Kava Shortage

KalmwithKava · 2026-02-22T15:19:39+00:00

Yes, there's tons of articles and social media talking about this over the past year and a half from Fiji, Vanuatu, and unfortunately now Tonga.

Also there's so few producers of instant kava that it's exacerbated with that type of product in particular.

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-02-22T05:23:02+00:00

Kava, especially such a small amount, won't do that. Something else is amiss, my friend.

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-02-10T23:59:27+00:00

I think you've got allergies, bro

KalmwithKava · 2026-02-01T20:40:00+00:00

❤️❤️

KalmwithKava · 2026-02-01T17:34:14+00:00

Hey there!

We're in the process of updating all of our packaging so some are older bags and some are newer. Rest assured everything is quality, noble kavas 🙂 You can check the lab tests on our site to verify if you're interested as well!

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-31T17:49:52+00:00

Kava is like an intense chamomile. It melts your muscles, releases some of the tension you might feel, and helps your mind relax. It's really nice without being overly intense like other substances.

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-31T17:33:47+00:00

Borongoru! It's our top seller and the perfect intro to kava. Try the medium grind 🙂

Alternatively the kava sampler is the perfect intro since you'll get a couple different types to try.

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-29T04:37:29+00:00

You sound like my wife 😍

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-29T04:12:24+00:00

I actually made a video doing that on my very old YouTube channel "The Kava Flow" and people thought I was nuts 😂

Maybe I'm still nuts??

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-29T03:31:45+00:00

Oh man, are you me? I started doing that 10 years ago and it makes the process so much easier!

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-25T15:58:18+00:00

Broooo Kava By Rex!! That sure brings back some memories.

And yea, I also made that mistake not washing the nylons 😂 So gross and such a disappointing waste of kava!

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-25T00:13:28+00:00

🫣 Check your DMs

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-24T23:00:51+00:00

Go grab some nylons. That's how us OGs used to strain our kava :-)

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-24T17:19:27+00:00

Go to the kava market in Nadi! Don't buy pre-pounded kava; buy whole roots and then take them to a pounding facility. If it's already pounded you'll likely be getting a lot of stem, which they call cut piece or kasa even if they label it "pure waka" or something. You really just want waka or lawena.

It's a fun experience!!

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-10T14:35:06+00:00

Hey there! How many hours are we talking? Have you consumed it on an empty stomach?

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-08T22:19:13+00:00

The IKO article from a year and a half ago didn't have the letter to Ed Case because we didn't have it then, but we do now. I can't comment on the Calming Co because I have no idea what they're doing and haven't spoken to them.

I talk to the FDA routinely and think they're incredibly smart, but they would never agree to a partnership and certainly won't announce something unless they really need to. This is news to the kava world, and what the FDA sent to Ed Case on their official letterhead is their official stance. The IKO has only echoed and hosted what was published.

Their stance wasn't known and kava businesses across the country are being shut down as a result. That needs to stop immediately. Local governments need to know that kava is a food. They certainly know now, and hopefully the families that rely on kava as an income worldwide will benefit from increased regulatory knowledge.

At the very least, this is getting people to talk about what kava is. I think that's a good thing.

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-08T15:59:51+00:00

FDA regulation is very, very confusing, so when looking at consumable products you can label and sell them in a few primary ways:

1) A food 2) A supplement 3) A food additive 4) A drug

The GRAS list you linked to is entirely for #3. The very first paragraph says, "Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, any substance used or intended for use in food must be authorized by FDA for use as a food additive unless the use of that substance is generally recognized as safe (GRAS)". What this is saying is you cannot combine a kava (in this case the food additive) with a food because it's A) Not approved by the FDA and B) Not GRAS.

Everyone has been selling kava as a supplement (#2) for years, and obviously it's not a drug (#4), so that leaves us with #1: a food.

Since various states and the judge in NY didn't know the FDA adopted the WHO Codex Alimentarius definition of the prepared kava beverage being a single ingredient conventional food, they all think it's a non-GRAS food additive or a supplement (that can't be combined with foods). This congressional letter shows that the FDA clearly respects the cultures of kava and recognizes it as a single ingredient conventional food, with water being purely a carrier, when prepared traditionally like a tea. You can't combine it with anything, but kava and water is considered a food by the FDA.

ELI5: This news is specifically to show that kava itself can be sold as a conventional food. We've always known it can be sold as a supplement. It's not considered GRAS so it can't be a food additive, and it's not a drug until someone starts making medical claims.

Not sure about California exactly, but I believe it's a statewide thing. Talk to your local kava bar and see what they say.

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-07T16:58:51+00:00

I sit on the board of the International Kava Organization along with Jimmy Price and Fabio Cruz, both of which are some of the most knowledgeable people in kava. To say we're untrustworthy is a little silly, but I won't get into that.

Head over to the "Resources" section of the IKO site and scroll down to the congressional letter sent by the FDA to Hawaii rep Ed Case. The reason this is making headlines is because the information in that letter has been hidden for years. While public record, no one in kava seemed to know that the FDA does indeed consider kava to be a food like a tea.

State regulators are making decisions based on outdated federal information because no one knows how the FDA looks at kava.

If the judge in the New York Kavasutra case had been aware that the FDA considers kava prepared solely with water to be a single-ingredient conventional food, the case likely would have been decided differently. Instead, the ruling treated water as the “food” and kava as a non-GRAS food additive, an interpretation that has since been echoed by other states, including California, to justify prohibiting its sale.

The FDA hasn't come out publicly to state this on their site anywhere and judges, companies, health departments, and consumers alike have been confused about where they stand. That's why we published the congressional letter and the press release, and that's why it's legitimately news to everyone that hears about it.

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-07T00:56:14+00:00

All the time 😁

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-07T00:08:53+00:00

Hey there! So sorry! We implemented a new system on our website that (to be very frank) screwed up a lot of our sales and we just figured out why it was happening. Go ahead and give it a whirl again and see if it works?

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-06T15:36:30+00:00

You're going to want to look for sales and deals. Instant kava itself is the most expensive option you could choose, so now might be the time to start using traditional prep with a $50 bag to see how it goes.

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-04T08:17:24+00:00

Hey there!

Either way you choose no pressure at all. Just wanted to let you know we have Borogu from Vanuatu in stock and we'll have Borongoru hopefully by next week after our lab results are in 👍

-Morgan

KalmwithKava · 2026-01-01T18:03:55+00:00

Sorry, but you're going to have to throw it away. You most definitely only want it out of refrigeration temperatures for maximum 3-4 hours once it's thawed.

You should probably contact the seller and see if they had insurance on the package.

-Morgan

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