kava kava -- WaterMuff Forum Thang

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 05:42:55 05/07/02 Tue
Author: sib
Subject: kava kava

I drank kava for two years while living in Fiji and suffered only
minor brain damage. the doctors claim that it is reversible given
enough piracetam......oh, i'm just kidding, though i really did
drink the stuff for a couple of years there in the southern seas.

the drug comes from the roots of the _yaqona_ (pronounced "yang-gona")
plant, a bush that can grow quite large, though typically it is
harvested while only two or three feet high. the roots are ground
using a rod and a hollowed log and the resulting powder is placed in a
cloth. water is then poured through the cloth producing a brown or
grey musty- smelling liquid.

this is drunk ritually over the course of several hours, typically
in the evening while stories are told.

the drug is classified as a soporific, i believe, though mild
psychadelic effects have been reported. the central causative agents
are called "yaquonaloids" or something like that, though there are
several hundred chemicals the effects of which are unknown. the
premier study is by some ethnobotanists at U. of Hawaii.

in my experience, the physical effects include slight numbing of
throat and mouth early on, later the "grog drunk" can include mild
nausea and poor motor control. the psychological effects are hard to
explain, although almost all users report relaxation and many claim
that social communication becomes easier, though the setting is
conducive to that anyway. with heavy use, _kani kani_ or scaling of
the skin is often reported and can be disfiguring. some reports have
suggested that this is the result of poor nutrition by "grog drunks".
dependence of various degrees is high among indigenous populations in
areas of Melanesia and Polynesia. this is culturally acceptable
behavior among most peoples, however, and the only health officials
apparently concerned are in New Zealand where Mothers Against Drunk
Driving was heard to be lobbying for import restrictions in light
of a massive influx in recent years...so it goes.

mark

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]