Kratom is made from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a Southeast Asian tree related to coffee, and has been consumed in Asia for millennia, typically as a tea or powder.
The herb contains alkaloids that appear to activate opioid receptors in the brain and reduce pain.
It is described as being a stimulant at low doses, and narcotic/sedative at higher doses. Dosages can vary greatly depending on the freshness of the leaf and the potency of the particular plant/strain. Fresh or freshly dried leaves are generally considered the most potent, but dried leaves are most common outside of southeast Asia.
Positive effects are
- Simultaneous stimulation & sedation
- Feelings of empathy
- Feelings of euphoria
- Aphrodisiac qualities for some people
- Vivid waking dreams
- Low doses can result in a lasting "glow" in some people, feeling better than normal the next day
- Increases sociability and talkativeness
With strong doses nausea, dysphoria and vomiting are likely, especially in those not already experienced with the effects of kratom.
Addiction is a possibility, pauses are important to reduce tolerance and addiction risk.
Now the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving to place the herbal supplement kratom on its list of Schedule I drugs, effectively banning a naturallly occurring psychoactive substance.
The DEA said it wants to include two active kratom ingredients in its most restrictive classification of drugs with high potential for abuse an no known medical benefit, signaling that the government considers the plant as dangerous as heroin.
And who's pulling the strings this time and profits the most on a prohibition?
The Sackler family! Kratom is hurting their billion dollar legalized heroin dealing business.
The richest newcomer to Forbes 2015 list of America’s Richest Families, which owns Stamford, Conn.-based Purdue Pharma.
How did the Sacklers build the 16th-largest fortune in the country? The short answer: making the most popular and controversial opioid of the 21st century - OxyContin.
Read here why marijuana is prohibited!