So why isnt Kava Illegal?

[tribal1209]

What do you guys think? By conventional analysis and a brief look at drug scheduling in the United states.....Kava should had been banned a decade ago. So why has this not happened? I have a few theories id like to throw into the ring.

1)Incorrect, non traditional use with the drugs reputation being built on extremely minor doses from extracts sold in health food stores. (Thus hiding how inebriating the plant can become)
2)The fact that it leaves a persons mind firmly rooted in reality despite being very intoxicating.
3)It will be banned someday (possibly?)
4)It tastes so foul that only a niche group of users could ever stomach such a nasty substance.
5)Relating to taste the amount of users is kept pretty small and thus off the radar.

Thoughts?

 

[EQ]

Firstly Kava has been banned. The ban was uplifted.

Secondly you have deemed Kava nothing in comparison to Alcohol so why should Kava be banned?

Thirdly great efforts have been made by government, Scientists, Kava leaders in securing Kava.

Fourth there is no reason for Kava to be illegal, and medicinal value has been shown.

 

[NAMBATU]

The Hawaiians would go nuts.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

It's non addictive, does not impair judgment and is deeply rooted in the customs and traditions of at least 10 UN member states. It's also non-toxic (impossible to overdose), quite expensive, requires patience and a lot of practice and it has a very bitter flavour. All of these factors mean that it's hard to imagine it being abused by kids or anyone else, really, and its use is not associated with any significant social or public health costs. If anything, some governments and organisations have actually been actively promoting kava use as a much more benign alternative to alcohol use

 

[verticity]

Firstly Kava has been banned. The ban was uplifted.

Secondly you have deemed Kava nothing in comparison to Alcohol so why should Kava be banned?

Thirdly great efforts have been made by government, Scientists, Kava leaders in securing Kava.

Fourth there is no reason for Kava to be illegal, and medicinal value has been shown.

Kava was not banned in the United States, although it was in Canada.

Also, like @NAMBATU says, it is grown and used traditionally by Native people in Hawaii, so banning it would be politically problematic. (Plus there is no good reason to ban it)

 

[Edward]

This is getting a bit circular... kava isn't illegal because mostly it's a safe and effective herbal product as opposed to a recreational drug... you might have answered your own question here on another thread already

 

[Cmessier]

Why WOULD it be illegal? It isnt harmful. It doesnt cause traffic accidents. It isnt addictive. Theres nothing about it that SHOULD make it illegal ......

 

[ThePiper]

 

[schatz]

And the kava so far nor ever will dip deep into the profits of competing substances like alcohol. Unlike the ecigs taking profits away from large tobacco corps. Just a little conspiracy talk for the day.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Most people (and legislators) are concerned about the potential burdens on the public healthcare system and society that a given activity might impose. Addictive activities are recognised as more socially costly and potentially unhealthy (due to increased tolerance or increased appetite for more excitement) than those that are not associated with strong addiction. And I am not talking just about substances, but also things like gambling.
So the fact that kava is not physically addictive is a big plus. The fact that it also appears to be harmless, non-toxic and very calming, sleep-inducing makes it a uniquely benign (or even beneficial) substance from the point of view of any potential social or public health cost-benefit calculations. Let's put it this way: if every adult American was a kava consumer, would the country be better off or worse off?

 

[Edward]

Hmm... ok...

 

[Deleted User01]

Kava is less harmful, less potent and less addictive than alcohol and alcohol is legal. Plus alcohol is very tasty and comes prepared in in easy to open bottles and cans. Kava is just bush league compared to alcohol so why make it illegal? By comparison, marijuana is wayyyy more potent than kava and it is legal in some states but still frowned upon by the feds. I think government has got their hands full with all the other drugs and Kava is just not potent enough to even worry about.
P.S. It seems like a new synthetic MJ is released every week and those drugs are super dangerous. And they have to be banned one a time. Lordy, whose got time to even look at making kava illegal.

 

[The Kap'n]

To get this thread back on topic. One of the main reasons why kava isn't illegal is that it currently has an accepted cultural use within the United States. It's also on a state quarter. It's became part of our culture when Hawaii became a state.

 

[The Kap'n]

Removed off topic posts.

 

[Edward]

Removed off topic posts.

