In Indonesia, kratom has recently been regulated as an export commodity, but it is outlawed for use among Indonesians. The Dayak Kalis indigenous people of Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan are particularly affected by these policies, as kratom is an integral part of their environment and a traditional medicine, as well as a way to earn …
Dayak Kalis and the Fight for Traditional Kratom Rights Read More »
Keep in Mind: Despite news media and other nefarious actors’ exaggerations, and despite millions of informed adults using kratom in moderation with net benefits, risks of kratom use are real. Kratom should not be consumed in high doses or with various other substances, including alcohol, Benedryl, Tylenol, opioids, or multiple prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Kratom …
“Kratom-Related Exposures” Reported to Poison Control Increase to 3,434 in 2025 Read More »
Disclaimer:Research findings from animal studies do not always translate directly to humans. Differences in biology, metabolism, and dosing mean that results observed in animals may not reflect the same effects or safety in people. Animal research is an early step in understanding how a substance might work, but human clinical studies are necessary to determine …
Study: Mitragynine/Naltrexone Combo Reduces Alcohol Use in Rats Read More »
A long-awaited kratom clinical study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. The pilot study (defined as “a preliminary investigation designed to test the feasibility and design of a larger, more comprehensive study”) involved healthy adult participants who were administered an ascending dose of …
Multiple news media and even medical professionals have repeated the claim that 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is “13 times stronger than morphine” as though it is a fact established through rigorous science. Where does this claim come from and how accurate is it? The claim comes from studies from 2002 (Takayama, et al) and 2004 (Matsumoto, et …
Is 7-OH Really “13 times stronger than morphine”? Read More »
The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Nora Volkow, was the keynote speaker for this year’s Scientific Kratom Symposium. Hosted by the University of Florida College of Pharmacy at its Lake Nona research campus, the four-day event held from February 17-20, 2026, brought together roughly 100 scientists from about a dozen countries …
Fifth Scientific Kratom Symposium Held in Florida Read More »
A case series published recently in the Journal of Addiction examined 14 American patients of Community Medical Services, a healthcare company specializing in the medically assisted treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The patients were diagnosed with Kratom Use Disorder (KUD) (Sherrick, 2026). The very brief report does not get into specifics about kratom product …
Kratom Use Disorder Treatment with Methadone an Ongoing Practice Read More »
Disclaimer This is an article summarizing a study on kratom consumers from Thailand, who use the traditional method of fresh leaf kratom brewed into a tea. This is not how most people consume kratom in the United States and Europe. Though the alkaloid composition varies from fresh to dried leaf kratom, the closest method to …
Study: Traditional Kratom Use Not Associated with Blood, Organ Toxicity Read More »
Mitraphylline is an oxindole alkaloid, made mostly of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. It’s found in kratom at trace amounts (less than 1% of the total alkaloid makeup of kratom leaf). Cat’s Claw contains much more of the alkaloid: 1 gram of dried cat’s claw bark might contain 0.5 to 3 milligrams of mitraphylline. Research …
Scientists Discover How Plants Make Mitraphylline Read More »
Note: There is a correlation between kratom and seizures, but causation has not been established. Kratom alone or kratom combined with other substances could very well cause seizures in some consumers, but as this study shows, there is not enough evidence to determine causation. Seizures have been commonly listed as a side effect of kratom …
Scientists find “insufficient evidence to suggest that kratom causes seizures” Read More »