Kava Culture The future of Kava

[infraredz]

What do you think is the short-term and long-term future of kava in the US? Will it become deemed by the DEA or FDA to be unsafe and outlawed? Will it be classified in the same class as Salvia and deemed a drug? Will the public view it in a sort of "underground", poor light?

I wonder about these things because, let's face it, the history of things like kava doesn't usually end up with a good outcome. No matter how much we all know it's culturally and historically significant, safe, immensely beneficial and therapeutic, non-addictive, non mind-altering root, how will the public and government start to see it?

 

[Crunked]

I'm more worried about the alternative. Suppose it became the 'in' drink for actors and other celebrities. The herd would quickly follow. How long would it take before world-wide demand outstripped supply? Kava isn't like beer (and even that can have ingredient supply shortages) where it is usually just a case of brew up another industrial size tank. And once there is a quick buck to be made the shysters would soon join in. It would only be a matter of time before some dangerous product was shipped (I'm thinking Chinese Baby Formula made with melamine), then your fears would be realized. The FDA isn't going to test every batch of Kava being imported. Easier to just ban it.

 

[kavadude]

I think in terms of research and perception, we're moving in a very positive direction. And kava of course has the built-in defense mechanism...it tastes terrible and requires a fair amount of dedication to get to the point where you are enjoying it on a nightly basis. I don't think you're going to see many youtube videos of people drinking kava and then acting like morons (although there are certainly a handful out there).

 

[Crunked]

I'm guessing the taste problem will also be overcome. There is already the Kava Candy and the extracts. VKS Quick Kava has a mild taste. There was Kava Cola. I think this might be like the early days of wine making, i.e. 5000+ BCE. It would have been a rough drop then. With enough money thrown at it, the active ingredients in kava could be extracted and made into any sort of beverage, even an alco-pop equivalent. One part of me hopes I'm wrong, the other part craves a tasty, easily obtainable kava hit.

 

[Akava]

maybe if someone invested in mass planting in kava, and only then worked on getting it widespread, by the time it was big there would be enough for everyone

 

[Vekta]

Yeah kavadude. The taste is a huge obstacle to many that I've given kava to try. Out of the 30-something and counting I've introduced to kava, only 2 have gone on to buy there own kava products and only one of those two has bought dried root kava. The rest either didn't like it enough to have it again or would only have any kava if given to them by someone else.

A 6% overall retention rate (which is a good thing for us I guess) is pretty low. The horrible taste and numbing effect really thins out the crowed between the "will" and "will not"s.

 

[Bula man!]

Yeah I don't think we will ever get to the point of celebrities using kava because many people in the spotlight don't want something that will just make them go to bed, tastes bad, and requires patience to start working. The American diet and many others make kava repulsive to most people. I like it that way so that me and whichever friends I choose will be the only ones to experience kava.

 

[infraredz]

Yeah, me too. Thankfully it isn't going the way of the other herb starting with K...

I think that one of the best deterrents is the reverse tolerance. I was just in a kava bar yesterday and some people came in who had never came in. The tender then gave a little speech that included talking about the reverse tolerance which made one ask "So we have to keep drinking it until we feel an effect? How long could that take? That sounds expensive" or something to that effect. The kava extracts are nearly tasteless so there is a big enough market of "western-palatable" preparations of kava but it could be that we all know all but a few of those do much of anything, anyway.

 

[Deactivated Account]

One of the issues with it here was people driving on it & road side tests not being available for the coppers.

People would be clearly under an unknown influence yet nothing could be done.

 

[CanAwa]

If Washington can legalize marijuana I think the odds are pretty good they will leave kava alone , especially given the number of people that actually use it compared to other things ..but who knows

 

[Vekta]

All it takes is one really bad bit of news or one person doing something dumb with it. I don't think it helps any to worry about it though. IMO I think we're all doing a pretty good job in promoting end educating newcomers to kava in our immediate spheres of influence. I think it has a cumulative effect in the long run.

 

[Deactivated Account]

All it takes is one really bad bit of news or one person doing something dumb with it. I don't think it helps any to worry about it though. IMO I think we're all doing a pretty good job in promoting end educating newcomers to kava in our immediate spheres of influence. I think it has a cumulative effect in the long run.

Its funny though…the crap that goes on in the medical world with over prescribed mind altering stuff yet no-one will challenge drug companies. Kava has no lawyers.

 

[Vekta]

@nemo

luckily they haven't been too successful with acts of bio-piracy and slapping patents on kava or it's components. Lawyers to champion the cause would nice though.

 

[Paradise Kava]

Great points made here!
Another sweet point imo is that Kava has an internal cut off switch where a person can have a fair amount and just stop and call it a night.
Perhaps this will be a huge factor working against kava abuse. This in turn helps manage a healthy image to some degree.
Australia's ban in conjunction with Aboriginal kava abuse is a one off imo. What do you guys think?

 

[Deleted User01]

Honestly folks, with Marijuana being legalized in some states and legislation to legalize it in many others, I really don't think that Kava is going to get any attention one way or another. Put more to the point, the people in this forum need to encourage everyone to drink "this beneficial botanical" in moderation so they don't end up on the Front Page News. Or more to the point, if you are Krunked, stay at home listening to Pink Floyd or watching Saturday Night Live. You get my drift ...

 

[yepimonfire]

You're not going to do something stupid on kava if you're krunk, you're much too lazy lol.


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[Deleted User01]

I just got an email from Mood and Mind that Oklahoma is trying to put a ban on K@. Probably some nut case legislator with nothing better to do. Just an FYI. While everyone is trying to legalize botanicals, leave it to Oklahoma to go backwards.

Yepimon is right, who wants to get in a car while Krunked when the Kava is telling you to stay put and relax. Put there is always some hyperactive person that may have just enough energy to try that. I guess we are asking him to think twice and get back on the couch and relax.

 

[CanAwa]

I just got an email from Mood and Mind that Oklahoma is trying to put a ban on K@. Probably some nut case legislator with nothing better to do. Just an FYI. While everyone is trying to legalize botanicals, leave it to Oklahoma to go backwards.

Yepimon is right, who wants to get in a car while Krunked when the Kava is telling you to stay put and relax. Put there is always some hyperactive person that may have just enough energy to try that. I guess we are asking him to think twice and get back on the couch and relax.

Have you bought the kava from mood and mind ? Opinion ?

 

[Deleted User01]

Actually, my first powder came from Mood and Mind. It tasted awful as I remember but the effects were ok. I was a newbie at the time. They have good prices on Kava Candy. I can honestly say that they are a good company to do business with. Whether their Kava is up to snuff is another matter.

 

[LocalBliss]

This is such an important subject, all of us kava users must get organized and prepare in case another "European" incident arises like what happened 15 years ago.