ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- It's earthy, you can drink it from a shell, and it's catching on fast in Pinellas County.

  • Kava, Kratom scene expolding in Pinellas
  • Drinks to give "calm and euphoric" feeling
  • Some use Kratom to relieve pain

In St. Petersburg there's more than seven shops that devote themselves to selling Kava. Many people who drink it, say it helps them to relax and gives them a calm and euphoric feeling.

In Pinellas County, there's almost two dozen places that sell the drink. That's more than any other county in the country.

"People from outside of the United States come here just because we have the Kava bars," said Muddy Waters Co-owner Bryan Peacock.

At many of the area Kava shops, you can also find Kratom. It's a different and seemingly more controversial plant-based drink that some use to relieve pain.

While Kava has been well-received by medical experts, the FDA is warning against Kratom's pain-reducing reputation, stating it should not be used to treat medical conditions or be used as an alternative to prescription opioids.

"Alcohol is a very dangerous thing, all these other things are very dangerous, this shouldn't be looked at in that way," Peacock said.

Although Peacock agrees Kratom is not for everyone, he says a little research and reading about the drinks will go a long way.