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Panbechi: “Everything is from the plant; nothing extra is added.” Jeff Prince
Panbechi: “Everything is from the plant; nothing extra is added.” Jeff Prince

Kratom, an herbal drink that relieves pain and enhances moods for some enthusiasts, has slipped past the mainstream media for several years. Lately, though, news reports have begun surfacing across the country. Locally, CBS 11 News tackled the subject on Nov. 12 in a report called “Kratom –– Painkiller or the Latest Designer Drug?

Kratom comes from the leaves of an evergreen tree found in tropical Southeast Asia. The crushed leaves have been used as home remedies for centuries for everything from depression to chronic pain to impotence. The herbal crowd has known about its medicinal qualities for years.

But kratom grew controversial once it began to be sold in head shops, increasing its reputation as a source for a recreational high that can become addictive. Sold in concentrated form, it has a stimulating effect that can be similar to energy drinks. Some manufacturers have been accused of using unlisted or questionable ingredients, although no deaths have been attributed to use of kratom.

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The CBS story, like most news reports, linked kratom to K2, “bath salts,” and other synthetic products that have a history of causing extreme physical and mental reactions. A Kennedale woman discovered 80 empty bottles of kratom in her daughter’s possession, noted her mood swings, and staged an intervention. Reporter Ginger Allen interviewed the mom, who showed the empty bottles. Allen’s investigative team then went “undercover” at local head shops to show how easy it is to buy kratom (a legal product).

Payam Panbechi was startled when he saw the report. The Arlington native is a major manufacturer and marketer of kratom in North Texas. He and his business partners make kratom from organic herbs and extracts at NUEVOtanicals, an FDA-compliant manufacturing business operating in two Fort Worth warehouses near Loop 820 and East Lancaster Avenue.

“We’re making a concentrated tea product,” Panbechi said. “You hear it lumped in with your designer drugs, but those are all synthetic.”

Kratom drinks, when done right, are all natural, “a botanical cousin of coffee,” he said, although they contain no caffeine.

On the Channel 11 report, Panbechi noticed that the bottles shown were Kr8om, a product formulated and packaged by NUEVOtanicals. The company’s name and address are listed on the bottles.

“They could have knocked on my door,” he said. “They created a whole segment around one mother who was upset.”

Panbechi’s company buys the leaves in bulk and extracts the natural alkaloids at his laboratory. “Everything is from the plant; nothing extra is added,” he said.

A recent tour of the business showed it to be clean and well organized. Four fulltime and four part-time employees help make kratom in liquid and capsule forms, then package and distribute them. About 25 percent of the company’s output is sold on the retail market under the Kr8om brand. The other 75 percent is sold to companies that re-sell it under their own brand names. All told, about $100,000 worth of NUEVOtanicals are sold by retailers each week, Panbechi said.

Kratom is marketed as a natural pain reliever with mild opiate-like effects for some users. Small bottles sell for about $25. Users drink from the bottle or a spoon. A Fort Worth resident, who asked that his name not be used, said he drinks kratom occasionally for a boost. On the morning we spoke, he had swallowed a 2-ounce bottle of Green Joy, whose label boasts of supplying a “sustained, relaxed energy” and “relief of pain.”

“I took some about an hour ago –– I feel good,” the man said. “I feel energized and maybe a slight euphoria … . I’ve had some shoulder pain, and it feels better than it did an hour ago.”

He waits several days between doses because people who drink kratom every day build up a tolerance over time, he said.

I tried kratom for the first time as research for this story and noticed only a bit of an energy boost and no side effects.

In 2011 Texas and other states banned some of the synthetic ingredients found in K2 and similar products. Few states have banned kratom, which is frequently sold online. Panbechi said his company operates in a transparent manner, follows health and safety guidelines, and lists all ingredients and a serial number on every bottle.

“This is better than it’s ever been done before,” said Panbechi, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2010.

The North Texas Poison Center gets about 100,000 calls each year and treats more than 45,500 human exposures. People who smoke K2 for a marijuana-like effect or snort bath salts for a cocaine-like rush are far more likely to call for help than those who drink kratom. Statewide, between January 2010 and October 2013, 1,972 people called the poison center after using K2, and 566 people called after ingesting bath salts.

During that same period, 14 people called about kratom.

“While these numbers may seem small, there may be significantly more people ingesting or smoking this, and it just does not get reported to us,” said Charise Thomason, the poison center’s public health educator.

Symptoms the center has observed in connection with kratom include high blood pressure, fast heart rates, confusion, and hallucinations.

