Kratom - A Legal High with Dangerous Consequences
The Insider's Briefing for Subscribers
Kratom is a psychoactive ethnomedicine that is indigenous to Southeast Asia. Over the past two decades, kratom has emerged in the West due to internet marketing and lack of federal regulations. Sold online as a “legal high” or a “legal opioid,” many users are led to believe that kratom is a safe herbal supplement. However, research has shown that kratom can cause severe adverse effects, withdrawal symptoms, and addiction.
Kratom use is surging as people seek a replacement for traditional drugs without the risk of testing positive in a drug test. We will talk about Kratom, why people use it, it’s effects on the body (including signs of impairment), where it comes from, dosage units and how it is sold. We will also talk about a recent study that debunks the claim that it is an alternative medicine.
Kratom Use in the U.S.
In recent years, kratom use has grown among patients seeking alternatives to opioid prescriptions for pain management, mood enhancement, and withdrawal symptom relief. An online report showed that positive kratom urine drug tests increased in every region of the United States between January 2017 and November 2019. This increase may be an underestimate, as kratom is not detected in routine lab tests and requires specific analysis.
Recreational users often combine kratom with other drugs, such as alcohol, cannabis, and opioids, as well as newer psychoactive substances. Online-sourced kratom is more potent than the natural plant, as it contains higher concentrations of psychoactive alkaloids.
