Kava bar, K@ dispensary to open in North Knoxville

[kasa_balavu]

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/l...nsary-to-open-in-north-knoxville/51-610094499

30-50% of his revenue comes from K@.

Good: more people will learn about and get to experience kava thanks to Tennessee deciding that when they outlawed K@, they actually meant synthetic K@.
Bad: Kava gets tainted by all the negative attention brought by K@.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

The fact that they’re calling it a “dispensary” gives it a more medicinal flavor. Is that label only for K@ or for Kava as well?

 

[Groggy]

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/l...nsary-to-open-in-north-knoxville/51-610094499

30-50% of his revenue comes from K@.

Good: more people will learn about and get to experience kava thanks to Tennessee deciding that when they outlawed K@, they actually meant synthetic K@.
Bad: Kava gets tainted by all the negative attention brought by K@.

It ultimately keeps associating kava & Kr@ together and that's the issue I have with it. kava bars keep trying to boost their profits by adding these other non kava related items which could be very dangerous for kava, imo.

 

[Zaphod]

The fact that none of these establishments will call themselves a K@ bar tells you all you need to know.

 

[The Kap'n]

Here is the actual amendment passed on that TN law.

(A) Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, it is an offense for a person under the age of twenty-one (21) to knowingly purchase or possess K@ in the form of a tea, dietary supplement, or food ingredient. All persons purchasing K@ must present valid, government-issued photo identification at the point of sale.​

(B) To be eligible for sale in this state, K@ in the form of a tea, dietary supplement, or food ingredient must be manufactured in compliance with the requirements of sections 402(g)(2), 415, and 761 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, codified in 21 U.S.C. §§ 342(g)(2), 350d, and 379aa-1.​

(i) All K@ products must consist of the raw leaf and in the form of either:​

· Dried, cut, and sifted leaf; or​

· Raw tea leaf powder.​

(ii) Retail K@ products may only be sold as follows:​

· Raw, powdered tea leaf encapsulated in vegetarian or gelatin capsules, not to exceed nine hundred milligrams (900 mg.) per capsule, packaged in bottles containing no more than one hundred twenty (120) capsules per bottle; or​

· Raw, powdered tea leaf or dried, cut, and sifted leaf in pouches containing no more than five ounces (5 oz.) of raw material per pouch.

​

(source: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Amend/SA1103.pdf)

 

[SelfBiasResistor]

The fact that they’re calling it a “dispensary” gives it a more medicinal flavor. Is that label only for K@ or for Kava as well?

They have signs advertising only K@ as being "dispensed". That's really terrible verbiage as it implies medicinal use which is not acceptable since it's a plant. Only pharmaceutical drugs can be advertised as having medicinal properties.. or cannabis in legal states since they do not operate under the authority of the FDA. These bars offering K@ tea are a much greater danger to K@ than they are to kava.

 

[Intrepidus_dux]

Legal in the state of Tennessee or not, it's still on the DEA watch list. I don't have a problem with others using it responsibly. I personally don't like it. This kava bar owner sounds and looks like a greedy doofus. He says K@ is 30-50% of his business. He clearly only cares about the money and not the true spirit of kava or customer safety.

 

[SelfBiasResistor]

Legal in the state of Tennessee or not, it's still on the DEA watch list. I don't have a problem with others using it responsibly. I personally don't like it. This kava bar owner sounds and looks like a greedy doofus. He says K@ is 30-50% of his business. He clearly only cares about the money and not the true spirit of kava or customer safety.

Andrew used to post on the forum. I just wish he would change the marketing and advertising to not appear to be selling K@ medicinally right now.

