Title: Follow All The Science

It’s puzzling that the leaves of a tropical evergreen consumed for centuries could cause such controversy, but Kratom has had a very bumpy ride in the US media.

The FDA has been trying to demonise Kratom for years, and wants it to be listed as a Schedule 1 Substance (making it impossible to purchase legally). Fortunately they didn’t consider the backlash from the multitude of supporters who have been using it for years to treat a wide range of health issues. So far, efforts to eradicate Kratom have failed, but it’s of constant concern to those that rely on it as an alternative to pharmaceuticals.

In 2016 a petition in the US attracted 142 000 signatures, and 26 000 Americans pleaded with Trump to keep the plant legal. Well over a thousand doctors, scientists and law officials warned the DEA that the criminalisation of Kratom would worsen the opioid crisis; and 62 Senate members on both sides of the political divide agreed with them.

In response to a major online survey, a whopping 0% of all Emergency Health Care Professionals and First Responders supported a ban on Kratom. Many reported personally treating patients that had used Kratom to ease withdrawal symptoms from opioids that kill several thousands of people every year. Zero deaths have been proven to be caused by Kratom alone.

The media portrays Kratom as “just another opioid”, as dangerous as the prescription painkillers that are destroying so many lives every day. This is simply not true. Kratom is not an opioid but it works by binding to some of the same receptor sites in the brain, similarly to chocolate, coffee, exercise and even human breast milk.

As with many other natural substances, better research is always needed to learn more, but to supporters from all over the world Kratom seems to be a very safe alternative medicine that could be beneficial to many, many people.