The dark web hosts a specialized wildlife trade market where roughly 90% of advertisements involve recreational drugs. Over five years, 153 species appeared in about 600 advertisements per year. Most traded species are plants, but fungi and animals also appear. Psychedelic species dominate, with 45 species identified, including 19 species of Psilocybe fungi. The native ranges of drug plants cluster in Central and South America. A smaller portion of trade involves medicinal products, clothing, decoration, and pets. Current conservation and biosecurity risks from dark web wildlife trade appear low, but trade could increase if enforcement on e-commerce and social media reduces access for traders.
Kava, a psychoactive plant from the Pacific Islands, is used for its anxiolytic and sedating effects. In a 2024 online survey of 368 adults who had used kratom, kava, tianeptine, or akuamma seed, 48.9% had used kava in their lifetime. Lifetime kava users were younger, more racially diverse, and more likely to be employed or in school. Kava was purchased online (40.6%) or in tea bars (31.7%). Users reported infrequent consumption (average 4.4 months per year, 9.1 days per month). Perceived effects included reduced general anxiety (33.7%), improved mood (32.9%), reduced social anxiety (25.5%), and sedation (23.4%). Only 11.7% viewed kava as habit-forming, and 51.7% saw it as an alcohol replacement. Kava use practices are diverse, and clinicians should be aware of its role in harm-reduction.