Panbechi, who resembles a cross between Frank Zappa and Serpico, is energetic, passionate, and demonstrative. He said he rarely uses kratom because he’s already lively enough. A company vice president said she and other women sometimes use it for menstrual pain and as a mood enhancer.

Heroin and opium addicts have described kratom as a source of relief while going through withdrawal. Others simply use it for a quick buzz.

Despite the low number of complaints to the poison center, kratom is often linked with K2 in many people’s minds because both are sold in smoke shops as legal drugs. Pandechi said he relies on smoke shops to sell his products for now because it’s easier to forge relationships with small, independent businesses. But he hopes that success there will propel his company to an eventual deal with a large corporation such as Walgreens or Target, he said.

Forbes writer David DiSalvo discussed  kratom in February 2012 under the headline “Is Kratom the New ‘Bath Salts’ or Just an Organic Pain Reliever with Euphoric Effects?” That article drew few conclusions but spurred 80 comments and several e-mails, most of them supporting kratom.

In April, DiSalvo updated the story on his science and technology blog. The author, reporter, and public education specialist wrote that he’d ingested kratom regularly for a few weeks and that it provided a boost “similar to a strong cup of coffee” but “longer-lasting and level” and without an energy “crash” at the end. He noticed no side effects. When he stopped using kratom, he described a sluggishness that wore off after a day or so. Kicking coffee is far worse, he said.

“Having now experienced the product myself for a number of weeks, I can see no reason why it should be banned, or on what basis such a product would be banned if people can walk into a typical coffee shop and buy an enormous cup of an addictive substance that’s arguably more potent than any kratom available anywhere,” he concluded.

45 COMMENTS

  1. I’d like to read more objective articles like this one. This is a really, really good job.
    T.H.A.N.K you

    Best regards to you and all the honest kratom defenders/enthusiasts!

    • Putting kratom in the public eye is terrible for those of us who take it instead of big pharma agenda to make you their grey pill!! The giver style!!! Not because its dangerous! But due to the fear porn campaign the media will fake fabricate or pay some crisis actor like the mom with 80 bottles…sounds more like a parenting problem more than her child with a real problem like shooting street drugs!
      What business or authority does anyone have to impose their nonsense on people as ignorant ones …who are helping destroy our country ignorance is no excuse! Or I’m just following orders!look where that lead nazi Germany! A! Right into the USA eugenics madness I mean these clowns want these thing all regulated by them or illegal because they need to parasite off the organic portal population!!
      Love is the law!
      Love underwill!

  2. BTW, I forgot to give my own story. I, like some others I know who found this tree to be a lifesaver, have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity which also causes me great allergies. However, the natural plain leaf from this tree (in dried, powdered form) is absolutely wonderful. I no longer have a stuffy nose, nor the runny nose, and definitely no more constant sneezing fits. I can finally be around people who use fragrances in their beauty products or clothes washing detergent without getting severe ASTHMA.

    I’d like to dis-recommend people from concentrates and extracts. There’s no need, and they’re not necessarily more “convenient”. They’re very expensive and don’t work as well as the natural, plain leaf. Everyone will tell you the same thing. Also, while “everyone is different”, I have to add that everyone I know who likes plain leaf uses the same amount every morning, getting the same results for YEARS. When the natural profile of plain leaf is used, there seems to be NO building of tolerance. I wish these flashy products of kratom liquids and packages that resemble “legal highs” at head shops would just go away. They have done nothing to help. All they’ve done is attract the wrong attention with the trippy graphics and expensive prices.

    I urge the author to just try plain leaf powder!!! It’s much better.

    • My first comment is still awaiting moderation, possibly because I have some links pointing to a patent and some research, so in case that doesn’t show up, here’s the two sources I wanted all to read:

      news.olemiss [dot] edu/new-hope-for-addicts/#.Uo0MCuJGKjQ

      Patent for pharma based on the plant’s compounds:
      faqs [dot] org/patents/app/20100209542#b

      I apologize in advance to the moderator if this is considered double-submitting, but most of the links we post to research studies often get deleted when commenting to the media’s articles for some reason. It’s like they don’t want people to make connections between the Dr’s being mentioned in the stories and their real intentions.

      Thanks again, you’ve made our day. I’m passing this around forever.

      • We don’t have a moderator. If your comment didn’t appear on this page, it was probably due to some problem with the capcha math equation you must complete. Try posting your comment again.