No arguments here, particularly the way things were going but it is worth pointing out that if you removed all of the off topic posts in all of the threads there wouldn't be much left. It's kind of how the forum rolls, no? ;-)

 

[Rick.Sanchez]

Kava is less harmful, less potent and less addictive than alcohol and alcohol is legal. Plus alcohol is very tasty and comes prepared in in easy to open bottles and cans. Kava is just bush league compared to alcohol so why make it illegal? By comparison, marijuana is wayyyy more potent than kava and it is legal in some states but still frowned upon by the feds. I think government has got their hands full with all the other drugs and Kava is just not potent enough to even worry about.
P.S. It seems like a new synthetic MJ is released every week and those drugs are super dangerous. And they have to be banned one a time. Lordy, whose got time to even look at making kava illegal.

Well, many drugs that are less harmful, less potent, and less addictive than alcohol are still scheduled drugs. I hate to say it, but many illicit drugs are illicit for political reasons--not public health reasons.

The DEA now has the ability to schedule drugs as it sees fit, regardless of the FDA... so the agency that enforces drug laws can also make new drug laws.

 

[Deleted User01]

You are right @Rick.Sanchez, there are less harmful drugs than Alcohol that are scheduled. But Kava is not on anyone's Radar until some kid goes to school krunked on Tudei and falls asleep on his desk. Then you will have to be 21 to buy it and at your local "Kava Store". Like I said, all these synthetic MJ drugs are keeping the DEA plenty busy. If you look at all the scheduled drugs and including alcohol, you might say that Kava is the "sissy" of the bunch.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

The history of kava regulations in NZ is quite interesting.
Back in the early 2000s the government was concerned about the reports coming from Europe. But because NZ is home to a very significant number of traditional kava drinkers, the government was a bit more reluctant to just "ban it". Instead it commissioned a report/investigation. The report (Kava: A Human Health Risk Assessment) concluded that:

And that:

In light of these findings the government has decided to ban organic kava extracts (ethanolic, acetonic, CO2), but to keep traditional kava legal and regulated as food.

A few years later the government decided to introduce new legislation aimed at "Psychoactive Substances". The legislation was aimed at banning pretty much all "psychoactive" substances. Naturally, many people were concerned that it would affect kava. LOTS of submissions from various NGOs, local governments etc expressed concerns about the impact of the proposed legislation on kava. There was even an interesting debate on this issue in our Parliament:

(...)

In light of these concerns the government had to make an official announcement to confirm that kava WOULD NOT be affected by the proposed legislation even if it is technically a "psychoactive substance": https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/dunne-kava-unaffected-psychoactive-substances-bill

This demonstrates that, somewhat unsurprisingly, all political decisions are based on.. politics. The best way of protecting kava is to make sure a lot of people consume high quality kava and benefit from its benign and yet remarkable properties.

 

[kasa_balavu]

The history of kava regulations in NZ is quite interesting.
Back in the early 2000s the government was concerned about the reports coming from Europe. But because NZ is home to a very significant number of traditional kava drinkers, the government was a bit more reluctant to just "ban it". Instead it commissioned a report/investigation. The report (Kava: A Human Health Risk Assessment) concluded that:
View attachment 7437

And that:

View attachment 7438

In light of these findings the government has decided to ban organic kava extracts (ethanolic, acetonic, CO2), but to keep traditional kava legal and regulated as food.

A few years later the government decided to introduce new legislation aimed at "Psychoactive Substances". The legislation was aimed at banning pretty much all "psychoactive" substances. Naturally, many people were concerned that it would affect kava. LOTS of submissions from various NGOs, local governments etc expressed concerns about the impact of the proposed legislation on kava. There was even an interesting debate on this issue in our Parliament:


View attachment 7439
(...)
View attachment 7440

In light of these concerns the government had to make an official announcement to confirm that kava WOULD NOT be affected by the proposed legislation even if it is technically a "psychoactive substance": https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/dunne-kava-unaffected-psychoactive-substances-bill

This demonstrates that, somewhat unsurprisingly, all political decisions are based on.. politics. The best way of protecting kava is to make sure a lot of people consume high quality kava and benefit from its benign and yet remarkable properties.

A most interesting post. Thank you for that, @Henry.

 

[yiki]

The only reasons are cultural or:

The Hawaiians would go nuts.

That is one thing i like about the US - they take customs into account when making legislation. Another example would be the NAC and Peyote.