He took a hit and as the smoke filled his lungs, Patrick Kavanaugh said he saw the floor "flow" like a river to his front door.
He looked up to see the Queen of Hearts and her court from "Alice in Wonderland" surrounding him for judgment.
Kavanaugh smiled. No cop could touch him.
This drug use was legal.
Kavanaugh, a 21-year-old UF student, experienced this by smoking Salvia divinorum, a hallucinogenic herb that is being targeted by Florida lawmakers who are challenging its legality.
Florida is currently considering a ban on salvia.
Eight states already have restrictions in effect.
Florida state Rep. Mary Brandenburg, D-West Palm Beach, introduced a bill to make possession of salvia a felony that is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is conducting an analysis under the Controlled Substances Act to determine whether salvia, which currently is not controlled under the act, meets federal conditions that would deem it a controlled substance. If it was deemed a controlled substance, it would be subjected to government regulation.
Factors of the analysis that will determine the drug's legality include its potential for abuse, scientific evidence of its pharmacological effect, its history, the risk it poses to public health and other considerations, according to the DEA's Web site.
"Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it's safe," said Rogene Waite, a DEA spokeswoman.
"Salvia is very risky business."
According to the DEA Web site, salvia is abused for its ability to create hallucinogenic effects similar to those of illegal substances, such as LSD.
Kavanaugh said it is unusual that salvia is legal, and when comparing it to illegal drugs like marijuana, salvia's effects are "absolutely" worse.
The drug is currently available both online and in local stores. Web sites sell it for about $30 an ounce.
Kavanaugh used the drug once and said that was enough.
He described having feelings of complete disassociation.
"It is like nothing in the real world," he said. "It's like having this free floating anxiety and fear associated with it."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
