Kratom

Kratom is a plant from Thailand used as a stimulant in low doses and as a sedative in higher doses, as reported by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The consumption of its leaves can lead to addiction, which in turn leads to drug rehab.

Presently, kratom is legal in the United States, but the DEA included it on its Drugs and Chemicals of Concern list. In contrast, addiction and recovery website The Fix reported that kratom is illegal in Thailand and traffickers there can receive up to a two-year sentence.

"Thang," "kakuam," "thom," "ketum" and "biak" are street names for kratom. People typically consume it by smoking crushed leaves or by making an infusion out of the leaves and drinking it as if were tea; others prefer to chew it.

The DEA reported in a formal evaluation that there were no legitimate medical uses for kratom in the United States. Unfortunately, the effects it has on people are nothing but negative.

The Effects

Because kratom has similar properties to opioids, it has similar effects on people too. It prevents gastric secretion and it reduces pain response. People who have used it in small doses have reported feeling more alert, more energized and more social.

People who used it in higher doses felt sedated and euphoric, which is why is becoming a more popular drug among people. The Fix reported that kratom has been in use for a long while in the United Kingdom because that the U.K.—in recent years—has become a hotspot for new designer drugs.

Since the effects of kratom are similar to opioids, drug rehab centers are capable of dealing with people who are addicted to kratom. Other effects kratom has on people include nausea, itching, increased sweating and more.

It is addictive

A low dose of kratom is about 10 grams while a strong dose is between 20 to 50 grams. The DEA reported a study showing that addicts may chew kratom from three to 30 years.

When addicts such as these try to stop, they experience withdrawal symptoms like hostility, aggression and strong mood swings. Runny noses and muscle pain have also been seen on people who stop the usage of kratom.Oddly enough, some studies have found that kratom can help people in drug rehab to quit their addiction to much stronger drugs. Therein lies the biggest of kratom’s controversies.
The issue is that opponents to kratom fear the addictiveness of kratom itself. This moralistic question is a similar one that drug rehab centers already face with methadone. Needless to say, if kratom is avoided altogether, no addiction will occur.