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New to Kava

Hello. I'm a moderate drinker. I've recently stopped smoking marijuana because of the terrible anxiety and irritability that comes with running out of green. I took to K@ last month, and felt that tolerance is too big of a concern, along with the depressant aspect (I don't like the green or white strains so I tended towards reds) and its addictive potential. I just recently stopped taking it. I have 4 ounces saved for a rainy day if I ever feel the need, but right now the effects are simply diminished and I have no desire to eat 10gs of the stuff.

I've tried kava before and I didn't feel any addictive potential with it. The effects were mildly mouth numbing, sedatively pleasing and overall it seemed like a pretty tried and true herb that suits everyday recreational purposes and somewhat decent tasting psychoactive beverage.

My main question is where to buy the quality kava, the best bang for my buck off the internet, and also instructions on how to mix with damiana (a herb I've never used before), as well as dosage and the basics of tolerance (if there is much to worry about here) .
 

fait

Position 5 Hard Support
Good merchants I have had personal experience with that I recommend include: Kalm with Kava, Bula Kava House, Gourmet Hawaiian Kava, and Kavafied.

Merchants I have merely HEARD are good that a lot of people around here recommend include Fiji Fresh Kava, Kava Time, and Squanch.

I don't know anything about damiana, but the basic starting quantity of medium grind kava that many people start with is 2 tbsp's in about a quart of water. Then you knead your root in a filter bag for 5-10 minutes. The root can be reused to tone down the strength of the grog and give you more volume. There are people here who drink much stronger grog. I hear about people who do 8 tbsp in a quart of water, but everyone may measure their water and root differently. I myself do about 4 tbsp in 500ml of water and then reuse the root with a little less water (about 400ml) and mix the two batches of grog together.
 
The kava root is the only safe part of the plant to use. The Pacific Islanders have known this for hundreds of years! Make sure you only buy from vendors who sell just the root. If they can't tell you how their product is processed, don't trust 'em.
Where do you get yours?
 

Dr.Krunk

Certified Quack
Fait made some good recommendations. Most of us order our Kava online. You can even find Kalm with Kava and kavafied on amazon though you will pay more that way than going through the suppliers website.

All vendors have something good to bring to the table and everyone reacts differently to specific types. My personal favorites are Bula Kava house Nambawan, Kava Times savusavu, and kavafieds supreme. Stone from nakamal at home is one of my favorites as well but the price is fairly high now in comparison to the others. I enjoy all different kinds of Kava from almost all vendors listed on the forums. Check out the Kava suppliers and reviews for further information.
 

Dr.Krunk

Certified Quack
Id also add that many look for the instant kavas and micronised Kava for ease of use. Personally for me and I’d assume many others ultimately veer towards traditional prep with medium grind for the best bang for buck. The preparation can be a tad bit annoying at first but you will figure it out and be glad you did. Just make sure you really work the root in the water and wring out the strainer either several times during prep or at the end. If you don’t prepare it thoroughly than you may end up disappointed if strength is what you are after.

I think a good Krunk prep early on is a fantastic way to show what Kava can do. At that point you may start appreciating the more subtle grog experiences. @Krunkie McKrunkface has made several videos that can assist in the process of starting out that are worth checking out.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
Why use the root?
Good suppliers will only give you the root, as the above ground parts of the plant can be toxic. In addition, most here would recommend the root over extracts for the full experience. Think of the difference between drinking a nice cup of coffee, and taking a no-doz. Just as a no-doz isn't coffee, a product that contains the extracted kavalactones is not kava. Not that they can't be useful, but it is not the same.
 

fait

Position 5 Hard Support
Where do you get yours?
As @Dr.Krunk mentioned, the good stuff you order online. Kava powder is possible to buy locally but if the place selling it can't tell you where the kava came from, that's a red flag. Additionally, if you see a brand name to work with, you can research if that brand name sources noble kava (kava that the Pacific Islanders have historically and presently drink daily because adverse effects are non-existent) or if it's just "kava" without any modifiers. The more they know about their product, the better. They don't need to tell you about the farmer who grew the kava you're using but if they can't even tell you what island in [insert island nation here] they got it from or what variety of kava it is, I advise against buying it. Kava bars I would treat the same way if you have any in your area.

Most of us drink kava made from either medium grind, micronized, or instant kava. But you'll hear discussion about other kava products like extracts. Extracts are generally not recommended as these tend to be made from cheap kava and you'll see these bottles of potential poison at health food stores. The one extract I recommend is Bula Kava House's as that business in general is great and I trust they use noble kava with their extract. The other concern with extracts is that there are no long-term studies on their safe use as of this date.

Kava grog, as the Pacific Islanders have consumed for many, many years, is safe. They consume the root fresh but it sadly doesn't keep fresh, which is why most Westerners have to drink it with dried powder. Medrium grind is the cheapest but more laborious option for making grog, while micronized and instants are more convenient but more pricey.

Good merchants I have had personal experience with that I recommend include: Kalm with Kava, Bula Kava House, Gourmet Hawaiian Kava, and Kavafied.

Merchants I have merely HEARD are good that a lot of people around here recommend include Fiji Fresh Kava, Kava Time, and Squanch.
In case you're too lazy to scroll up and read my previous message on merchant recommendations, here's the message again.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
just to add a little...

Since kava is both expensive, and a very time-consuming activity to grow, there is an extremely strong incentive for island manufacturers to include branches (or other things) to increase weight. This does not always happen, but it does happen far more often than we'd like.
My main question is where to buy the quality kava, the best bang for my buck off the internet, and also instructions on how to mix with damiana (a herb I've never used before), as well as dosage and the basics of tolerance (if there is much to worry about here) .
As far as we know, none of the vendors listed on the main page sell inferior kava but it certainly could be a problem with others, specially some that sell other herbs besides kava. Personally I only buy kava from suppliers that specialize in it.

You can also find direct links to every website, inside their supplier folders, on the link above.
 

fait

Position 5 Hard Support
Personally I only buy kava from suppliers that specialize in it.
I fully agree with this. Exercise great scrutiny of kava products sold by people who don't specialize in it if you absolutely can't buy kava from specialty kava vendors.
 
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