Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm this evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 52F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm this evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 52F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Updated: April 11, 2026 @ 6:06 pm
There are no waiters or waitresses at Hale Noa, a quiet cafe just off the main drag of Waikiki where the South Pacific elixir kava is the only brew served.
Owner Keoni Verity makes his patrons belly up to the bar for bowls of the muddy-tasting drink. That way, he can see if they're still walking straight after their third, fourth or fifth refill.
"If they sit at a table and order many drinks without ever getting up, they sometimes don't realize how the 'awa is affecting them," Verity said.
The herbal root known as "awa" to Hawaiians, and kava throughout much of the South Pacific, is billed as a natural treatment for anxiety and insomnia.
But prosecutors on the mainland and in Hawaii are concerned kava may be too relaxing for those who drive after drinking it.
Northern California has seen two such cases this year. The cases are believed to be the only of their kind in California, and among the first nationwide.
Tea made from powdered kava root has long been used in cultural and religious ceremonies by immigrants from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and other South Pacific Islands, as well as by Hawaiians.
Now, with its reputation as a natural alternative to muscle relaxants and anti-anxiety medicine, kava capsules, tablets and liquid are among the top-selling herbal remedies in the United States.
Kava is not an illegal narcotic under Hawaii law and there is no identifiable movement to ban the substance, according to Keith Kamita, administrator of the state Narcotics Enforcement Division.
But Kamita said law enforcement officials are increasingly concerned about kava-influenced drivers.
"Kava does have a sedating effect, especially when taken in the raw form from the root, and may cause a person to fall asleep while on the road or act as if they are intoxicated similar to as if they are on liquor," Kamita said.
Hawaii law doesn't explicitly ban driving while under the influence of kava, Honolulu Deputy Prosecutor David Sandler said. And Hawaii is not one of roughly 40 states that ban any substance impairing a person's ability to drive, he said.
Bills that would add Hawaii to that list of states have died in the Legislature in the past two years, Sandler said.
"If you abuse kava, it's the same thing as abusing alcohol," he said. "The difference is in Hawaii we can't prosecute it."
Sandler said he didn't know of any specific cases of drivers getting into trouble after drinking kava. But he said it's hard for police to gauge the extent of the problem because kava is not among the substances authorities test for when a driver is pulled over.<
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