Kratom

Botanical Background

Kratom, or Mitragyna Speciosa, is a large tropical tree indigenous to southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia. It is from the same family as the coffee tree. Kratom is distinguished by the color of the veins in the leaf which can be red/white or green/white. Some users prefer the green veins because they are stronger but some prefer a mixture of both.

History

Historically, Kratom use was most concentrated in Thailand, but there was also some use documented in Malaysia. In Thailand, Kratom is also known as kakuam, ithang and, in the south, thom. The narcotic properties of Kratom leaves resulted in its widespread use in Thai folk remedies. Kratom leaves were used to treat everything from diarrhea, opium addiction and pain. Kratom was also used quite frequently by the lower laboring classes as a recreational drug to escape from their daily hardships. It was also cited to produce the motivation to work harder.

The Effects

Kratom contains many tryptamine alkaloids but the most significant one is mitragynine. This is the component responsible for producing Kratom’s analgesic, stimulating, euphoric and sedative effects. Mitragynine exhibits both stimulating and sedative qualities, thereby explaining the dichotomy of effects resulting from ingesting Kratom. The other alkaloids derived from the plant include speciofoline, rhychophylline, and stipulatine.

Kratom is unique because it induces distinct effects depending on the dosage level. At lower doses, a stimulating effect is felt. An individual will feel more alert, talkative, sociable and energetic. In addition, sexual energy is also frequently increased. At higher dosages, Kratom produces extremely pleasurable, euphoric effects that are often accompanied by closed-eye visuals. The effects of Kratom last for about 4-6 hours, but the residual lingering effects may last longer.

Preparation

Historically in Thailand, Kratom leaves were usually chewed because fresh leaves were readily available. Nowadays, where dried leaves are the norm, Kratom is usually taken as a tea. Other teas, sugar or honey may be mixed with the Kratom tea to improve the flavor. Dried Kratom leaves can also be smoked but it is not recommended because there is no advantage in doing so. The expected effects are not any stronger and the Kratom dosage required is too much to be smoked comfortably.

The following are recommended dosages for preparing Kratom tea:

• Intensity Dosage
• Threshold 4-7 grams
• Light 5-10 grams
• Common 10-20 grams
• Strong 20-50 grams

1. Boil 1 liter of water in a large pot
2. Add the desired amount of dried Kratom leaves and boil gently for 15 minutes until soft
3. Pour the mixture through a strainer and reserve the liquid while pressing down on leaves squeeze out as much liquid as possible
4. Put the leaves back into the pot and add a fresh liter of water. Repeat steps 2 and 3 and then discard leaves
5. Combine both batches in the pot and boil gently until mixture is reduced to 100 ml.