from batch to batch depending on the
potency of the leaves it was made from. Salvia plants vary in potency a
great deal depending on many factors, including: time of year they were
harvested, temperature, light levels, nutrient levels, humidity, age of
the plants, etc. A standardized extract removes all these variables and
you know each batch will be exactly the same.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Salvia divinorum is now poised on the brink of becoming one of the most
popular and sought after recreational botanicals of all time. We are
working with selected distributors and retailers worldwide who are
interested in developing markets for our top-of-the-line extracts. We
are committed to upholding the highest standards of service and ethics
with all our clients - we are a small, conscientious company that
believes in the gifts the plant kingdom has given us. We look forward to
working with distributors and retailers who share our enthusiasm for
Salvia divinorum and these exceptional products.
Botanic-Art
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