One of the most common questions about kratom is whether or not it is legal to purchase in the United States. The answer? Well, it’s complicated.
Before we get into the legalities of the substance, it might be helpful to understand what kratom is and what it does to your body, which might have warranted the American Drug Enforcement Agency’s current policy on the substance.
What Is Kratom?
Kratom is best described as a psychoactive stimulant. This means that the substance when consumed – usually in powder form via some sort of beverage, or as a capsule – changes the way that your brain reacts to stimuli. For example, certain types of kratom, such as a red kratom, induce a state of drowsiness and sleepiness, which makes it the perfect candidate for those seeking to wind down at the end of the evening.
Other types of kratom, such as green kratom, offer the opposite effect – green kratom is often used as a stimulant with a morning cup of tea or coffee and has been shown to lift one’s mood and enhance one’s senses.
Generally, at lower doses, kratom has been used as a mild mood enhancer for most people. While at higher doses, kratom can have sedative effects – this is most common among red kratom of various subtypes.
As with any substance, kratom can become addictive, so the best policy is, as with most things, everything in moderation.
What Is Kratom’s History Within United States Law?
The history of kratom inside the United States is similar to that of most illicit substances – it has obtained widespread usage in the underground market of illegal-but-widely-used substances. Given it’s underground nature, it is difficult to pinpoint when, or how kratom came to the United States. However, it is worth noting that it was not included in the mid-90s legislation known as the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act, written by the FDA. This could have given kratom some legal status within the country as a legitimate, scientifically-grounded supplement that has the potential to help makes better the lives of those who consume it. Instead, the FDA left kratom out of that piece of legislation, which left in the grey area of American pharmaceutical law.
Instead of weaving into the DSHEA legislation, the FDA placed kratom’s components of mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine into the category of a Schedule 1 drug, as it classified them as opioids.
Though, interestingly enough, it has yet to formally “Schedule” either of these components as opioids – hence the proverbial grey area.
What Is It’s Current Legal Status Within The United States?
Officially, according to an FDA Fact Sheet from April of 2020:
“Kratom is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act; however, there may be some state regulations or prohibitions against the possession and use of kratom.”
Currently, within the United States, kratom is classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule 1 drug, however the FDA has classified differently, in that it hasn’t really classified at all… This means that the FDA has found no medically-acceptable usage for kratom, and it has found that it is highly addictive, but hasn’t found sufficient evidence to outright ban it at the federal level. Instead, it appears that the FDA’s kratom mantra is that it is up to the states’ to decide.
Despite its uncertain legal status, the American Kratom Association touts that somewhere between 3 and 5 million Americans use kratom.
What Is The Legal Future Of Kratom In The United States?
This is a difficult question to answer, but one that kratom users and those who could vouch for its successes in helping them will need an answer to sooner rather than later. The last time kratom came up for review by the FDA was in 2016, when it was officially set to be scheduled as Class 1. After this announcement was made, some 140,000 people signed petitions calling on the FDA and DEA to reconsider their stance on kratom’s potential to be of benefit to people’s lives and not schedule the drug as Class 1. A far cry from the somewhere between 3 and 5 million users, but the outcry was also backed by several research scientists, who pointed out that making kratom totally off-limits may indeed inhibit their ability to conduct thorough research on the drug’s effects on people – something that, ironically, the FDA and DEA rely on to issue rulings.
The scheduling future of kratom in the United States remains uncertain. No official reversal has been made of the schedule 1 classification, but activists and organizations like the AKA remain hopeful of a sea-change as more people begin to see and experience the positive effects of kratom on their lives.
Kiody Kratoms Take on The Legality of Kratom in the U.S.
Kratom absolutely should stay 100% legal. The kratom leaf in it’s all natural unaltered state is responsible for 0 deaths and is always considered non-lethal. Knowing this fact and being aware of the amazing benefits of Kratom, why would it be illegal? Is it scientifically dangerous? The Resounding answer is no. Scientists that at the University of Florida have concluded that Kratom does not carry the issues and the side effects as others (things) do. Unaltered Kratom is one of the safest products known to man.
Kratom has been used in studies for over 200 years with facts like these. Here is one such study on the safety of Kratom from John Hopkins, showcasing the low risk of harm or abuse of kratom.
Know your kratom supplier! Sourcing is very important. Here at Kiody, you have a source that is trusted that is tested and that makes sure that you get your kratom unaltered or diluted. Kiody kratom only carries quality Kratom that has been tested and pure. We will never ever give our customers less than the absolute best quality available.
- Should there be some regulations on Kratom? We believe yes. Age and the development of the human body is directly affected by substances that you use in your younger years that’s why we also will not sell to anybody under the age of 18 years old. We also suggest that regulation is needed in order to keep Kratom safe and legal. Kiody kratom is a GMP tested Kratom vendor. The reason we are GMP is that we care about what the customer is consuming. We are not just owners of this Kratom Company we are also users of this amazing product. We stand with the American Kratom Association and the safety acts that they are putting forward and we also approve. So before we had registered with the American Kratom Association we had already self-regulated because we have people that care about quality and about safety and we believe that when you trust a quality vendor like kiody Kratom you can rest assured that your experience will be amazing!
- Kiody Kratom does believe that people should use things in accordance with how their body reacts to substances. So although we are not allowed to make any claims, we have from experience learned that dosing is everything when it comes to your personal use of Kratom. We call it finding your “happy spot”. In my personal experience I use a generous amount of Kratom because I struggle with chronic pain. As a pain reliever, one has to adjust the amount of kratom necessary to alleviate the pain. This will vary from individual to individual, but we recommend not to take more than is necessary. It is in our experience that the information we received from the customers usually is around 6 grams or less is your more stimulating range and 7 g and over Is more in a sedative range. But because everybody’s make up is a little bit different we never suggest an absolute dosage. We trust the customer to find their happy spot and use kratom wisely when looking for solutions. Kiody Kratom is here to help you find those solutions.
- Our goal at Kiody Kratom is to help you locate “steady” in your life. What does that steady mean? It means that your life and your situations come together in a much more beautiful and cognitive proper way. Another way of saying this is “balance”. So many people for so many years have struggled in identifying the proper life/feeling and have made it a struggle to merge the two together. We have found that solution. The legality of kratom should not even be the discussion as kratom is simply wonderful. However, any product can be abused and harmful if common sense isn’t applied. We are here to share this with other people and witness lives being transformed. This is the steady we all desire. We are here and we want to make your experiences the best that it can be with quality products that actually work!
While we are a Kratom business and enjoy the opportunities provided to us by this fabulous gift of nature, we pride ourselves in truly trying to educate, inspire, and provide the best information on kratom available. We love new customer questions and inquiries, so please feel free to contact us anytime with any concerns you may have.
Thanks,
Kiody Kratom Staff