Let's talk about the future of kava.

[Ed!]

My personal suspicion is that the aphrodisiac effects of kava were the issue, but I could be very much mistaken.

Hah, reminds me of the part in Kava: the Pacific Elixer where the men in the tribe drink kava, frequently joke about eachother's sexuality, and then go do gay stuff in the woods with a buddy.
I know I wouldn't want my wife doing gay stuff in the woods with a buddy.

 

[Prince Philip]

Ed, you're bananas.

 

[kl..]

I don't have the kind of internet connection this week where I can check that out, but I'll take a look at it when we're back from vacation. I'm not advocating ignoring any part of a culture, but so many cultures have some type of sexism in their traditional practices that if I don't give it a pass sometimes, I end up feeling uncomfortable about every culture.  My undergrad degree was in archaeology and I'm just really interested in how people used to live.  Not because I want to emulate it, but I just find it intrinsically interesting.  On an unrelated note - my family tried the some of the Life Extension Foundation products and like them - thanks for the recommendation. 

@Ed - That made my night. 
Prince Philip wrote:

Katiedid - check out the comments on this video - http://youtu.be/mnXyaVda5bE

Seriously sexist. Yes, the history of kava is sexist, but I believe we can all ignore the bad parts of kava culture while paying attention to the good parts.

My personal suspicion is that the aphrodisiac effects of kava were the issue, but I could be very much mistaken.

 

[uuku pi]

In every human society on earth, there are a few culturally acceptable intoxicating substances, and everything else is flat-out taboo.



I believe the consensus you'll find here is that we've imported the culture of the South Pacific, but understand quite well that we run the risk of a culture-clash if our South Pacific Krunk becomes too well-known.



This puts us and you at loggerheads. We want kava to keep a low profile and stay under the radar of the FDA and DEA. Meanwhile, your livelihood depends on growing your customer base to the point where we rechristen the ATF as the ATKFPtDp (Alcohol, Tobacco, Kava, Firearms, Paint thinner and Deviant Pornography).



I think the best way to keep kava legal is to import the South Pacific cultural trappings of kava. Huna, Frummism/Philipism, etc. Just as the Native American Church has exemptions for peyote, we might need a strong Prince Philip following to justify the legality of kava. Then again, I don't believe there is any exception to the federal laws against marijuana for Rastafarians. (I know encouraging people to worship Prince Philip as a demigod seems self-serving).



One thing that hasn't caught on yet is kava as a study aid. I know I do it, and so do a few other posters here. The norepinephrine reuptake inhibition effect increases focus, concentration, intensity of mind. The muscle relaxation effect makes it a relaxed attention which is so much better for learning than the current study drugs of abuse - caffeine, Ritalin, etc.



I hope that Obama, as the first Hawaiian president, does his part to promote kava and especially Hawaiian kava.



I think that anyone with shellshock NEEDS kava. My personal viewpoint, from the inside, on PTSD, is that the only thing that is even remotely tolerable is a drug of abuse. I don't think I need to even mention the problems with using alcohol as the drug of abuse. Kava is wonderful because it does take the edge off of the PTSD, but it is a recreational drug, and I would much rather be an addict than a victim. If I needed a doctor's prescription, then every single time I swallowed whatever poison s/he prescribed me, I'd be reminded of a the trauma in the first place.



So, in short, the best way to legitimize kava is to associate it very heavily with native cultures, to the point where banning it would smack of racism, cultural insensitivity, and outright imperialism. "We need to ban kava!" "Why do you hate brown people? Should we also ban 'Lilo and Stitch' while we're at it, paleface?" Yeah, it's a dirty trick, but a damned good one in my royal opinion.

 

[uuku pi]

In every human society on earth, there are a few culturally acceptable intoxicating substances, and everything else is flat-out taboo.



I believe the consensus you'll find here is that we've imported the culture of the South Pacific, but understand quite well that we run the risk of a culture-clash if our South Pacific Krunk becomes too well-known.



This puts us and you at loggerheads. We want kava to keep a low profile and stay under the radar of the FDA and DEA. Meanwhile, your livelihood depends on growing your customer base to the point where we rechristen the ATF as the ATKFPtDp (Alcohol, Tobacco, Kava, Firearms, Paint thinner and Deviant Pornography).



I think the best way to keep kava legal is to import the South Pacific cultural trappings of kava. Huna, Frummism/Philipism, etc. Just as the Native American Church has exemptions for peyote, we might need a strong Prince Philip following to justify the legality of kava. Then again, I don't believe there is any exception to the federal laws against marijuana for Rastafarians. (I know encouraging people to worship Prince Philip as a demigod seems self-serving).



