General

Is kratom being adulterated with other drugs?

Both legality proponents and prohibitionists claim that kratom sold in the Western marketplace by some nefarious vendors is adulterated with other drugs such as fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. But where is the evidence of this? There are confirmed cases in the scientific literature and media that we examine below of kratom being adulterated with O-desmethyltramadol, …

Is kratom being adulterated with other drugs? Read More »

Respiratory Distress in Heavy Smoker Caused by Kratom, Say Doctors

A case report published in European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine entitled “Kratom-Induced Acute Respitory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)” claimed kratom induced ARDS in a 36 year old man with a “a 7.5-pack year history”. A “pack year” according to the National Cancer Institute, “is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes …

Respiratory Distress in Heavy Smoker Caused by Kratom, Say Doctors Read More »

Kratom Interactions with Food, Drugs, and Dietary Supplements

Many foods, drugs, and dietary supplements can interact with other foods, drugs, and dietary supplements. This can have various effects on the body ranging from barely noticeable to a toxic adverse event. Kratom can interact with multiple drugs and dietary supplements, and certain foods. Multiple studies have shown alkaloids in kratom inhibit cytochrome P-450 enzymes …

Kratom Interactions with Food, Drugs, and Dietary Supplements Read More »

Alabama Woman Charged with Drug Trafficking for 250 Grams of Kratom; Stopped 200 Feet from Florida Border

Flomaton Police Officer Charles Land assisted by Escambia County Sheriffs Department arrested Shaina Megan Brown and charged her with drug trafficking. Police say she was carrying 250 grams (about 8.8 oz) of kratom into Alabama from Florida. Officer Land pulled Brown over on Old Atmore Road near the intersection with Tulip Road, approximately 200 feet …

Alabama Woman Charged with Drug Trafficking for 250 Grams of Kratom; Stopped 200 Feet from Florida Border Read More »

Kratom and Hallucinations: Examining the Evidence Behind the Claims

Hallucination defined in Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide is “a perception without a stimulus” (2017). Kratom is not classified as a hallucinogen. Hallucinogens are defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as “drugs that alter a person’s awareness of their surroundings as well as their own thoughts and feelings” (2019). However, while the Food …

Kratom and Hallucinations: Examining the Evidence Behind the Claims Read More »

NIDA Review Finds Kratom Case Reports “Inadequate”

A case report is a detailed medical report of the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment of an individual patient who presents to a healthcare professional. Case reports are an important part of evaluating the risks of psychoactive substances new to Western medicine, including possible toxicity, drug interactions, and effects on individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. With …

NIDA Review Finds Kratom Case Reports “Inadequate” Read More »

Are all animal studies showing beneficial kratom effects funded by the AKA?

At last week’s Judiciary Committee hearing on HB181, the bill to criminalize kratom consumers in Georgia, personal injury lawyer Drew Ashby claimed of kratom science (not us, the entire science of kratom) showing results that may indicate that kratom is beneficial, that “all those are animal studies. Those animal studies have been paid for by …

Are all animal studies showing beneficial kratom effects funded by the AKA? Read More »

Livingston Parish Ordinance Committee now leans toward kratom ban; Sheriff tied to rehab speaks

With barely any notification, the ordinance committee in Livingston Parish, Louisiana convened on January 31, 2023 to discuss a potential kratom ban. Two weeks prior, the committee seemed to lean toward kratom regulation rather than a ban. Even Councilman Jeff Ard, whose brother Sheriff Jason Ard has been vocally in favor of criminalizing kratom consumers, …

Livingston Parish Ordinance Committee now leans toward kratom ban; Sheriff tied to rehab speaks Read More »

Scientists review kratom-related toxic events

Kratom has been consumed for at least four centuries in Southeast Asia, and likely longer. Southeast Asian drug policy expert Pascal Tanguay told Kratom Science about the earliest documented evidence he’s seen: “Kratom was referred to as a medicinal herb in Thai pharmacopeias dating from the 1650s, as was indicated for the treatment of stomach …

Scientists review kratom-related toxic events Read More »