New to Kratom and wondering does Kratom get you high? We’re exploring Kratom’s effects and how you can expect to feel while using this natural remedy.
Spoiler alert: Kratom does not get you high. There is a lot of fear-mongering on the surface surrounding this botanical aid. We’ll get into the details of why that is, what the truth is, and how Kratom could help you.
What Is Kratom?
First, though, let’s refresh on just what Kratom is. Kratom, or mitragyna speciosa, is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia that is related to the coffee family. This tree can grow at heights over 80 ft tall, and its leaves have been in use in the traditional medicine practices of the area for centuries.
Traditionally, workers would pluck leaves directly from the trees to help ward off pain and fatigue throughout the day. However, today’s Kratom sees more of a production process. Today, the leaves are picked from the trees, dried, and ground into a fine powder. From there, the powder is either weighed and bagged, or packed into capsules for ease of use.
Does Kratom Get You High?
When you do a simple search for “Kratom” on Google, you get a lot of results that sound… well, scary. There is a lot of information telling you that this organic, natural product is unsafe, ineffective, and puts you at risk of all types of psychotic effects, including getting you high. We would like to explore these claims and where they come from and offer you an alternative, science-backed point of view. We’ve done our research, and clearly, you’re doing the same!
As to the question of does Kratom get you high… the answer is a very plain and simple no. At most, its use may offer a mild euphoria comparable to a coffee drinker’s first morning sip. Of the millions of Kratom users across America, 91% of them use Kratom to relieve pain — not to get high.
Actual Effects
So, since Kratom doesn’t get you high, let’s explore the effects that it does have. We’ve touched on Kratom’s pain-relieving benefits — and this is certainly one of Kratom’s top uses. Many people turn to the botanical for pain relief not only because it is so effective, but because it is such a safe alternative to deadly prescription opiates. For those who need relief from chronic pain symptoms without the fear of opiate addiction, Kratom is often the answer.
In addition to being a great alternative to opiates for pain, Kratom also helps many people get off of opiates. Anyone who has been addicted to opiates knows of opiate withdrawals. Kratom is known to reduce the severity of opiate withdrawals. This helps people make it through the adjustment time their body needs to break the cycle of addiction.
Kratom has more uses than these, still. Johns Hopkins also found that a large portion of Kratom users use the natural substance to treat anxiety and depression. Because of some strains’ ability to lift mood it can be a suitable treatment for depression. Certain strains are also helpful for relieving social anxiety.
Why the Bad Rap?
To understand why Kratom has such conflicting coverage, you need to delve into a little FDA history. The FDA has had a long history of demonizing this natural herb. On August 31, 2016, the DEA issued a notice of intent to place Kratom as a Schedule 1 substance. Basically, this would ban the botanical and label it as belonging to the class of most dangerous and severe drugs — drugs like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.
Following this public announcement from the FDA about the dangers of this natural product, several states banned the substance. However, the FDA eventually pulled the scheduling recommendation — what many thought was a reaction to public outcry against a ban.
But the real reason that the FDA backtracked on the scheduling was that Kratom did not meet the requirements for scheduling. The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) reported to the FDA that there were “significant risk of immediate adverse public health consequences for potentially millions of users” if Kratom were to be banned. Astonishingly, the FDA kept this information from the HHS secret from the public for over two and a half years.
Since this initial debacle between the FDA and Kratom, situations have not improved. The FDA has tried to begin a worldwide ban on Kratom — during which they (surprise, surprise) continued to hide information from the public they supposedly serve. They have also used their formal partnership with sites like WebMD to disseminate their false information to millions of Americans. All while touting that the information must be credible because it comes from leading health influencers in the industry (the same ones they have formal partnerships with and feed their own information to).
It Won’t Get You High, But it Could Still Change Your Life
Kratom has been a life-changing substance for millions of people. This is not a ‘drug’ to use to get high — it is an organic, natural substance with real, significant benefits. And the proof is in the pudding! You could spend literally hours reading and watching testimonials of how this herbal supplement has changed people’s lives for the better. From people who have climbed out of life-threatening opiate addictions, to veterans coping with debilitating pain who finally get to live their lives fully again, the stories are endless.
To learn more about Kratom’s benefits and the science behind them, check out our blog. If you’re ready to experience these benefits for yourself, order our Three Free Samples! And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact us!
