If you are contemplating the purchase of a plant I highly recommend it, although, maybe not from one of the more popular and expensive vendors.  While my plant is from a popular vendor, I have posthumously read very many positive reviews of people buying their plants off of Ebay.  I would also recommend buying a smaller plant, as they grow so quickly, a larger plant is not worth the extra $20 to $50.

In my next post about this plant, I plan to post a quick guide on pruning and harvesting Kratom.  As you can see from the photo, it can grow horizontally faster than it does vertically, which can be controlled with pruning.  Had I known more about pruning this plant from the beginning, it would easily be a foot taller now.  While it is so easy to do, very little information exists online.

To be honest, I hadn’t visited the forums in months, and was heading over there to conduct some research for the new Kratom Plateau Forum. In fact, I just finished the previous blog post before I was even aware of the closure. Good timing to start a forum, but I would scrap the idea in a second if it meant I could just have a cached version of the site to save for reference. I was depressed at the thought of losing such a magnificent wealth of information; the user polls alone were surely a priceless resource for so many people—myself definitely included. In any event, I sincerely hope that everyone over at Speciosa is doing well.
To reiterate, the new Kratom Plateau Forum was supposed to be a long term hobby of mine, I envisioned months, if not years, with only a handful of close friends and users; but if anyone is interested in participating, please let me know. I have always believed there was a niche for a small Kratom forum, without the heavy-handed moderation, and run independently of the Kratom vendors. In addition, so many posts on Kratomforum were not helping the cause and deeply worried me concerning the future of this great plant. Nevertheless, these are trivial concerns and I am sad to see the forum gone.
If anyone has any ideas to build a small forum, has any recommendations whatsoever, or just wants to get involved–please let me know.

Due to an influx of spam, I lost many, if not all of the recent questions and comments left for me in various blog posts.  If I did not respond, if your comment has been erased, I sincerely apologize.  I am certain the creation of the forum will prevent this from happening again, so please feel free to hit me up with any questions.

Also, thanks to everyone for all the great comments and questions before they were inadvertently wiped out.  Many were so thorough, nice, and interesting, it still bothers me they were lost so easily.

It’s not much to look at, but my excitement was not diminished by the small size of my new Kratom plant.  Supposedly, a plant this age (my guess is it’s a several month old cutting) should double in size in roughly 2 months; and so begins my weekly grow log.  My plant, pictured to the left, is a clone of the popular Rifat strain, which is the only one, to my knowledge, that has been tested in various research studies and found to be especially strong.  I almost purchased the less popular Bumblebee strain; however, the Bumble clone is generally described as a bit weaker than the Thai Rifat.  To begin, I have already learned 3 interesting facts about this plant:

• It requires constant and high humidity: with my air conditioner unintentionally working to dry the surrounding air, some leaves have cracked, forming very small tears. Since I have raised the humidity, no further cracking has occurred, and the leaves look much glossier, almost similar to oily appearance of poison ivy. To raise the humidity, I placed peat moss over the soil, and have been continually misting the plant; as long as this is done in moderation it will ensure a humid environment without threatening root rot; although, I might setup a humidifier sometime in the future.

• Cats like Kratom plants, so do not leave plants where they are freely accessible to feline friends. My cat almost immediately began chewing the leaves upon unpacking the plant.

• Kratom is not as difficult to grow as suggested by some of the older reports circulating on the web. It has only been 4 days since the arrival of my plant and it has already sprouted a new set of leaves; which is remarkable considering the plant was preoccupied with acclimating to a new environment. As precursory as it may seem, I am confident that maintaining the proper humidity is the only prerequisite above and beyond caring for an easy-to-grow common houseplant.

In summation, I am astonished how fast this plant is growing, especially considering the relatively low humidity.  To better demonstrate this, I will be sure to add new pics and posts every 1-2 weeks.

Also, if anyone has any advice to better my chances of growing this plant successfully, please, please, please, let me know, it would be much appreciated!

