I think it's because our society legalized and even promotes the strongest substances of them all, so THC seems very subtle in comparison to something like caffeine and alcohol which is arguably the most potent psychedelic inebriant known delivering loss of motor control, at high doses total loss of consciousness, completely altered vision and decision-making to the point you can't operate machinery or do basic tasks. It has hypnogogic effects that show you closed-eye visuals and make you sleepy. Kinda funny how alcohol is the most accepted "drug", to the point it isn't even called one - yet its effects are as intense and socially disruptive as the hardest drugs available.
Coffee, also. The effects of C. arabica is like a very strong version of the A. muscaria mushroom. We have cultivated it to be insanely potent over the centuries. Coffee is about the most potent and euphoric stimulant I can consume without it feeling like it's taking over and ruining my identity - like you get with a lot of pharmacological concoctions.
> the way high strength marijuana or an edible does
Yeah, I don't think it's great for every personality type. It's a "value-changing" drug that will change your opinions on things, and make you think about personal things in ways you would naturally avoid (sometimes to your benefit). I'm no psychologist but THC is powerful enough to change you enough that you can lose friends, family, and interests - but you may gain some new ones, or realize that you're better off without those things. At any rate, it's a very psychological drug that makes you re-order your life. Some people don't need it. If you don't, probably better off without it (not medical advice! just some guy's rant).
> salvia
I'll share my experience with it, because it's perhaps the most mis-marketed thing out there. My experience with the dried leaf (1x - just the real whole leaves you get at those hippie crystal type shops) is nothing whatsoever like people have described. I had 0 trips or any "high". The experience to me is an intense form of focus, as if nothing can distract you. It's subtle, but you can lock into work like crazy if you put this in a pour-over coffee. The best way I would describe it is you quickly "forget" or "let go" of unwanted thoughts, effortlessly, and it helps you focus. It's not euphoric in the slightest - so I think people miss this very useful effect. It's zen. Clear and focused. It might compete with ADHD medication, so maybe it's not promoted very much since it may be a market threat. That's the effect though IMO. Think - coffee high without the high. 10x, 25x salvia gets "weird" only because it's too much at once. I think if you "turned that effect up" to the max it would be like having dementia, because you would not be able to hold onto anything. But turn that effect back down to 1x and you have something quite useful for focused work. I compare it to A. muscaria, coffee, or tea, but it's "lighter" (and more efficient) than caffeine.