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Do you want kava to stay legal? DO SOMETHING!

ApéroNoble

The d'Artagnan forum 4th Kavateer
All vendors! ----> Send out automated emails to your customers weekly letting them know to oppose this Bill!
Forum members ----> Oppose this Bill!


The Bill has already passed the House. ----> here


Currently only analogues for schedules I and II are banned. Lower classes are not. This Bill radically expands the definition of analogue from the current meaning of actual chemical analogues. It would add similar-effect (or even predicted effect!), without requiring any potential for abuse. So that would apply to K@, kava, and tianeptine, since they are u-opioid or GABAa agonists but not opioid or benzo analogues respectively.

This bill gives the AG unlimited emergency scheduling power. Natural things could be listed as controlled substance analogues. The bill is very open to interpretation, open ended, and vague, it pretty much allows the AG to ban anything. With Jeff Sessions being our AG, this is bad news.

I even wonder if currently unscheduled drugs could be deemed analogues. Some have similar-effect but no abuse potential. I can see mematine or gapabentin in this category. It seems basically wide open to prosecute any substance they want. It will make it very risky to possess any psychoactive substances for consumption that aren't prescribed or designated as a food/supplement (GRAS)

Here is the link to the whole bill’s information, contact your reps, we need to stop this bill.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2851/summary

Edit: there’s a letter from Human Rights Watch to Congress concerning this for those interested: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/14/opposition-letter-hr-2851-stop-importation-and-trafficking-synthetic-analogues-sits



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SO EVERYONE!!! Contact you senators and let them know that you want them to vote no to the SITSA act. This is a clear breach of our freedom in every way and it can not go through. If it were only fent analogues it would be OK but Fent analogues are already illegal and this act is going to be used against a myriad of substances most disturbingly certain herbs... ACT NOW E-mail and call your senators and let them know you expect a no vote!!!!

This gives them the power to ban things on the spot without any reason. It’s different than emergency scheduling, that still required a reason and a legal process to go through, it was just expedited. This gives the DEA and the AG unchecked power.

If you don't know your Senator's contact information you can find it ----> Here








 
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Alia

'Awa Grower/Collector
Please enlighten me... my reading of this Bill suggests it applies to language specific to "synthetic" and "drug".
Kava right now is classified (ridiculously in my opinion) as "dietary supplement". Wouldn't that have to change for it to be made illegal?
Also ideally kava is classified as "Beverage" but we're not there yet.
If there is something I am missing which adds a definition to include dietary supplements please advise.
 

Ricardo Piquant

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Please enlighten me... my reading of this Bill suggests it applies to language specific to "synthetic" and "drug".
Kava right now is classified (ridiculously in my opinion) as "dietary supplement". Wouldn't that have to change for it to be made illegal?
Also ideally kava is classified as "Beverage" but we're not there yet.
If there is something I am missing which adds a definition to include dietary supplements please advise.
Funny you mention that about kava classification. I think this is why dr. Lebot always spoke about kava as a food.
 

verticity

I'm interested in things
Please enlighten me... my reading of this Bill suggests it applies to language specific to "synthetic" and "drug".
Kava right now is classified (ridiculously in my opinion) as "dietary supplement". Wouldn't that have to change for it to be made illegal?
Also ideally kava is classified as "Beverage" but we're not there yet.
If there is something I am missing which adds a definition to include dietary supplements please advise.
We discussed an earlier iteration of this in detail here:
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads...va-and-other-psychoactives.11795/#post-134771

I agree that because kava is specifically named under the 1994 supplement act that a rational and informed judiciary should (if this came up in court) conclude that the SITSA act would not apply to kava. However, this act is sufficiently vague--the text, as opposed to the title, is based on predicted function, not historical classification or precedent--that it muddies the water for kava (pun intended) so that an unfriendly and ignorant judiciary or state or local legislators could easily look at this, look at kava, and believe that it applies. Kava is not the intended target of this, but I am legitimately concerned that it could get caught up in this dragnet.
 

Travis

Kava Enthusiast
I sent both of my senators an email. Is there a date when they're slated to vote?
Maybe we need to start a pro kava lobby group to pay off some politicians just in case?
 
