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[-] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 58 points 2 days ago

For anyone who doesn’t want to read the whole article, the ingredient is kava root.

[-] BeUnique@lemmy.zip 25 points 2 days ago

I hate to agree with someone from the Trump administration but kava is far from "snake oil". It's considered nature's Xanax for a reason! I'm personally not a huge fan of the effects and yeah, it causes some liver damage if you use it too often and frequently but so do a lot of things (looking at you alcohol). This plant should not be banned or illegal in my opinion.

If anyone's interested, a guy named Metta Beshay has plenty of extensive videos about Kava including him traveling to Kava farms and drinking it.

[-] Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 2 days ago

alcohol

The Pentagon can't ban alcohol though because hegseth will start getting the shakes

[-] BeUnique@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 day ago

Him and that googly eyed mother fucker that runs the FBI

[-] radiofreebc@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

The only shakes Kegsbreath has are boozy ones.

[-] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago

I agree—I’m drinking tea with some kava in it right now.

On the other hand, from people I know who worked in Army medical I get the impression that soldiers will find ways to abuse anything they possibly can.

[-] cenzorrll@piefed.ca 8 points 2 days ago

I worked in toxicology, and there wad study on THC and gas-station analog use and driving impairment that was done near a military base. Every time it's referenced in conferences, the presenter ALWAYS says "if you're in the military and have illegal drugs in you're system, it will ruin your life. They also know what drugs and metabolites are tested for, so they make sure it isn't in their system during random drug tests" *wink-wink*

There was an interestingly large number of people with weird THC-analogs in their system for this study specifically.

[-] FoxyFerengi@startrek.website 6 points 2 days ago

When I was serving we did a LOT of those research psychedelics like 2C-B and 2C-I. But if we had a long weekend Molly was the preferred choice. Spice was just barely on anyone's radar, and we didn't really trust it lol.

[-] cenzorrll@piefed.ca 4 points 2 days ago

...and we didn't really trust it lol.

As you shouldn't. It was often mixed in a concrete mixer with random plant matter (hopefully at least hemp) and a jar of chemicals from China, then packaged with cool graphics. It was a ridiculously high percentage of the time that what was in the package wasn't what it was on the label. Per brand you could expect it to be consistent...ish, but it was something like >50% of the time it was not what it said it was.

It was basically whatever analog wasn't illegal at the time in China was produced then shipped to the US, and the sketch packagers didn't give a shit what it actually was.

[-] tpyo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It wasn't hemp. The plant name may come to me later but it was commonly something else. I think it started with or had a D in it, and it had little yellow flowers

But yes, that shit was no fun. I've tried a few "spice" or "incense" back in the day. I can tell you some of those highs were absolutely no fun. I was high as shit but at times was too scared to try and move or do anything. "I don't want to try to move because I don't want to try to move and then find out I can't" and like "the person in the show is actually looking at me". Watching a show, live or animated, if the person on screen turned their head in my mind I saw their features pop out of the screen and then meld back in

I've never done psychedelics so that's the closest to tripping I've been but fucking hell that shit did my head in

Edit: ok, so the plant I commonly saw used as the smokeable herb was damiana

Also I forgot another term was "potpourri"

While trying to search the plant I came across the name of the shit that fucked me up, "mr happy or mr nice guy"

[-] rockSlayer 6 points 2 days ago

I love kava tea. There's not enough in the tea bag to be intoxicating, but it definitely relaxes me and I enjoy the numbing sensation I get from drinking it. It's dumb as hell that it's banned

[-] EntheoNaut@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 days ago

Kava is wonderful and potent when brewed traditionally

[-] frog_brawler@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

You could legitimately post an article that says “Trump picks Gandalf the grey as transportation secretary” and I wouldn’t even flinch.

You shall not pass.

[-] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

It would have to be Gandalf the White. Or even Saruman

[-] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 2 days ago

I'd expect nothing less from this admin. Really odd that it's an ingredient banned by the Pentagon rather than like... The FDA? Isn't kava root in all sorts of supplements already? What's the pentagon's reason for throwing their hat in the ring?

[-] limonfiesta@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Supplement Kava is snake oil.

Kava tea on the other hand, prepared from ground root, is a legitimate mind altering substance.

I don't think it's nearly as effective as many claim it to be, but it can be pleasant and its effects are real, if limited.

[-] prole 2 points 1 day ago

So if they put the material from the tea into a supplement, it nullifies it somehow? Why is it legitimate as a tea but not in a supplement?

[-] limonfiesta@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Two problems with Kava supplements, quantity and quality.

it takes a lot more Kava to feel the effects than can be contained in a capsule, or 5.

To get around the quantity issue they'll often use supplement grade kavalactones extracts, which are widely regarded as also ineffective, but it looks good on a packaging label.

Maybe pharmaceutical grade kavalactone extract would be good in a high dosage, I can't speak to that, either way, I'm talking about supplements, so I'll refer you to my original snake oil comment.

[-] nocturne@slrpnk.net 8 points 2 days ago

There is a 29 page review from the fda on kava kava root. https://www.fda.gov/media/169556/download

[-] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 days ago

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) conducted a comprehensive toxicology rodent study comprising a 2-week, 14-week (3 month), and 2-year toxicity and carcinogenicity studies in F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice to address kava associated liver toxicity and carcinogenicity concerns. The study revealed clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in male mice with some evidence of carcinogenic activity in female mice, and an equivocal evidence of carcinogenic activity among male rats. In addition, kava extract caused increased incidences of tumor-like lesions in eyes, kidneys, liver, pancreas and forestomach in male and female rats, in the liver of male and female mice, and in the forestomach of female mice. In the two-week studies, rats and mice were administered orally 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 g/kg/d kava extract by gavage. Kava-induced toxicity was observed in the livers of both rats and mice. Dose dependent increases in the absolute and relative liver weights were observed in the 1.0 g/kg and 2.0 g/kg males and in ≥0.5g/kg in female rats.

Yup, that'll do it lol. Thanks for the link. It is a little over my head in places, but very informative.

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

Alcohol is basically the only recreational drug active-duty military personal are allowed to have after hours. Weed, Kava, etc are basically all on the no-no list.

[-] ExtremeDullard@piefed.social 7 points 2 days ago

I'm sure Trump will get his diapers in a knot because someone in his administration does something illegal...

[-] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 2 points 2 days ago

You had me at

surgeon general sells supplement

[-] santa@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Confirmation non-starter… any other time.

this post was submitted on 22 May 2026
295 points (100.0% liked)

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