To really understand why these new extracts are so interesting, we must go back several years, when enhanced Kratom extracts were just entering the market.  Probably the first mass produced extract was commonly known as “enhanced leaf”, which was purportedly active at roughly 1 gram (5x the potency of regular Kratom leaf); of course, it absolutely wasn’t.  And even though Kratom vendors were essentially condensing 5 grams of leaf to produce 1 gram of extract, the result was akin to drinking a decaf espresso—why even bother?  Yes, it was less bulky, and somewhat similar to leaf, but it just could not reproduce the full effects.

Were these extracts simply a scam?   Absolutely not, like everyone in the Kratom community at the time; vendors, wholesalers, and hobbyists alike believed the active alkaloid in the Kratom leaf to be mitragynine.  And, according to the Merck index, mitragynine was supposed to be soluble in alcohol, chloroform, or acetic acid.  The problem was, mitragynine was not the only active alkaloid, and it is almost certainly not even the most important one.  It was not until 2001 that a Japanese research team began to confirm that mitragynine was not the active alkaloid and eventually concluded that another substance, 7-hydroxymitragynine, was; but before this research was widely published in 2005, Kratom sellers had already flooded the market with a barrage of even more expensive, equally ineffective, extracts.

This first wave of extracts is still commonly referred to as the “standardized” range, and typically consists of standardized 5x, 10x, and 15x extractions.  Interestingly, the 15x extract, while much more expensive than the 10x or 5x, was not much more potent, dissuading many consumers, as exemplified in The Ultimate Kratom Comparison Guide.  Basically, the only advantage of these older extracts was that they condensed leaf material, but again, the ill effects far outweighed the cost.  Today, you can still typically find the 15x extract, but the 5x and 10x have been rendered obsolete by a new breed of fortified extracts.

Today, the new extracts, such as Ultra Enhanced Indo and the Full Spectrum Extract are almost reproducing the effects of pure leaf—but still not completely. From reading various observations, reports, and polls, roughly 65% of Kratom consumers score the newer extracts at about a 9 out of 10; while about 35% actually prefer the newer extracts over raw leaf.  These new “fortified” extracts are obviously the result of a more sophisticated extraction technique that revolves around a better understanding of the varying alkaloids within the plant.  But still, roughly 3/4ths of all Kratom consumers prefer raw leaf (thai, bali, indo, malaysion, etc.) to any extract, obviously, something still missing.

To begin, as mentioned in a previous post concerning the popular tea preparation, Kratom does not lend itself to simple extraction; meaning, making Kratom tea is about as useful as smoking a Carrot to get a dose of beta-carotene—it doesn’t work. The thing is, the only way to extract the more than 25 alkaloids in Kratom is to ingest the plant material itself; which, when powdered, resembles the consistency of sand, and doesn’t taste much better either. The point is, there is no getting around imbibing the actual material, as in the soy milk preparation; however, capping Kratom is a great method for the many people who find the task impossible.

Secondly, I find capping Kratom a safe alternative that can better safeguard one against habitual use. Unlike the soy milk preparation, that hits immediately, capping has an onset that takes about 20 minutes to set in—somewhat discouraging habitual overindulgence. Further, capping is an easy way to easily visualize, compare, and track dosage. Unlike many people, who measure with the subjective calibration of a “heaping teaspoon”, capsules ensure you keep a better eye on dosage, enabling one to take control before a habit can take root.

Thirdly, and most interestingly, I have noticed that the slower release of capsules extends the peak, which is ephemeral (at best) with downing a liquid concoction. Again, this helps to get a better experience, but also makes this preparation a bit more cost-effective, even factoring in the cost of empty capsules. There have been times that the peak of the experience has been extended an hour beyond the typical three hour mark, as unlikely as it may sound. On an empty stomach, capsules are much more effective than any other preparation method, even considering the preferred soy milk prep. However, the only stipulation is that on a a slightly full stomach, the slower release of capsules will be too slow and sustained to be worth the effort.

True, capsules are not the most convenient concerning prep time, but they are easily transported, work great, palatable, safe, and far far cheaper than the ridiculously priced extracts. And, if anyone is wondering if the encapsulation supplies are expensive, they’re not. This is common gear among bodybuilders, and can easily found on supplement or bodybuilding websites.

