Kratom is usually made into kratom powder, and it comes from a tree called Mitragyna Speciosa that generally grows in countries in Southeast Asia like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. When you ingest the leaves of the kratom tree, you will feel an enhancement in your mood, pain as well as anxiety relief.
People who use kratom powder said that their life became better with kratom and they do not know where they would be today without it. However, people who are against kratom argue that kratom should be a concern because it can affect one’s brain and the product was not well-researched.
Moreover, kratom is not approved by the FDA as a medicinal substance.
Sometimes, the public decides what is better for them even though the government is against it. Individuals living in Asia have been using kratom for thousands of years as a cure for different ailments.
However, it was banned in Thailand, not because the government sees it as a threat to the public’s well-being, but because it provides tight competition for opiates.
Most therapeutic benefits of kratom were born from experiences of patients. There was no such thing as clinical research for kratom until 2012, and it stopped there.
Kratom is responsible for giving its user a combined sedating and stimulating effect which varies depending on the dosage and the strain.
Kratom’s active ingredients are 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine. The two have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and are opiate receptors’ agonists.
DEA or the Drug Enforcement Agency classified kratom as a schedule 1 drug in August 2016 because it has effects similar to opioid. As a result, the announcement made a backlash from the public.
After learning about the DEA’s decision, people started making public demonstrations, signing petitions, and requesting the Congress to overrule the said verdict.
Fortunately, DEA decided to withdraw their notice of intent of classifying kratom as a schedule 1 drug and started to collect information and comments from the public. They received 23,000 kratom-supporting comments from the public, and it was an unprecedented event.
Kratom’s legal status varies on different states and cities. Moreover, DEA has not yet come to a decision, and no one knows yet what will happen to kratom’s legal status in the future.
Currently, kratom is legal in the United States. However, some states have banned kratom or have made it illegal.
Here is the list of states that are still in the process of banning kratom or have already banned the substance:
Take note that this list could change. The legislation is always shaking and moving all over Washington for kratom which makes kratom’s legal status susceptible to change.
If you want to be a law-abiding citizen in your state or city, it is your responsibility to keep yourself informed and updated about the legality of kratom in your area.
Recently, a claim was made by the FDA against kratom and kratom users are openly fighting and supporting kratom. The FDA, headed by a man named Scott Gottlieb, wants to provide scheduling for kratom.
If you are a kratom user, it is essential to keep in touch with your representatives. If you think kratom has helped you, you can write or call the representatives in your Congress about it.
However, if you are new to kratom, you should know that many kratom users claim that it provided them with positive effects.