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Alia

'Awa Grower/Collector
We discussed an earlier iteration of this in detail here:
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads...va-and-other-psychoactives.11795/#post-134771

I agree that because kava is specifically named under the 1994 supplement act that a rational and informed judiciary should (if this came up in court) conclude that the SITSA act would not apply to kava. However, this act is sufficiently vague--the text, as opposed to the title, is based on predicted function, not historical classification or precedent--that it muddies the water for kava (pun intended) so that an unfriendly and ignorant judiciary or state or local legislators could easily look at this, look at kava, and believe that it applies. Kava is not the intended target of this, but I am legitimately concerned that it could get caught up in this dragnet.
I have contacted several professors at University of Hawai'i, Mano'a and the key individual (much smarter than me!!) agrees this Bill if passed could cause problems (if not try and outright ban) kava. Our main House of Rep. person- Tulsi Gabbard has already voted against it but it has passed House anyway. Urge others to contact.
 

Travis

Kava Enthusiast
So far I sent emails out to
Square Rut in Austin, TX
Brooklyn kava, Brooklyn, NY
Kavasutra, Fl, NY, CO
Noble Kava, asheville, NC
House of kava, Brooklyn NY
Sol Luna tea lounge, trevose, pa
Kava connection, Greenvile, sc
Kava kasa, grand rapids, MI
Kavakaze bar, Tallahassee, tn
Bula Kafe, Madeira, fl
Purple lotus, fl
Island root kava bar, fl
Low tide kava bar, Gulfport, fl
Pacific rootz , Orlando, FL
Ohana kava bar, Colorado springs, co
Mad hat tea, tacoma, WA
Mad hatters tea bar, Denver, co
Speakeasy kava bar, largo, fl
Grassroots kava house, st Petersburg, fl
Vintage kava, nc
Kava Kat, Santa Rosa, ca
Noble kava, boone, nc
MeloMelo Kava bar, Berkeley, CA
Rooted Kava bar, San Diego, CA
Kava bar San Bruno, San Bruno, CA
Wu Wei tea temple, Fairfax, CA
 
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Ricardo Piquant

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This is very disturbing. I sent the following to both of my senators:

Hello Senator and staff, Please support all exemptions for natural botanicals in the bill coming your way from the house- H.R. 6. If you look at the bill as currently configured, the outright banning of natural botanicals without the data and research to back it up Is nonsensical, and is a step backwards for responsible personal freedom. Thank you for your consideration.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
This applies to kava as well ----> https://www.change.org/p/donald-trump-stop-the-sitsa-act

You may think that one person or one forum can not do anything, but it is all about spreading the word and the effect multiplying from there. The worst thing is for people to decide not to do anything because they feel like they are just one person and can make no difference.
Done and done.

For those that live in NYS here is a link for the senate to find your district.
https://www.nysenate.gov/registration/nojs/form/start/find-my-senator
 

wanderingwoodsmith

Kava Enthusiast

nashfire

Stay Rooted
This applies to kava as well ----> https://www.change.org/p/donald-trump-stop-the-sitsa-act

You may think that one person or one forum can not do anything, but it is all about spreading the word and the effect multiplying from there. The worst thing is for people to decide not to do anything because they feel like they are just one person and can make no difference.
Dropped some $ on that; thanks for the link! Bula! (Unfortunately being in Idaho means all of our "leaders" will prob vote with Dobby the house elf and his orange-haired overlord tool)....oops...that came out right.
 

Travis

Kava Enthusiast
So from all the kava bars I reached out to so far, I have received two responses back. They are as follows:

Response one:
As for SITSA: we welcome it. Although this specifically targets substance that "is substantially similar" to a controlled substance, no one reading the bill would see the stretch to kava. Furthermore, we welcome a littleregulation to the kava market - it wouldn't hurt and it would ensure people were getting the best quality product - we're actually pushing for it to make sure Tudei's and the like are kept out.

Response two:
We are aware of this bill although they aren’t coming for kava. The bill would definitely affect K@ though. Kava has already been approved by the FDA.
We are fighting this for the affect it could have on K@.
Thanks for spreading the word!

I will leave them anonymous, but its clear how vague and confusing this bill is, I guess that's the whole point.
 
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