"Police seize Kava consignment"

[TheKavaSociety]

The War on Kava Continues in Australia: http://www.donotlink.com/www.thecourier.com.au/story/3017860/kava-consignment-intercepted/?cs=2452
I am wondering where these communities get the money to pay such ridiculous sums for kava from. I assume that those who argue that kava drains their wallets are right. BUT, that is mainly because of the prohibition. As indicated by this article, 1kg of medium grind kava an cost $10,000 (this is obviously an exaggerated amount, but still, kava is certainly way more expensive in northern australia than pretty much anywhere else in the world). If kava was legal in northern Australia, the local communities could buy annual enough certified noble kava for a year or more with this much money.

 

[nabanga]

I'd say the police are clueless in their price estimates.
In Auckland we pay NZ$40/kg for good quality Tongan medium grind. If there was such a huge markup available I am sure there would be lots of people taking short breaks to Australia with a suitcase full of 'ava.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

It's not so simple. You can only bring up to 2kgs of kava into Australia. And it's not exactly easy to get to these remote aboriginal communities. Besides, possession of more than 2kg of kava in Arnhem land or other aboriginal communities can be treated as a very serious offence. I am not sure if there are that many kiwi "enterpreneurs" who would be carrying 2kg of kava across the sea and the dessert, risking jail and other problems, even if they could sell their kava there for way more than in NZ.

At the same time, I think the police must be exaggerating. We know that 1kg of kava is not that much and I doubt anyone, no matter how desperate, would be paying $10,000 for it. It would be cheaper to get any other drug, unless one really loves kava. I think it is more reasonable to assume that kava sells for hundreds of dollars per kg in northern australia and for around 100$ per kg in places like Melbourne or Brisbane (according to gumtree).