The question of whether sage can be smoked is complex because the term “sage” refers to the large Salvia genus, which contains nearly 1,000 species with vastly different chemical profiles and uses. The answer depends entirely on the specific plant being considered, as some are used for cooking, others for ceremonial purposes, and a few are known for psychoactive properties. Sage plants are widely recognized for their aromatic qualities, derived from various essential oils. They have been used historically across many cultures for medicinal, culinary, and spiritual practices. The expectation that smoking sage will lead to a uniform or predictable effect is incorrect, as the inhalation of different Salvia species has distinct outcomes.
Varieties of Sage and Their Use
The three types of sage most commonly encountered by the public—and most relevant to the question of smoking—are common sage, white sage, and diviner’s sage. Common sage, Salvia officinalis, is the variety typically found in kitchens and is primarily used as a culinary herb to season foods like poultry and stuffing. This Mediterranean species has a long history of use in traditional medicine, but its primary modern association is with cooking.
White sage, Salvia apiana, is native to the southwestern United States and is traditionally used by various Indigenous North American peoples for spiritual and ceremonial smoke cleansing practices. The dried leaves of this variety are bundled and slowly burned to create fragrant smoke intended to purify spaces or people, not for direct inhalation or ingestion.
The third significant species is diviner’s sage, Salvia divinorum, a plant native to Mexico that is known for containing the potent psychoactive compound salvinorin A. Traditional use involves chewing the fresh leaves or making an infusion, though it is sometimes dried and smoked for its hallucinogenic effects. The chemical makeup of each species dictates its function; for example, common sage contains thujone, while diviner’s sage contains salvinorin A.
Smudging Versus Smoking for Ingestion
A significant misunderstanding exists between the ceremonial use of sage and the act of smoking it for ingestion. Smudging, or smoke cleansing, involves the slow, incomplete combustion of dried sage bundles, most commonly white sage, to generate aromatic smoke. This practice is fundamentally about creating a fragrant atmosphere to cleanse a space or person, with the smoke primarily wafting through the air, not being drawn deep into the lungs for systemic absorption.
Smoking, in the context of ingestion, involves rapidly burning the dried plant material and intentionally inhaling the smoke directly and deeply into the lungs. The goal of smoking is to deliver active compounds into the bloodstream quickly through the vast surface area of the pulmonary alveoli. The cultural intent of smudging is spiritual or aromatic, which contrasts sharply with the ingestive intent of smoking a substance like tobacco or a psychoactive herb. The depth of inhalation is the key differentiator between these two practices.
Health Implications of Smoking Common Sage
Smoking common sage (Salvia officinalis) or white sage (Salvia apiana) carries significant health risks without offering any established euphoric or recreational benefit. Common sage contains a compound called thujone, which is toxic to the central nervous system in high doses, causing convulsions and potential damage to the liver and nervous system. While the amount of thujone varies, the combustion and inhalation of sage smoke can expose the body to this neurotoxin in an uncontrolled manner.
Beyond thujone, inhaling any kind of combusted plant matter exposes the respiratory system to general irritants, carbon monoxide, and various particulate matter. The smoke from burning common sage has no established safety profile for deep lung inhalation, and it can cause respiratory irritation, especially for individuals with conditions like asthma. Although Salvia divinorum is smoked specifically for its psychoactive effects, it is chemically distinct, meaning that smoking common cooking sage will not produce a comparable “high.”