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Show WEDNESDAY, NEWS MARCH 23, 2005 DIXIE SUN - 7 Alternative drug considered legal, not against campus policy BY PHIIL WALKER Dixie Sun Staff Wnter For as long as there have been laws against illegal substances, there have been peo- ple who seek alternatives similar result give them a breaking the that law. One of these alternatives is without kava, a drink made from the root of the kava plant that is grown abundantly in the Polynesian islands. According to KavaFtoot.com, it used to be the beverage of choice for royal families of the South Pacific. Traditionally it has a social drink chiefs and as a form of welcome for honored guests, in preparation and completion of an event or work, to validate status, and to observe births, marriages been used as for high-rankin- g elders, drunk and deaths. It is also commonly used to welcome honored visitors. According to KavaRoot.com, Pope John Paul II drank it when he visited the Pacif .c. It is also believed to relieve stress, cure cramps and headaches, as well as asthma and rheumatism. Although the Polynesian islands span hundreds of miles, kava is one thing that connects many of them. The use 6f kava has declined since LDS missionary prohibitions and the introduction of alcohol, it is still drunk today, especially in Western Polynesia. It is also gaining popularity in the United States. Countless high school and college kids, as well as adults, drink kava. It is not considered illegal, but there are some people who question the legality of its effects. Jared Burton, a sophomore business major from Tooele, had his first taste of kava at Dixie State College. He said it makes him feel just completely relaxed. Not drunk, just relaxed. Burton added, I've been able to drink a whole thing of Parrot Bay and not get drunk, and I've had a couple bucketfuls of kava and not been able to walk to my apartment, but no hangovers. Samantha Olsen, a freshman education major from Lindon, said it tastes like dirt mixed in water. She said she tried it because her brother was a crazed hippie with hair to his waist and her sister was a member of the Polynesian Club at UVSC, so it was normal It makes my throat and mouth numb for a little bit," Olsen said. It makes you feel totally calm. Kava has not been ruled illegal by the U.S. government. According to DSC's school policy and procedures manual section 5, policy 37.18.1, The possession, use, manufacture, and distribution of any narcotic, hallucinogen, or controlled drug without government approval is illegal under both federal law and state law. Don Reid, director of security for DSC, said there is no state statute against drinking kava. There is nothing an officer can do because it is an herbal drink," he said There has been talk in legislation about limiting the use of kava, but nothing so far has been Kava powder and extract can still be found on the shelves in most nutrition stores in St. George as there is no state statute against its use. |