One thing that hasn't caught on yet is kava as a study aid. I know I do it, and so do a few other posters here. The norepinephrine reuptake inhibition effect increases focus, concentration, intensity of mind. The muscle relaxation effect makes it a relaxed attention which is so much better for learning than the current study drugs of abuse - caffeine, Ritalin, etc.



I hope that Obama, as the first Hawaiian president, does his part to promote kava and especially Hawaiian kava.



I think that anyone with shellshock NEEDS kava. My personal viewpoint, from the inside, on PTSD, is that the only thing that is even remotely tolerable is a drug of abuse. I don't think I need to even mention the problems with using alcohol as the drug of abuse. Kava is wonderful because it does take the edge off of the PTSD, but it is a recreational drug, and I would much rather be an addict than a victim. If I needed a doctor's prescription, then every single time I swallowed whatever poison s/he prescribed me, I'd be reminded of a the trauma in the first place.



So, in short, the best way to legitimize kava is to associate it very heavily with native cultures, to the point where banning it would smack of racism, cultural insensitivity, and outright imperialism. "We need to ban kava!" "Why do you hate brown people? Should we also ban 'Lilo and Stitch' while we're at it, paleface?" Yeah, it's a dirty trick, but a damned good one in my royal opinion.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

This thread is great.

 

[Paradise Kava]

Seriously! Doug. Amusing and opinionated input. Keep it coming!

 

[Prince Philip]

Should we keep the name kava?



I can't realistically see using anything else. I'd imagine you Americans using the term "'Awa," but the glottal stop really isn't a part of American English the way it is in, say, Cockney English.



I have to wonder if part of the Poland ban is that "kava" is their word for coffee. I often will pour kava into a Starbucks mocha or Yoo-hoo bottle. Once I add a little cocoa powder, the color is just about a perfect match.



Associating the beverage made from the root organs of the Piper Piper Methysticum plant with the term "kava" also associates it with the pills that used to be available in drug stores that weren't always made with just the root organs, usually contained something else, and more importantly were not in an aqueous solution and thus not bioavailable, anyway.



"Yaqona" may work, but it's hard to remember how to spell and not really an intuitive pronunciation - sort of like everywhere in Wales. I don't think we should use the term "sakau" for anything not strained through hibiscus and served thick as shampoo. Yeah, they're crazy in Pohnpei.

 

[Ed!]

If I said "'Awa" to someone I'd have to repeat myself four times at least. That's not a whole word! Jawa is a whole word.

 

[Prince Philip]

If I said "'Awa" to someone I'd have to repeat myself four times at least. That's not a whole word! Jawa is a whole word.

(flash video)

 

[Prince Philip]

We are concerned over the recent synthetic marijuana busts in FL and according to him, several businesses in down there are turning kava bars into the worst possible thing; an outlet for all sorts of other substances which invite unnecessary attention towards kava and invite the law to bust them up for non kava related stuff. Besides, the advertising campaigns and the general atmosphere down there is apparently, drink till you puke.

Thank goodness no one with that mindset, and of that opinion of what kava is, has come onto this message board.

Oh, wait... Dag nab it!

 

[kl.TylerKTB]

The idea of closely connecting Kava with the native cultures is the best way from my point of view as well. My Bar in Sacramento, is full of educational material and artifacts in glass frames. We have a Hawaiian Booth, a Tongan Booth, Vanuatu Booth etc.. Each booth has a gigantic 24 X 36 poster which describes the islands, the population, the history, and the significance of Kava to their culture and I mean IN DEPTH. I have 8 of these posters up representing the major Kava drinking nations, including one that recognizes the US as a Kava drinking nation, being that Hawaii is a US state and American Samoa is a US territory. BTW, look at the American Samoa quarter... George Washington on one side, and a Kava Bowl, wisk, and pry bar on the other. Its pretty tough to ban something when its on the currency. The closer the association with the cultures, the more difficult it is for Kava to be separated from the cultural context and be persecuted on its own without entangling the culture with it. I'm in absolute agreement with Prince Phillip on this.


As a result of the educational approach, I have had several college professors of anthropology bring their students into the bar for field trips, gaining the support of the local academic institutions.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

That's awesome Tyler! I love that you've had anthropology students come in and learn about culture and ethnopharmacology at your spot. I am also an anthropologist and was originally attracted to kava for the same reasons. Bula!

 

[Ed!]

That is pretty awesome. I would have visited anyway if I were in the area, but that's all the more incentive. Love hearing the academic response.