Welcome to Thomas Munro’s homepage

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I'm a chemist doing a postdoctoral research fellowship at McLean Hospital, Massachusetts.

The main focus of my research is Salvia divinorum (Diviner's Sage), a traditional medicine from Mexico. My PhD thesis, "The Chemistry of Salvia divinorum," is available online (6.3 MB PDF). It contains much previously unpublished material on the chemistry and pharmacology of the plant, along with the first detailed critiques of early, hard-to-find publications on this topic.

S. divinorum is legally available in most countries. When it was prohibited in Australia in 2002, I wrote an essay criticising the undemocratic process which led to the decision, and the incompetence and negligence on which it was based: "The Prohibition of Diviner's Sage." While now out of date, it is still probably the most detailed discussion of the topic available. Unfortunately, my quixotic efforts to have the ban overturned were fruitless. A brief update can be found on pages 63-66 of my thesis. For further information about all aspects of the plant, the single best source is Daniel Siebert's Sagewisdom.

Contact:

October 2006