Thursday, July 18, 2019
Pharmacology Case Essay
The research is about the herb, Salvia divinorum wherein there are debates whether it should be made illegal or not, and its possible use as a tool for pharmacological research. Salvia divinorum (SD) is known for its hallucinogenic effects, but unlike other abused substances, SD has lower potential for abuse. The research was conducted through the internet, wherein respondents fill out survey questionnaire forms. The qualitative information gathered from this research would then be used as a basis whether the substance should be controlled or not, and if so, how it would be controlled.            The content of the research is sufficient, wherein it has detailed information of what Salvia dinorum is and what are its specific effects to the people. It also gave a detailed explanation on how it affects the people’s brain and why it is different from other hallucinogenic substances. It also showed the statistical results of the survey conducted, wherein the respondents gave their sides regarding the comparisons of SD to other commonly abused substances (Baggott & Erowid, 2004).            The research material given is really useful in a sense that it could be used as a tool for pharmacological purposes. It could also be a basis for deciding on whether the substance should be made legal or be controlled for public consumption. Since it promotes altered perception of reality as a hallucinogenic compound, it is possible that it could result to uncontrolled actions which could harm the user or other people. As the research presented, the substance is not as addictive as that of other abused substances. Through more research, further understanding of the matter could be established.            The primary limitation of the research is that it was conducted through the internet, and the responses of the respondents could not be qualitatively taken into consideration, since they could just generate an imaginary response. The research is limited to the respondents who have access to the internet, and those who weren’t able to check the material online will not be able to answer. Another limitation is that the respondents were mostly males, so we don’t really know much about the side of the females. If it was to be under random sampling, then the males and females should be properly represented, unless only the males are using SD.            The credibility of the author is quite convincing, since he’s a student of Neuroscience PhD program and already has authored several scientific articles and book chapters. Looking at his achievement, we are safe to assume that he is credible enough to give information about Salvia divinorum and the issues related to it.            The intended audiences of the research are those who are in the pharmacology field, as well as the people who are using Salvia divinorum. They are the ones who are directly involved with the substance that is why it is necessary for them to be informed of things concerning Salvia divinorum. For the pharmacologists, they could use SD as a tool to develop new drugs and learn more about the human brain and how it works. For the users, they have to understand that as a hallucinogen, SD still pose some threats in their lives as well as the people around them. They have to be responsible enough to know when and where to use it.            The significant features of this research are that there is not much information yet available when it comes to utilizing Salvia divinorum for medical purposes. This means that this is a pioneering research aiming to establish an understanding about this mind-boggling herb.            In our society, it is common knowledge that many substances are being abused because of their mind-altering hallucinogenic effects. A candidate for this is the Salvia divinorum, though researches show that it is not that addictive comparing to other substances. It has other uses, one of which is for medical purposes. We could harness this potential instead of treating it as something destructive. It is high time to use it to our advantage, and not our destruction. Reference: Baggott, M., & Erowid, E. F. (2004). A Survey of Salvia divinorum Users.  Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.erowid.org/plants/salvia/salvia_survey1.shtml Â
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