Using Kratom for Pain Relief

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Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family and is native to Southeast Asia. The long, oval shaped leaves are dark green, branching off a straight trunk covered in smooth, grey bark. 

 

Records indicate kratom has been used in traditional medicine of the people in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea since at least the nineteenth century. The leaves of the plant are described to have simulant-like effects and opioid properties, and show promise in the treatment of pain pill addiction. As a treatment in this area, kratom works by tricking the brain of individuals who are addicted to pain killers into thinking actual opiates have been consumed, and positively assisting anyone going through the withdrawal phase of an opiate-based prescription drug addiction.

 

Methods of using kratom include the following:

 

• smoking the leaves
• chewing the leaves
• steeping the leaves to make a tea
• capsules containing kratom powder
• pills formed from kratom powder
• creating an extract of the concentrated alkaloids distilled from either kratom leaves or powder

 

 

While medically the efficacy and safety of kratom remains unclear, there are many individuals who successfully use kratom to manage their chronic pain, anxiety and fatigue, as well as rehabilitation centers who use it for treating opioid withdrawal symptoms. Kratom is also used for recreational purposes, with the reported onset of effects typically beginning within 5-10 minutes of consumption and lasting for two to five hours. Each of the kratom strains has a different concentration of alkaloids, which impacts the efficiency and speed of effect for a user. The Internet has opened up access to kratom worldwide, making it easy for individuals to purchase a supply of kratom for all their needs. Store kratom in a dark, dry place, ideally in a sealed bag. Another option is to store the kratom in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresher longer. The key is to protect the kratom from light and moisture during storage.

 

The effects of Red Vein kratom, considered the top quality of kratom on the market, are said to be mildly sedating, relaxing and pleasant. Variations in the Red Vein kratom family include the Red Borneo, Red Vein Indo, Bali, Red Maeng Da, Red Vein Thai and the Red Vein Borneo. The Red Vein kratom leaves have distinctive red veins stretching all over the leaf, and the ground powder of red kratom is slightly red in color, lacking a green tinge. The leaves also give off a sharp scent.

 

The effects of White Vein kratom are said to be energizing, uplifting and mentally focusing. Variations in the White Vein kratom include White Sumatra, White Thai, White Borneo and White Maeng Da. The White Vein kratom leaves have distinctive white veins stretching all over the leaf.

 

The effects of the Green Vein kratom are reported to result in a euphoric mood, bringing forth positivity and a chattiness. Variations in the Green Vein kratom include Green Sumatra, Green Malay, Green Thai, Green Borneo and Green Maeng Da. The Green Vein kratom leaves have distinctive white veins stretching all over the leaf.

 

An interesting bit of discovered data mentioned the difference in vein color and physical effects of the three different vein colors has to do with the age of the plant – White Vein kratom is the young plant, Green Vein kratom is the maturing plant and Red Vein kratom is the fully matured plant. 

 

Some Kratom strains like Malay and Rifat do not exhibit a specific vein coloring, but experimentation has discovered the leaf veins will take on the color of the light they are grown under. When grown under blue lights, the vein color turns blue, under white light the vein color turns white. This may account for the recent appearance of yellow/gold vein kratom leaves on the market, simply caused by the plants being grown under yellow lights.

 

You can even buy kratom plants, which will flourish if provided with their native subtropical conditions (humid air, the acidic soil, rich nutrients). While the leaf veining is different depending on the strain being grown, the reported benefits an individual derives from kratom remain basically the same.

 

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At one time, kratom was legal to grow and purchase in all of the US states. But in 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the importation and manufacture of kratom as a dietary supplement, while the DEA began to partner with other government agencies to actively confiscate imported supplies.

 

In April 2019, the FDA issued a public statement declaring kratom was not approved for any medical use, was potentially unsafe in commercial products available in the United States. Kratom remains on an import alert list, making it legal for government authorities to confiscate imported supplies. Additionally, they warned consumers that kratom remains unapproved for interstate commerce. Here in the United States, kratom is illegal to buy, sell or use in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., having since 2016 been labeled as an illegal substance. In an even tighter ruling, Sarasota County in Florida and the city of San Diego in California have also made kratom illegal, but the states of Florida and California have NOT enacted laws against kratom.

 

What is interesting to note in instances where individual states ban kratom, the federal laws actually supersedes the state laws. Because kratom is currently not banned at the federal level, individuals residing in the states and areas where kratom is banned would technically still be allowed to use it.