With opioids like fentanyl and hydrocodone causing staggering death tolls across the country, you may be wondering if a safer and effective painkiller will put an end to the so called “Opioid Crisis.” If any of you have ever been prescribed medication for surgery or some other condition, then you have to make a choice about your health: take the pain pills risking potential addiction or refuse the pills out of fear of addiction and suffer through the pain. A subgroup of consumers have begun seeking an opioid alternative known as kratom, a botanical plant native to Southeast Asia that has made news headlines on many occasions for both good and bad reasons. Having recently had surgery on my ankle due to bone deterioration and abnormally grown tendons, I have become a user of kratom for a variety of medical reason. Today I will be informing you on what kratom is, what are some benefits and side effects, and what is the legal status of kratom.
Katom is a botanical plant in the same family as the coffee plant and originated in the Southeastern Asia countries of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Traditionally, those in the area of its natural habitat utilized kratom primarily for its pain-relieving aspects as well as other medicinal applications. Furthermore, opium users found that kratom could be used to wean off their addictions and symptoms of withdraw, which lead to it being made illegal in the 1940’s due to the government’s involvement in opium sales. Many alkaloid chemicals are found in kratom leaves, but the active alkaloids in question today are mitragynine and 7-hyrdoxymitragynine. Both of these alkaloids are structurally similar to opiates, specifically morphine, but they do not bind to all of the same receptors as classical, poppy-derived opioids. Rather, they bind to receptors in a way that does not produce the same intense addiction characterized by opioids. According to Dr. Kumarnsist, a pharmacologist who studies the effects of kratom on the brain, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine bind to the m-opioid receptors of the brain, which is one of the receptors responsible for managing pain. According to anecdotal evidence, kratom can be taken for two primary outcomes: stimulation and sedation. For doses between 2 – 5g of the powdered leaf, feelings of increased energy and alertness, increased sociability, heightened libido, and slight euphoria are experienced for stimulation. For doses 5 – 15g of the powdered leaf, feelings of pain relief, drowsiness, tranquility, dreamlike mental states, and reduced opioid withdraws are experienced for sedation.
According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, kratom, as a stimulant, has been shown to increase alertness and energize individuals. Hamilton Morris, a chemist and executive of Vice Magazine, interviewed a laborer of Thailand who used kratom illegally on a daily basis in order to be able to work in the fields without becoming exhausted in the harsh conditions. As a sedative, kratom has been shown to produce feelings of euphoria, tranquility, reduce anxiety, and decrease pain. The pain-relieving characteristics of kratom stems from evidence that mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine possess analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxant effects.lly exhausted in the harsh conditions. As a sedative, kratom has been shown to produce feelings of euphoria, tranquility, reduce anxiety, and decrease pain. The pain-relieving characteristics of kratom stems from evidence that mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine possess analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxant effects. Opioid withdraw is one of the most popular benefits of kratom according to Morris. Since kratom binds to the same receptors as classical opioids without the respiratory depression that causes overdose, individuals can start by taking high doses and slowly wean off in order to kick their opioid addiction and rid themselves of any form of drug dependence. Chronic use of recreational kratom has been associated with rare instances of acute liver injury according to the National Institute of Heath. Furthermore, according to 71 Republic, all instances of death relating to kratom have resulted from mixing kratom with other over the counter drugs, alcohol, and prescription medication. This fact alone begs the question of do people understand how to use this drug safely. Kratom also affects the world in a different sense, criminal activity. In places where kratom is illegal, criminals would clear cut entire natural patches of kratom trees in order to easily pick the leaves and sell them on the black market. This results in deforestations of a vital plant in the local ecosystems in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, according to Morris, teens in those countries has increased arrests due to the illegal manufacturing of a drug known as “4x100,” a concoction of cough syrup, kratom, and cola just to get drunk. Finally, even though kratom is considered safer than classic opioids, a lack of education has resulted in opioid addicts becoming addicted to kratom because it was labelled as a “completely safe alternative.”
Kratom is still currently illegal in most of the countries that the plant originated from including Myanmar and Malaysia. However, in December of 2018, medicinal kratom was finally made legal by the Thai Government after a nearly 70-year-old ban. In America, up until August of 2016, kratom held no scheduling or restriction on the substance. Then, the DEA announced its intent to schedule mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine as a Schedule I substance, which would have resulted in any form of the kratom plant to become illegal for consumers. As a result, according to 71 Republic, serious backlash from health advocates, scientists, and consumers fought back by staging protests in front of the White House and creating a petition with over 120,000 signatures for Congress. It went so far to the point that a group of research scientists sent and open-face letter to Congress stating that all of the concerns they placed on the plant had little traction with scientific evidence. Within two weeks, the DEA revoked their statement to schedule kratom. But, earlier this month, the DHHS recommended that the DEA resume their process of scheduling kratom.
Today you have been informed on what kratom is, what are some potential benefits and side-effects, and what is the current legal status of kratom. Our bodies are bound to get hurt or possess some condition in which pain medication is necessary to have a normal day. Therefore, proper education on what is mean to be helping us must be researched in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I hope that I have not swayed you one way or another on this drug. Rather, I hope you take away the idea that drugs are simply that, drugs. It is your responsibility to determine if it’s right for you and how to safely utilize that drug.