Is Kratom Banned?

If you are worried about a potential Kratom ban, then keep reading on for the latest information. Kratom is a fantastic substance that helps many users self-medicate and alleviate a range of conditions. There are many experiences online about users who have had far more success with Kratom than conventional pharmaceutical medication. While the substance has used for centuries in Southeast Asia, it has only recently gained notoriety in Western countries. This has led to much misinformation being spread about the substance, and the topic of a Kratom ban is one that is commonly discussed.

It has become increasingly popular in recent years. Many strains of Kratom are being used regularly within the United States and throughout the world. However, there has been a downside to this emerging popularity. Due, the lack of research on its safety, there have been close calls to make the substance completely illegal. In this article, we will delve into the legal issues facing Kratom and explore the future consequences of a Kratom Ban.

Current Legality

All strains of Kratom are currently legal to purchase and sell within the United States on the federal level. However, that could be about to change in the recent future. Also, there are individual states which have banned the possession and importation of the substance. US soldiers are strictly prohibited from taking Kratom.

The United States may follow the role of other countries who have already banned it by issuing a full restriction on the substance. There is already some restriction of the substance being applied in certain jurisdictions. However, it is not currently a scheduled drug in any part of the United States. Below, we list the current legal status of Kratom in different regions around the world.

Worldwide Legal Status:

Southeast Asian Nations

•  The Southeast Asian Nations is made up of 10 major countries within the Southeast region. This area of the world is significant since many strains are grown from this part of the world. There is currently no restriction on the growing or sale of any Kratom strains.
• However, they cannot be included in any traditional medicines or health supplements sold within these countries. It is ironic that Kratom is so heavily regulated in the regions that it originates from and the areas that grow the vast majority of it.
• There are certain legal grey areas within individual countries in this region. It is important not to store Kratom in your luggage when visiting these countries as a safety precaution.
• These countries usually have strict general drug laws, and you may face prosecution.

Australia & New Zealand

•  Kratom is currently controlled as a narcotic in Australia under the Medicines Regulations act. This means that the sale of Kratom is strictly prohibited and can result in prosecution. New Zealand also has the same regulations.
• However, there have been reports of vendors shipping Kratom to these countries. We advise strict caution in this region if you have Kratom with you.

Canada

•  Kratom is currently legal in Canada. However, it cannot be marketed for ingestion purposes. It can be sold for other uses such as incense.
• Canada has been clamping down on companies who have been marketing. It remains to be seen whether Canada will follow the US’s lead in taking firmer action against the substance.

Europe

•  All strains of the Kratom plant are considered a controlled substance in Poland, Denmark, Lithuania, Romania, and Sweden. Some of these countries have an outright ban, whereas others are more lenient with regards to it.
• In Ireland, it is listed as a schedule I illegal drug. The UK has banned the sale, import, and exporting of Kratom under the Psychoactive Substances Act. This situation is not likely to change soon.
• We advise extreme caution for anyone taking Kratom within a European country. The current laws on Kratom possession can be loosely defined and can be subject to change. However, there isn’t yet an outright ban on Kratom in the whole of Europe.
• In fact, in Sweden, there is pressure to remove the controlled tag from the substance.

Malaysia

• Malaysia has prohibited all possession of Kratom leaves. They are known as Ketum in the country, and there is widespread attention given to the substance.
• Laws are rigidly enforced, and there is the potential for high fines and even jail sentences for possession of these leaves.

Thailand

•  The possession of Kratom leaves had been illegal in Thailand for many years. However, in 2018 the Thai government opened up their stance towards the substance.
• They have now fully legalized the production, export, import, and possession of Kratom.
• However, this is only for medicinal purposes. Recreational use is not legalized in Thailand. Medical Kratom, however, is entirely legal.

United States

•  The United States has had a complicated relationship with Kratom over the past few years. In some ways, it is understandable why there is high pressure to ban the substance.
• However, much of this is being fuelled by misinformation and emotive sentiment rather than objective facts. From 2010 onwards, the amount of Kratom poisonings rose up sharply.
• This rise was attributed to the availability of Kratom and the way that it was marketed as a dietary supplement.
• This caused consumers to be complacent, and many used Kratom in dangerous ways. The FDA even began seizing imports of Kratom, because they have not confirmed it safe for use.

Many states responded to this scare by outright banning the possession of Kratom. It is currently illegal in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Vermont, Wisconsin. Kratom cannot be directly advertised or sold as a dietary supplement within any state. Additionally, it cannot be sold to treat a specific condition.

Public Sentiments on Potential Kratom Ban

Kratom users in the United States have made their sentiments clear. This was particularly pertinent in 2016 when the DEA announced that they would be classifying Kratom as a Schedule 1 drug per the controlled substances act. This drew widespread criticism, and it led to protests by users of Kratom. These users stated how effective Kratom had been for their symptoms and how it had improved their quality of life drastically.

