The one thing that annoys my fellow kava drinkers is when people label kava a “legal high”. This term annoys them because kava drinkers do not want to be thrown into the same basket as stoners and drug abusers. Though kava can be taken recreationally as a social lubricant, the majority of kava drinkers consume kava to help them with real life ailments. They are not interested in getting addicted to prescription drugs and in fact, some of them are trying to kick the addiction with the help of kava.

The fact still remains that kava is the most potent psychoactive botanical on the market, a legal high if you wish. I know this because I experimented with a handful of legal botanicals before I selected kava. Sometime in mid 2013, I was having problems with work related stress and I knew that I needed something to help me. I was drinking too much booze and the result was fitful sleep and hangovers. I tried Xanax but I felt like heck the next day ... unless I took another one. On the day after Xanax, I couldn’t wait to hit the Scotch to sooth my frayed nerves. For me, a Xanax hangover made me cranky and irritable. So Xanax was not productive for me because I was drinking more than ever on the next day. So I started searching for natural remedies for stress.

Experimenting with Natural Botanicals

My first experience was with a botanical called Kratom. Kratom is known as a pain killer and farm workers in Thailand ingest it to help them get through the day. You can make a tea with it or take it in capsules. The majority of people who consume it do so for pain relief. The only problem is that it is addictive in some cases. I used to take Kratom in capsules and it would take 7-8 capsules to get an effect. It felt like a pain killer and I didn’t think it was appropriate for stress and anxiety. It also muddled my brain like pain killers are apt to do.

So then I tried a botanical called Kanna. I would let the powder sit under my tongue for 5 minutes and then spit it out. Kind of a nasty way to ingest it but I found that was the best way to get any effects. This botanical provided a more uplifting effect than Kratom but it was short lived. O ne of the side effects for me was a mild headache afterwards. It is said that the shepherds in Africa would use Kanna on long journeys to keep them moving and suppress their appetite. However, I’m not a shepherd, I sit at a computer all day long so strike that off the list.

So I finally tried kava. It took a week for it to finally effect me but I immediately noticed that I was sleeping like a log. After a week, I overcame reverse tolerance and then I started feeling the psychoactive effects of kava. I found that I was relaxed yet still clear headed and I could consume it during the afternoon to help me finish a stressful day. The only thing I didn’t like was taking the time to prepare the kava tea using the traditional method. That totally changed when Gourmet Hawaiian Kava introduced us to micronized kava. It was love at first site, very convenient and very potent.

Kava Makes the Final Cut

What it finally boiled down to was that GHK was selling the 13 kavas of Hawaii. Some kavas had pain killing ability, some were uplifting, others sedating and Nene was mild and perfect for sleeping. I would have to use 3 separate botanicals to get the same effects. With the different kava strains, I basically had a kava for every occasion. I use Papa Kea on Sundays when my muscles are complaining from the yard work. Moi is uplifting and perfect for daytime use. It is one of the most popular kavas in Hawaii. Both Mapulehu and Nene are sedating but Nene is very mild and a perfect kava for a good nights sleep. I should also state that kava is not addictive but it shouldn’t be consumed with alcohol or other drugs. So that was another benefit, I finally cut down on my alcoholic intake.

Real Life Kava Stories

So kava has been used safely by the Islanders for thousands of year to cure their ills and even as a social lubricant. I invite anyone interested in kava to visit the kava forums. At the forum you will interact with people that are using kava as medicine to cure various ailments. They use kava for Benzo Addiction, Alcoholism, pain relief, relief from General Anxiety, sleeplessness, and other ailments. The people at the Kava Forums are very happy to tell their stories and help counsel you should you have any questions.

Here are some examples of people who have either written to the Kava Library or who have posted their story on the Kava Forums.

A man who suffers pain from an accident. The insurance would no longer pay for his pain medication. With Kava, the pain is under control but more importantly, he can finally rest and sleep. His wife send us the email and she was grateful beyond words to see her husband finally have some quality of life.

A young man who has panic attacks and insomnia. He writes that Kava helps him with anxiety and he still maintains clarity of mind. His letter ends with “I consider it a gift from god”.

A lady with ME/CFS who is mostly bed ridden. She took kava for sleep and got an unexpected surprise, it also relieved her pain.

A member of the Kava Forums who suffered insomnia and anxiety. He tried kava for the first time and he posted, “and I slept like a baby, I can frankly say that I had my best night in two years.”

So legal high or God Given Botanical? I vote "God Given Botanical". You can visit the Kava Forums at www.kavaforums.com but be sure to bring your hanky with you. The stories at the Kava Forums are very personal and very moving.

by Javaman, 02/03/2015

Is Kava a Legal High?

The Kava Blog

Home

Kava Basics

Personal Kava Stories

Kavas of the World

Tudei Kava

Kava Testing and Safety

Disclaimer:

The FDA has not approved Kava for any particular purpose. The statements on this Website have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. This product has not been approved by the FDA to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.