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Kava 'Anti-Energy' Drinks
'Anti-energy' drinks using Kava, a South Pacific root supposed to have sedative properties, are reportedly bestsellers in southern California.
One of the most recent entries is Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda, a relaxation beverage intended to slow you down, help you sleep and deal with stress. According to manufacturers, it is the "the all-natural soft drink that delivers euphoric relaxation..."
(Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda)
Drinks like Mary Jane's are a backlash against the frenetic pace (and advertisements) of so-called 'energy drinks' like Red Bull.
This beverage reminded me of Blithe from Neal Stephenson's 2008 novel Anathem. It is a common weed that was sequenced and its genes included in other foods; it contained Allswell:
Allswell: A naturally occurring chemical that, when present in sufficient concentrations in the brain, engenders the feeling that everything is fine...The food that you eat is probably grown from crops whose genes partake of the Allswell sequence, or even stronger stuff. Melancholy thoughts may never come into your mind at all. When they do, you have the power to dismiss them...
From LA Times.
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