Thanks, I'm also pretty new here - previously I was a lurker at the entheogen.com forums, and since then I haven't really found a helpful community dedicated to a single ethnobotanical (except perhaps K@ connoiseurs, but since K@ was illegalized where I live many years ago, and the fact that I don't really care for opioid-acting agents...) This forum thus far seems to be defined by a constant will to share and learn more about kava (even I contributed a bit by posting my find of a quite old magazine article about pioneers of kava research), sharing experiences with different strains, and providing vendors with feedback. And just some general krunked conversations, of course.
I love the effects of kava kava, and its use is not well-known at all around here in the Nordics. Some background: I was on Pregabalin for 4-5 years (for GAD) and decided the side-effects (which weren't that severe - loss of libido, facial rash, the feeling of idiocy when you realize you've forgotten your mediciation at home while travelling and feeling the first taste of withdrawals...) probably didn't outweigh the pros in the end. Kava helped me get through the immediate period after quickly cutting down.
There aren't even any "natural health shops" who carry crappy kava extracts. One big problem I have though is how it affects my digestion. Ginger solves some of it, but reading Chris's and others posts on the impact of the size of kava particles, micronized kava etc. gives me hope that given quality kava and new methodologies, we can create the best kava experience while still being authentic about it.
The first time I used kava must have been around 2004, but that was all crappy extracts and powdered kava with probably very high DHM and DHK content - either it was very ineffecient or wrecked havoc on my stomach... kind of put me off from the time being, and being poor I couldn't really afford trying out all the other interesting-looking strains out there.
Thanks to sites like this, it's easier to get an overview of what's on offer, and thus far I've had some great kava from paradisekava amongst others. Vendors seem extremely helpful, enthusiasts just like many of us. I am looking forward to trying out different variants and with different chemotypes from other vendors. Hoping that I'll be able to introduce this wonderful alternative to alcohol to other Scandinavian friends - it's nice krunking on your own, but sitting in a circle just shooting the shit and listening to music makes for half the experience imho. In the end they'll probably go "bleeuu peppery" and stick to their snus, folköl, street speed or ever-evolving lists of RC:s. But one can hope!
