Across 431 first-hand reports, people mentioned a side effect 27 times (about 6 per 100 reports). The most common: drowsiness, liver damage, stomach issues. User reports show what people notice — they can't tell you whether Kava is safe for you.
“I felt insanely relaxed, any anxiety was dropped to 0, and I could think more clearly.”
“This stuff worked. Yes, it is a relaxing nootropic. But it did nothing for my social anxiety, and it depressed me while I was on it.”
“Kava Kava was too "dull" for me, almost like opiates. I felt calm, but dumb.”
“I've definitely danced with it and see how it can be beneficial to people with anxiety disorders or people who struggle with sleep onset as kava is fantastic for both.”
“Kava kava is amazing...In my opinion, kava is the most effective drug for anxiety with the lowest abuse potential.”
“Kava-Kava (6/10): ... my experiences were not that great: terrible taste, headaches, and groggyness were the main effects I got from this. Oh, and a slight anxiety reduction.”
Conclusion: There is currently encouraging, albeit embryonic, evidence for medicinal cannabis in the treatment of a range of psychiatric disorders. Supportive findings are emerging for some key isolates, however, clinicians need to be mindful of a range of prescriptive and occupational safety considerations, especially if initiating higher dose THC formulas.