Retail Membership

What does it mean to be an AKA-Certified Retailer or Serving Establishment?

Whether you are a brick and mortar health food shop or and internet based retailer, or perhaps you are serving kava over the counter at a Kava bar, YOU are the face of Kava to the american consumer.  You play a very important role in shaping the public’s opinion on Kava and you should take this responsibility very seriously because quite literally, millions of people worldwide are looking to you to uphold and defend Kava as it makes its resurgence in the United States.  There is no better way to do so than joining the American Kava Association and adhering to its bylaws.

Becoming an AKA Certified Member allows you to join the ranks of a world class team of the leading academics, manufacturers, farmers, lobbyists, and other specialists who are working collectively to perpetuate the success of the Kava industry worldwide.  By becoming a member of the only domestic Kava-centric trade organization, you play an active role in keeping the kava industry robust and healthy through its resurgence in the United States.

How does it benefit my company?

The American Kava Association seal lets your customers know that you are among an elite class of Kava suppliers who are trusted to sell kava of the highest grade, free from contaminants. Simply by complying with the AKA analytical testing requirements, you are able to certify to your customers that your kava is superior to other vendors and therefore worth a premium.  Furthermore, by aligning your company with the ranks of top-level academics, expert growers, and other members of the Kava community, you expand your network into areas of the market that would otherwise be inaccessible to just any Kava business.  The benefit to your company is apparent in many ways, not to mention your bottom line.

As a member you can:

  • Place the AKA seal on your products, website, and other materials to let buyers know that you are a member in good standing with the AKA and adhere by the highest standards in the Kava industry.
  • Participate in the formation or modification of the AKA bylaws.
  • Participate in any action or activity that the Association takes.
  • Benefit from the subsidized pricing on analytical testing and COA.
  • Host your test results on the site so that customers can verify your products’ potency and purity.
  • Benefit from the business you gain from AKA Consumer Members.

How does it benefit my customers?

Your customers benefit by having access to excellent grade Kava, rather than mediocre mystery material. Additionally, your customers can begin to understand why they enjoy certain kavas more than others by looking at quantified chemotype and kavalactone data on your certificates of analysis.  This data helps them determine which Kavas that they will be most satisfied with before they make a purchase.  Happy customers equal more positive reviews on your company and less returns!  Everyone wins.

How does it benefit the kava industry as a whole?

Customers prefer to buy from trusted, AKA certified vendors because they know that they are receiving a quality product.  Through buying only from AKA certified vendors, it squeezes out the vendors who are in non-compliance with FDA and cGMP laws and others who pose a threat to the Kava industry.  These irresponsible vendors will either drop out of the marketplace because customers will demand certified quality, or more optimally, they will see the advantages of compliance.  Either way, AKA membership benefits the Kava industry by removing, or converting, non-compliant and irresponsible vendors through creating a strong consumer demand for quality.

An American Kava Association approved Kava Serving Establishment should:

  1. Serve to educate consumers about Kava and the cultures that drink Kava.
  2. Serve traditional Kava as the primary product.
  3. Follow all FDA cGMP regulations including submitting kava to the AKA or other qualified lab for a Certificate of Analysis on each batch of Kava before it is sold to consumers. This can be easily accomplished by simply buying from an approved vendor.
  4. Serve daily drinking Kavas as their ‘house kava’
  5. Be allowed to serve other Kavas such as Tudei or Isa or Papua only to experienced drinkers and only if they are clearly labeled as such and it is somehow indicated that the effects are much different.
  6. Label each Kava strain that they carry in terms of common name and country of origin and preferably state the age of the root.
  7. Have a posted age limit and enforce as needed.  The AKA recommends 18+
  8. Have traditional preparation standards – 200 grams of root per gallon of water.
  9. Have serving cut offs and refuse to serve overly intoxicated customers (be it alcohol or kava or otherwise).
  10. Not market kava as an alcohol alternative.  This is against FDA law.
  11. Not market kava by using health claims such as an anxiety cure, or a pain reliever.  The association will assist anyone who needs help distinguishing what is OK and what is not in terms of FDA laws.
  12. Not Market Kava as a legal high, intoxicant, or use any other drug reference when describing kava.
  13. Have knowledgeable staff that educate customers about the cultural importance of Kava in its native regions, who also know rules 10,11, and 12 above and don’t make health claims while educating the customer.

Show your patrons you care for their health and safety by requesting membership today!

Get started by filling out this form. An AKA official will contact you by phone or e-mail to get the ball rolling and establish that you are serious about your dedication to the success of the kava culture and industry in the US market.

This is no automated registration, and it’s not about collecting fees; your application will be reviewed by a human being and you will be contacted before you are confirmed as a member. Please fill out the form completely and honestly.

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