Kratom is well known all over the world. Produced by a native of the coffee family group, Mitragyna speciosa trees are found in forests and fields of Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and others. It has been cultivated in these countries for more than 2,000 years and is used as a medical supplement to this day. Though it is involved with many cultures and tradition, recently it is not legal in some countries from where it was produced and supplied in huge amount to world.

Thailand is the country where Kratom was banned first in 1943. Many believe this was due to the large amounts of tax money the Thai government was collecting from the opium trade. When opiate users started getting kratom to assist in quitting opiates the government decided to make up for lost tax earnings by criminalizing the herb. The Kratom Act was drafted and outlawed plant would continue to bring in revenue through fines and related costs. Kratom users were stuck between a rock and a hard place, should they break the law and continue using kratom or switch to more powerful opiates? The fifth decade of the 20^th century was a time of political unrest and long hours of hard labor for many of Thailand’s residents. Workers would stay in the fields for long hours and would use herbal remedies like kratom to help alleviate some of the pain and use of the body. In fact the herb was such a staple in the lives of blue collar workers that people would expect hard working men to be regular kratom users, as if the use affirmed their work ethic. It was considered “poor man’s marijuana,” a natural herb that was less expensive than smoking pot. “Kratom chewers” were looked at highly by the public and by others looking to give that person credit for perceived abilities.

It was not until people started to really back away from opiates in larger numbers and migrate towards kratom before the government really started noticing the changes in society and purchasing habits. At a meeting of the House of Representatives a Thai official stated “Taxes for opium are high while kratom is not currently being taxed. With the increase of those taxes, people are starting to use kratom instead and this has had a visible impact on our government’s income.” The other representatives were seemingly in agreeance – more available kratom meant less money for the government. This was what led to the ban.

Although kratom is illegal in some countries it has continued to thrive in America. The DEA was talking about scheduling the herb as a dangerous drug in the final quarter of 2016 but pressure from Congress and the public caused the Drug Enforcement Administration to hold off on scheduling it and instead ask the FDA for a more concise study. Many vendors state side receive shipments from overseas and then distribute the miracle herb in weighed portions according to the end user’s purchase. Amounts ranging from 7 grams to a full kilo are common online. Since kratom helps so many people who are in pain and other debilitating situations it is nice to know that they can order the herbal remedy from the comfort of their own home. On the other side of the world, in many countries where cultivation is illegal, farmers are churning out the plant as a way to compete in the global economy. The legality doesn’t stop kratom farmers from doing what has probably been done for generations in their family – producing the plant that helps so many.

Some state officials don’t agree with the miraculous lore and raving reviews of those who consume kratom on a regular basis. In Florida, representative Kristin Jacobs seemingly completely disagrees with any possible health benefits of the ground leaves of Mitragyna speciosa. “Just like Hitler believed if you tell a lie over and over again, it become the truth. The Kratom Association stands to lose a lot of money if they aren’t able to continue profiting off the misery of addicts,” Ms. Jacobs claims. Banning the herb is one of her highest priorities. She has made four attempts so far even though Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement stated in 2015 that kratom had “no pervasive health issues” and it “does not constitute a significant risk to the safety or welfare of Florida.”

On the other side of the coin are people like Jack Henningfield of the John Hopkins School of Medicine. Jack knows how rare it is to find a death that couldn’t even be considered attributable to kratom alone. Only one case has ever reached his desk that he thought the death could have possibly been attributed to the herb. In nearly every overdose case where kratom is present there are other dangerous and illegal substances found in the toxicology report. Other users include people like Fred Kaeser who not long ago was the Director of Health for New York City’s public school system. Mr. Kaeser is a regular kratom user who uses it to alleviate chronic back pain and help him use less prescription painkillers.

 

For a reputable U.S. vendor we recommend PA Botanicals.