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On May 12, 2005, the
German health authorities repealed the ban of registered
kava drug products in Germany. The BfArM had instituted
the ban in June 2002 based on concern about the
potential hepatotoxicity of kava in the wake of various
adverse event reports of liver toxicity and liver
failure allegedly associated with the use of various
kava preparations.
The International Kava Conference in November/December
2004 at the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat in Suva, in
collaboration with the International Kava Executive
Council (IKEC) and the Fiji School of Medicine played a
key role in getting the partial lift on the ban of Kava
in Germany. The participants, which included many
scientists from Germany and the United States, discussed
the kava ban and decided that it was based on
insufficient and inconclusive investigation and pressed
for the lifting of the ban.
"Despite kava’s not being put back on the shelves for
now, the decision is still a milestone, as now the
administrative way to regular kava registrations is
again open," explained the kava scientist Mathias
Schmidt, PhD. Previous to this decision, an application
for a kava preparation would not even have been
considered for the German drug registration process. "We
are glad that the discussion is now re-opened, and we
hope to finally come to a constructive dialogue with the
BfArM."
Germany's lifting of a kava ban was subject to certain
conditions. The International Kava Council had until
June 2007 to carry out tests to prove the positive
effects of kava on health users and present the results
to Germany. If they could do this, then although kava
can still not be sold as a medicine in Germany, if the
argument is convincing and conclusive, the license could
be reinstated.
The findings were presented, the argument was
convincing, and now, in July of 2006, Kava will be legal
for sale and importation into Germany. A victory, very
sweet, that should serve as an example for Canada, where
Kava is still not entirely off the "demonized" list, but
Kona Kava Farm has received
EXPLICIT PERMISSION
to sell all of our Kava products to our Canadian
neighbors! Read our full article called "KAVA
(NOT) BANNED IN CANADA" for the full story. |
