Kratom Effects: Positive Versus Negative, Which Outweighs the Other?

DEA warns about Kratom

(LosAngeles.CityRegions.Com, April 19, 2014 ) Los Angeles, CA -- Kratom is slowly gaining recognition for its many positive effects, amidst negative criticisms. KOKH-TV, Oklahoma City’s Fox affiliate, reported that kratom users claim that the medicinal plant is a legal form of heroin, “with hallucinogenic effects like LSD.” An Oklahoma City TV station cautioned viewers about the new drug said to be quickly taking hold in the community in January 2014. The station further stated that kratom has a stimulant effect at low doses.

According to an Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics spokesman quoted in the report, when users take high doses, two or three pills at a time, several times a day, they get the opposite result. The result was compared to taking “a fistful of very strong painkillers.” A man from YouTube was accounted to take several pills and mentioned feeling like he had taken “40 to 60 milligrams of OxyContin.”

Kratom can be derived from the leaves of a tree (Mitragyna speciosa) native to Southeast Asia. It is typically consumed in capsule form or brewed as tea. The TV station also announced that some people were already rushed to the hospital. The state officials expressed concerns over more residents getting sick, with the drug becoming accessible via convenience stores, gas stations, and online stores.

On the other hand, an online community of kratom users and vendors assert that it is fairly a harmless drug and that it had been safely used for centuries in Asia. Advocates prove that it serves as a natural painkiller, specifically for multiple sclerosis (MS) and fibromyalgia patients. They also point out that it serves to aide those weaning from addiction. In lower doses, it also serves as a stimulant without the jittery feeling caused by too much caffeine. The drug is also publicized as an herbal treatment for anxiety and attention deficit disorder.

As per 1988 paper in the Journal of Psychoactive drugs, Thai laborers used lower doses of kratom as a stimulant and to aid in increasing work output. The chemicals found in kratom bond to opiate receptors in the brain. This explains why it has been used in Thailand both as a painkiller and as treatment for addicts undergoing opiate withdrawal.

Dr. Edward W. Boyer, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and one of the authors of the Addiction paper, cautioned that using kratom to quit opiates can be habit-forming in its own right. Boyer also mentioned that there are some toxicology reports which indicate seizures in its users each year. He stressed that the number of people using it nationwide is unknown. Doctors might not consider asking patients experiencing seizures if they have been using kratom, and patients with drug abuse history can be less aware about the substances they have taken.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers kratom and kratom-based supplements to be degraded food subject to seizure, based on a law requiring new supplements ingredients to be revealed to be practically safe. Ingredients sold in the US before 1994 are exempted from the rule. However, FDA said it has not found proof that kratom meets the requirement.

There is a steady supply of vendors and customers who attest to the plant’s medicinal value, despite FDA warnings and state regulators. Robert McMahan, an online kratom company owner, said that, “people [are] getting on these fibromyalgia forums and MS forums and talking about how it’s saved their life.”

About Kratora Quality Ethnobotanicals:

Kratora Quality Ethnobotanicals is a leading source for organic specialty Kratom powders. These powders are ethically sourced from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia and are known for its therapeutic properties. The site sells Maeng Da strain among many others. Buyers should be at least 18 years old to purchase any products. All products on the site are sold not for human consumption, and are for incense or ethnobotanical research purposes only.

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