Legally Stoned by Todd A Thies Ph.D

Author:Todd A Thies Ph.D. [Thies Ph.D., Todd A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp
Published: 2009-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

THE INTOXICATING PEPPER: Kava

(Piper methysticum, Kava-Kava, Kawa, Awa, Waka, Lawena, Sakau, Yagona)

Description and History

Kava (Piper methysticum) is a member of the pepper family. It is a perennial shrub that grows up to nine feet tall. Its leaves are bright green and heart shaped. It produces some small flower spikes. Kava is native to the South Pacific islands. The roots of the plant have traditionally been used to produce an intoxicating beverage. The first European documentation of kava use occurred when Captain James Cook took his second trip to the Hawaiian Islands (also called the Sandwich Islands) in the 1770s.

The roots of the kava plant contain a number of nonnitrogenous compounds, which are typically referred to as kavalactones (or kavapyrones). The first compound to be isolated was methysticin in the 1800s. Several other compounds have since been isolated from the plant, including dihydrokawain, dihydromethysticin, desmethoxyyangonin, kawain, and yangonin.

Kava use has been common in the Hawaiian Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, the New Hebrides, and many islands of Melanesia. In modern times, kava and kava extracts have been available in most drug stores in the United States, where it has been sold as a health supplement. Concern over possible liver damage from long-term heavy use of kava has resulted in many stores discontinuing its sale.

Historically, kava has been used simply for its inebriating effects, which are similar to that of alcohol, but it has also been used for ceremonial purposes. The use of kava is prominent in the mythology of the Pacific islands. There is a Pacific island folktale that tells how kava came to be a domesticated plant. According to the story, a long time ago people drank a drink made from wild kava, but they did not plant kava themselves. One day, two young women were out cleaning yams when a kava plant sprouted and grew into one of the women’s vagina. This caused her significant pleasure.

Thinking that this must be some very special kava plant, they took a sprout of the plant and brought it home to plant in their garden. Some years later, the women made a kava drink from the now mature plant and shared it with the men in their village. The men were impressed with the kava, and following further investigation involving a virgin female and such, declared it to be the “true kava.” All cultivated kava is said to come from this special strain.

Some pharmaceutical companies have investigated kava for medical use, due to its muscle relaxant and tranquilizing properties, but this research has not resulted in the production of any useful medications. Kava has been shown in several studies to be an effective treatment for anxiety. Research has demonstrated that kava taken orally can reduce pain. It can also be held in the mouth to numb tooth or mouth pain. Kava has been used for weight loss. It is not known if kava has any direct effect upon appetite, but its common side effect of stomach upset makes one less likely to want to eat.

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