To prove this, I have been compiling the following list of Kratom products for quite some time, drawing from my own experience and input from various forums. The objective of this list is to generate an average price per dose to assist people in making better informed buying decisions. As you will see, most extracts are simply not cost effective; that is, unless your palate is more important than your wallet.

Lastly, I have tried to accomplish a methodology to ensure the most accurate calculation of cost per dose during the preparation of the following list. Because different Kratom strains can vary considerably in alkaloid content, and each individual responds differently to each one, I made a great deal of effort in making sure to compile as many individual experience reports as possible in establishing averaged comparable dosages. For instance, .5 grams of Ultra Enhanced Indo is almost universally compared to about 5-6 grams of Thai Kratom Leaf for most people; but please keep in mind, it is still a subjective measure.

Kratom Type	Price of 10 Grams	Average Comparable Dose	Price per Dose
Whole, Crushed, and Powdered Leaf
Premium Commercial Bali Crushed Leaf	$3.50	5-6 grams	$1.93
Premium Commercial Bali Powder	$3.50	5-6 grams	$1.93
Thai Kratom Crushed Leaf	$3.50	5-6 grams	$1.93
Thai Kratom Powder	$3.50	5-6 grams	$1.93
Premium Indo Powder	$4.00	5-6 grams	$2.20
Super Green Malaysian Kratom Powder	$5.00	5-6 grams	$2.75
Whole Leaf Korth Kratom (Red Vein)	$5.35	5-6 grams	$2.95
Maeng Da Thai “Pimp Grade Kratom” Leaf	$8.00	3-4 grams	$2.80
Maeng Da Thai “Pimp Grade Kratom” Powder	$8.00	3-4 grams	$2.80
Private Reserve Kratom Leaf	$9.00	3-4 grams	$3.15
Kratom Super Powder	$30.00	2-3 grams	$7.50
Solid Extracts
Kratom Resin Extract (Rock)	$10.00	4-5 grams	$4.50
Kratom Resin Pies	$30.00	3-4 grams	$10.50
Powdered Extracts
Kratom Standardized 10x Extract	$22.50	1.5-2 grams	$3.94
Kratom Standardized 15x Extract	$30.00	1-1.5 grams	$3.75
Kratom New Guinea 20x Extract	$55.00	1-1.5 grams	$6.88
Kratom Full Spectrum Extract	$45.00	.5-1 grams	$3.36
Ultra Enhanced Endo Kratom (UEI)	$85.00	.5 grams	$4.25

If you’ve ever wondered where Kratom suppliers purchase their stock, or are interested in becoming a Kratom vendor yourself, you should definitely check out Wholesale Shamanic Herbs. As some of you might already know, WSH currently supplies roughly 90% of the Kratom vendors in the U.S.; not to mention a varied selection of other herbs and plants.

But beyond supplying vendors in the U.S., the organization has taken a responsible approach that has helped demarcate the U.S. Kratom supply from that of other countries, such as the U.K. and Amsterdam. Because of their strict guidelines, they will not supply vendors marketing Kratom in an irresponsible manner. The result is evident, U.K. Kratom vendors market the plant as “Mexican Haze”, “Black Label”, and “Fenix Black”—just to name a few. This overpriced Kratom, shipped in its shiny fluorescent packaging surely increases profit margin, but at what cost? Not only is this sickeningly pandering to a younger audience, but it is working to vilify an otherwise safe plant.

In any event, I am glad that WSH has taken such a responsible approach. Unlike vendors in other countries, who are short-sighted and more concerned with high profit margins; WSH is responsibly supplying quality Kratom and safeguarding the plants future in the U.S. marketplace. If anyone has any questions about WSH, please let me know. I am not an affiliate or associated with them in anyway, but again, I have had nothing but positive experiences.

Legalized, Decriminalized, and Uncontrolled.

Before insisting that the illegalization of the Kratom plant would cause more harm than good, let us note the differences between legalized and decriminalized policies, as well as the Kratoms current uncontrolled status. Legalization and Decriminalization are terms often confused when addressing drug policy. While both terms may vary slightly, dependent upon context, there is one major difference that transgresses the discourse.

