Tropical evergreen shrub with large heart-shaped leaves and woody stems. Its thick roots are mashed or ground and made into a cold and bitter-tasting beverage used similarly to alcohol. It has a long history of ritual and recreational use in Pacific Polynesia and is now a common herbal product, used widely by those in certain societies as part of a 'Kava Culture.'

Dose and effect data: PsychonautWiki (CC BY-SA 4.0) and TripSit (PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0). Less-used substance: fewer independent sources, so treat these numbers with extra caution.

Before you dose

Dose

Published population range

No weight-based model for this substance — published ranges only.

Expected effects

• Relaxation
• Anxiolysis
• Mild euphoria
• Numbing of the mouth

Possible side effects

• Nausea
• Sedation and drowsiness
• Rare liver injury
• Skin irritation with heavy long-term use
• Additive sedation with alcohol

Harm reduction

• Depressants are the class where mixing kills most often: alcohol, benzodiazepines, GHB/GBL and opioids all suppress breathing when combined.
• Never use alone. If you use alone, set up a check-in call with someone who will call emergency services if you do not answer.
• Measure liquid doses with a syringe. Bottle caps, teaspoons and 'glugs' are how people take ten times the intended dose.
• Sedation can be delayed. Do not re-dose before you can feel the previous dose fully.
• Do not stop daily benzodiazepine or alcohol use abruptly - withdrawal can cause seizures and is potentially fatal. Taper with medical help.
• Signs that someone needs emergency help: breathing slower than one breath every 4-5 seconds, blue lips, snoring that will not stop, unrousable, vomiting while unconscious.

Mixing

Tolerance, dependence and detection

Sources

• PsychonautWiki — Kava (CC BY-SA 4.0)
https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Kava

• TripSit wiki — Kava (PolyForm Noncommercial)
https://wiki.tripsit.me

• Erowid experience reports (external)
https://www.erowid.org/experiences/subs/exp_Kava.shtml