About the DEA... lets be realistic. It's not on the DEAs radar because it's known to be unsafe. The FDA has wanted it off the market for a number of years and the DEA was the quickest route to a ban since they can enact emergency bans. If they had proof it's dangerous they would have presented it but they didn't and at this point I'm starting to doubt they'll be able to pursue it because if they do and can't make a strong enough case to congress for the final ban it will make them look really bad. Earlier in the year when the ban was announced by the DEA, a pharmaceutical company announced that they were nearing release of a new potent opiod drug that would lack addiction or fatal overdoses -- that drug is being derived from one of kratoms alkaloids. Obviously if pharma is planning to cash in on K@, the plant needs to be taken off the market. We saw this in the past with cannabis and have all been told how dangerous it was when it in fact wasn't and many people have suffered from not having access to it. We may very well see a similar situation with kava at some point if pharmaceutical companies see medicinal value in it so it is important for the kava community to see who the real enemies are.

 

[kastom_lif]

@SelfBiasResistor, whoa that IS the same Andrew of Noble Kava.

Does anyone know why he doesn't post here anymore? I used to love Noble Kava's stuff back when they were selling Vanuatu Kava Store for a lower price than VKS themselves.

I heard from one random internet person who claimed to be an employee at the Asheville location, claiming the bar's kava quality went downhill after cyclone Pam. It sounded like a lone disgruntled employee, so I didn't take it too seriously. All I know is that VKS folded, was briefly up for sale, and then Keely bought it.

The K@ sales are troubling, though if they ever start selling kava Tanna again I'm willing to overlook that.

 

[The Kap'n]

Yep, that's Mr. Procyk. He was a poster here. Actually, believe it or not, he was the original member to initially bring up the entire noble issue, and the acetone testing procedure together with Dr. Lebot in his videos.

Fortunately, he's no dufus. I think if he's doing this, he's done his research. No words from me about K@ other than I'd rather it not be paired with kava as usual.

 

[kastom_lif]

As long as they're not doing anything unethical with K@ I don't mind it. I went through a K@ phase, learned my lesson and decided never to touch the stuff again.

But you know what, by building a solid kava-drinking clientele, and by offering good quality root, maybe they won't need to sell K@.

Plus I'm a little gun shy when it comes to kr@. Down here south of the border, it's a felony. Alabama doesn't even have a state lottery. So much for that red state freedom So naturally, lots of folks around here drive up to the Volunteer State for lotto tickets and such. Whatever floats your boat... just please don't get hooked. I wouldn't wish addiction--gambling, opiate, or otherwise--on my worst enemy.

 

[Intrepidus_dux]

Interesting he used to post here. I don't like the idea of both being consumed at once and marketed at the same time. He stated it is because that's what sells well. Thus the doofus comment. I wish it were promoted differently and explained better to people on the purposes and how to use safely ect. These plants are very different from one another.

Edit: I went and put my hot head in the dry heat sauna and afterwards realized you guys are right; I should not be name calling a person name who I don't know, and who isn't present because I disagree. That was childish of me. I retract that bit.

 

[kasa_balavu]

Obviously if pharma is planning to cash in on K@, the plant needs to be taken off the market. We saw this in the past with cannabis and have all been told how dangerous it was when it in fact wasn't and many people have suffered from not having access to it. We may very well see a similar situation with kava at some point if pharmaceutical companies see medicinal value in it so it is important for the kava community to see who the real enemies are.

I agree. The best course of action right now is pretty much what Lebot reckons is the best way to get kava back into Europe: to strongly promote it as a food. The Codex Alimentarius standard will help a great deal towards this. Kava being classified as a food will make it harder for the pharma companies and their employees at Fed agencies (regulatory capture) to attack. Those working against this effort (such as the mob pushing non-noble cultivars for medicinal use), need to reconsider their stance. The non-noble cultivars will always be available. They lose nothing by holding off on promoting those cultivars for a few years until kava is on a more stable footing in the US, Europe, and elsewhere.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Interesting he used to post here. I don't like the idea of both being consumed at once and marketed at the same time. He stated it is because that's what sells well. Thus the doofus comment. I wish it were promoted differently and explained better to people on the purposes and how to use safely ect. These plants are very different from one another.

Edit: I went and put my hot head in the dry heat sauna and afterwards realized you guys are right; I should not be name calling a person name who I don't know, and who isn't present because I disagree. That was childish of me. I retract that bit.

Oh, I'm sure the universe forgives you. I do.