Many were also noting how it was useful for managing pain and also managing opioid withdrawal. The opioid crisis a national emergency and there are many positive experiences of those who have used Kratom to help with their removal.

These powerful protests eventually led to the House of Representatives acting, and the DEA decision was shelved. 140,000 people signed an online White House petition protesting the potential DEA listing, which showed just how strong the sentiment was in the country. This still wasn’t enough to fully back down, and they stated how anecdotal evidence was insufficient.

In more recent times, the FDA has kept a keen eye on Kratom. In 2017, they sent out an official report which detailed severe concerns about Kratom deaths and other instances of misuse. It is important to note that there have only been 44 reported deaths which may be linked to Kratom use. Furthermore, Kratom has not conclusively found as a cause in any of these deaths. The vast majority of these deaths occurred when users had other drugs in their system.

In the FDA report, they claimed that there is no evidence to support the medicinal benefits of Kratom and that there is no FDA approval for any of its uses. The report also cited specific safety concerns.

There have been new FDA developments in the past year. The FDA commissioner compared Kratom to Opioids and recommended that Kratom should not be used for any medicinal or recreational uses ever since there has been stern rhetoric being delivered from the FDA. This has raised fears over an imminent ban that would affect the use of Kratom across the entire country.

Current Situation and Enforcement of Potential Kratom Ban

In 2019, there remains a distinct possibility of a Kratom ban occurring within the United States. However, this is still unlikely as there are significant pieces of legislation required for a federal ban. In any case, a ban is one thing, but the enforcement of a ban is a whole different story. The constitution limits the powers of the DEA to impose a federal ban. There are still many steps that would have to be done for the substance to be banned entirely.

The current situation requires objective science to break the impasse. The trouble with both sides is that there isn’t enough real scientific evidence to support their claims. There are no studies that take an in-depth look at the risks of Kratom, and there are very few detailed studies that explore the long-term benefits of Kratom. It is clear that after a few years of research, the legal situation in the USA and throughout the world should be much more apparent.

We know from many anecdotal experiences that the science will eventually catch up with users who have benefited immensely from taking Kratom. It is, however, essential to encourage proper use of Kratom. The trouble with being unregulated is that people self-medicating can sometimes take doses that are too high for them.

Kratom is incredibly safe; however, there are obvious risks when it is taken in this manner. This is true of most medicinal products. Kratom should not be singled out for this risk when similar chances are present within the vast majority of medicinal products. The prospect of misuse does not justify an outright ban.

Risk of Mixing

One of the reasons why there have been so many concerns about the product is that it can occasionally be mixed with other dangerous chemicals. Often, the user isn’t aware of this. Whilst, this is highly unlikely, there is always a risk that Kratom is mixed with other drugs such as caffeine and codeine. You can mitigate this risk by purchasing from reliable vendors and suppliers. Those seeking to ban the substance generally overhypes the risk of mixing.

The reality is that many types of legal substances are also sometimes mixed with other dangerous chemicals. It is incorrect to assume that Kratom should be treated as profoundly hazardous and addictive drugs. Most users have no addiction problems with Kratom. Many credit Kratom for them being able to fight off their opioid addiction. However, there is undoubtedly a particular issue with Kratom contamination.

Kratom Contamination

There is one issue that both sides of the debate mostly agree on. They both agree that a contamination problem exists and it should be addressed. Rarely, some forms of Kratom have been found to have traces of synthetic opioids. These are very powerful. The FDA also recently investigated potential salmonella contamination within Kratom products.

Kratom users and also its critics agree that the FDA needs to take a stand against possible contamination. Further quality control measures are required to ensure that the risk of disease is kept to a minimum.

Conclusion

It remains to be seen whether there will be a Kratom ban in the United States. As of yet, it is also unclear the exact type of ban that may take place. In the meantime, we recommend that you stock up on Kratom so that you can remain prepared for any eventuality. We believe that the United States would be making a wrong decision that would affect the lives of many.

We believe that there needs to be more information about Kratom available so that it doesn’t get lumped in with opioids which already have a negative image. It is evident that Kratom can be massively helpful for many conditions.

The lack of research shouldn’t be a hurdle to allow its use. It should be a current concern that should be addressed appropriately rather than trying to discredit the experiences of many users. It is clear that Kratom has changed many lives for the better. A ban would have dire consequences for so many people, and we hope that the United States will see sense in this situation.

We are optimistic that the current research being undertaken will lead to a justification for so many passionate advocates of Kratom. There are real-life results that are clear to see for anyone who is doubting the effectiveness of Kratom. The FDA can attempt to ban it, but as this article has shown it will not be an easy feat to accomplish.