Kratom is extracted from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree and is popular for its psychotropic effects, but what exactly does kratom do, and Is it legal in the US?

Kratom

Kratom hails from Southeast Asia, where it is traditionally used as a stimulant and medicine for a range of ailments. The leaves can either be chewed or brewed into a tea and is thought to have a more stimulating effect at lower doses and a more dream-like effect at higher doses. One study did show that dosage didn’t seem to have an effect on whether kratom gave a stimulating or sedative effect. This research did show that the daily consumption of kratom resulted in both the simulating and sedative effects associated with the leaf extract.

Those who consume kratom tend to expect the results to last for up to four hours. The stimulating effects of kratom have been reported to increase energy, mood and motivation levels. Although its stimulating effects have also been reported to manifest as dizziness and excessive sweating. 

The sedative effect of kratom is commonly described as being dreamlike, while the stimulating effects of kratom can rapidly change to sedative ones.

Kratom As A Therapeutic Treatment 

While kratom is not an established medical treatment, kratom does show some therapeutic abilities with its pain-relieving potential thanks to 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine, the active phytochemicals that have been shown to induce a range of effects on the body. 

Kratom may also be useful as a treatment for depression and anxiety. One study found that mitragynine was able to significantly reduce depressive-like actions of mice and also reduced corticosterone levels, a hormone thought to play a key role in stress. 

Mechanisms Of Action 

Kratom’s main active compounds are 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine. Mitragynine is thought to reduce perceived pain levels by possibly acting on certain serotonin receptors and opiod receptors. 7-hydroxymitragynine is thought to be an opioid receptor activator and also possibly a metabolite of mitragynine where it mediates its pain-relieving effects as well as inducing its own. 

The potential antidepressant effects of kratom may occur through mitragynine's actions on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the neuroendocrine system where it has been shown to reduce corticosterone levels.  

Kratom Legality In The US 

While the FDA recently declared that kratom isn’t approved for use as a medicine and recommends the public to refrain from using any products containing kratom or its active compounds mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, it is not an illegal drug. The Drug Enforcement Agency has listed it as a Drug of Chemical Concern, meaning that while it is not a drug that comes under the Controlled Substances Act, it still may pose a risk to the public. 

Individual states have also taken action to regulate kratom, with at least 5 states classifying it as a controlled and therefore illegal substance due to concerns over its safety and risk for abuse. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Vermont are all states where kratom possession and use is illegal.