Legalization is the allowed use and sale of a substance under a system of regulation, much like alcohol or cigarettes; in contrast, decriminalization is a system that simply excludes criminal punishment. For instance, decimalizing the possession of marijuana would not make it legal, but rather, a non-criminal act. Therefore, under decriminalization, possession will not result in an arrest, but can subject a person to monetary penalties, just like a parking ticket. And finally, uncontrolled substances are completely legal to buy, sell, or trade. However, this is assuming they are not being sold as a food, drug, or supplement. If being sold as a food or drug, sales are regulated by the FDA; if being sold as a supplement, it must abide by U.S. supplement laws.

But why do these terms even matter? Well, if the history of drug policy has taught us anything, it is that different substances require varying laws and policies to promote harm reduction and dissuade dangerous cartels or mobs. One only need to look at Prohibition within the United States to realize it fostered the birth of the American Mafia, aided moonshiners, and caused more homicides and deaths than periods of legalized alcohol sale. For alcohol, a decriminalized, illegal, or uncontrolled status would simply not be in the best interest of society; or the well-being of many individuals, who would inevitably be forced to seek out illegally manufactured alcohol. The only responsible answer was repealing the Eighteenth Amendment and returning alcohol to its legalized status. In contrast, the legalization of hard drugs would be disastrous, only proving that different drugs require varied solutions—but more about this next time:

Kratom, What’s the Answer? (Part II)

While Kratom addiction is entirely possible, it is generally mute in comparison to even the most freely prescribed pain medications. However, for someone who does not know the evils of legal drug addiction, and especially narcotic abuse, Kratom withdrawal can certainly impede on ones daily life. Nevertheless, anyone abusing Kratom already knows some truths inherent to the plant.

1. It can be mildly addictive if taken regularly; and if done so, it is much less addictive than most, if not all, other opiates. Of course, Please be warned: This is not to suggest that it is painless, in fact, not calibrated against other opiates, Kratom withdrawal can cause a state of anxious pain for several days. Nevertheless, most people who are not opiate users, legal or illicit, do not typically find Kratom a useful experience.
2. Secondly, it definitely has a ceiling effect of diminishing returns, where taking more is not pleasurable, and will ultimately cause a negative reaction.
3. And lastly, its short half life renders withdrawals ephemeral when compared to methadone, or even milder opiates like hydrocodone.

While Kratom is the lesser of many evils, it should NEVER be abused or taken regularly unless to ease withdrawals in an emergency situation or to taper off the various more serious opiates. However, when compared to Buprenorphine (Subutex/Suboxone) it is the safest most manageable alternative to dangerous prescription or illicit drugs. Why anyone would prescribe Suboxone to a Kratom user can only be attributed to naiveté for two major reasons.

Firstly, Subutex is almost certainly causing overdoses, unlike any reported case of Kratom use. In fact, just several months past, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration decided to start tracking Suboxone deaths due to overdose. Obviously, there is a cause for concern considering the administration is looking into Subutex, when commonly known killers are not attracting the same amount of attention, such as Methadone. Certainly, more than 170,000 drug addicts that are currently taking the medication have something to worry about, unlike any user of Kratom.

Overdoses in drug addiction patients are typically caused by mixing the treatment drug with an illicit narcotic. For instance, the methadone patient, who decides to score heroin, to get even higher, is a likely candidate for a potential overdose. Subutex, like methadone, will likely be found to cause death in a similar drug mixing manner. In contrast, the best quality of Kratom is its effective blunting of the mu opioid receptor; in other words, it renders other opiates ineffective, almost unpleasurable. Just search the web for instances of this phenomena, especially concerning the most popular opiate pain medications, such as hydrocodone and oxycontin.

It is depressing to consider anyone, never mind a Doctor, to believe that Kratom use is serious enough to warrant an opioid treatment. I do sympathize with Doctors who have to withstand opiate abusers, and also understand the many sincere pain sufferers who are not finding adequate relief. However, to treat a coffee addiction with cocaine is not going to do the patient any good, causing serious harm well into the future and risking a potential overdose situation without any reason whatsoever.