    • TY for adding what I forgot. I say steer clear of kratom extracts and/or liquids which are also extracts; mainly because kratom is no longer the issue since it is no longer kratom. It contains all sorts of chemicals and methane gasses which are much more to worry about than kratom. It is extracted for recreational use as it can have (I’m told) a euphoric feeling. Most of us (kratom users) are not “in it” for that reason. We’ve tried that and got the tee shirt many years ago (marijuana). I don’t smoke marijuana, dont take drugs, don’t drink or smoke; but have to have straight leaf kratom as an affordable analgesic.

      Comparing kratom organic leaf to kratom extract is like Mommy arriving home from the grocery with bottles of wine handing them out to the kids saying, “Hey kids, look what mommy brought home….GRAPES….Now drink up!”

      Truly kratom will never stay legal if we rely on the recreational users of extracts to “speak for us”, they don’t.

      They have their right to it; it is closer to drug than a plant with the gasses and chemicals used to make it; but it also should include controls that make sure it is less likely to get into the hands of irresponsible people. Though I doubt seriously it is any more dangerous than alcohol, there is always that chance; the studies are not in, and until then, better safe than sorry.

      • Mark, I believe the drive of the company mentioned, NUEVOtanicals, and their passionate response to the CBS local 11 article, is/was that they are the ONLY ALL-NATURAL Kratom Extract Manufacturer. They are not using butane, alcohol, acetone, etc. in their extraction. They list their products ingredients right on the package. I have seen many various brands of kratom, without said wording and I agree, that could be worrisome. Any consumer should always examine anything they purchase, especially for human consumption. As Mark implied, not all kratom is equal.

  3. Amen. Mitragyna Speciosa (Kratom) has nothing to do with bath salts, nor K2, or any of the other sythetic substances being debated by legislators in many parts of the country.
    As a chronic pain sufferer, who has been freely prescribed pharmaceutical poisons like hydrocodone and oxycodone by the medical community, in an effort to treat diverticulitis and degenerative disk disease, I can not stress enough how the non-toxic alternative that is Kratom has changed my life. Synthetic opiates, like those legally pushed by big pharma, are the number one source of prescription overdose and dependance in this country. Thanks to the well documented benefits of Kratom, I now use a small amount of this completely natural plant, and have no need for prescription poisons any longer. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can research the history of Mitragyna Speciosa, by starting at Wikipedia and then looking for primary sources that are linked there. Kratom is non-toxic, been used by humanity for thousands of years, and absolutely safe. It is not a way to get high. Thanks for the fairly balanced report.

  4. I’ve taken kratom and found it to be effective for temporary relief of pain. I would only take it once per day on the days I worked to help relieve the physical pain of my new job. After a while I began to occasionally develop odd low-blood-sugar-like problems. I found that it would only happen after I took kratom. I would get light-headed, sweaty, have a racing heart and feel weak. It would go away in about a half hour or so after I lied down. I haven’t taken kratom in several months and have not had a repeat of those symptoms. It was not consistent as most days I was just fine. I haven’t heard of anyone else having similar symptoms, but I haven’t looked lately, either.

    I don’t find kratom to be addictive. I would make my own capsules and take one dose of about 14-16 500mg caps. I would often take it combined with a standard dose of acetaminophen or aspirin. I have not tried the liquid kratom.

    Kratom gave me a feeling similar to taking hydrocodone. It was a mild euphoria that seemed to help ease physical and emotional discomfort for about an hour or two (it didn’t seem to very long). That’s usually all I needed to get my day going in the right direction. More was not better with kratom and taking it more often didn’t seem to prolong the effects. It’s just not very addictive in my experience. I personally found hydrocodone to be more compelling, but I haven’t developed an addiction to that, either.

    Kratom is interesting and useful. I find it surprising when I read accounts of people getting addicted. But hey, there are people addicted to pizza. You just never know how people are going to respond to something.

    • The amount you used is a great deal more than most people like. 6-7g would be overkill to many. The average for me and most family members is no more than a level, unpacked teaspoon (~2.5g). My brother likes 2g or less, and my wife prefers 1.5-2g.

      What you described above is definitely due to Mitragyna lowering blood sugar. I’ve witnessed people discover how effective it has been for lowering it. Their triple digit numbers fall in the double digits, even for Type II diabetics after splurging on Taco Bell. I would imagine what you experienced could be that you are diabetic, had low blood sugar levels those suspect days, combined blood sugar reducing medication with Mitragyna, or a combo of all three. Personally, I would feel nauseous if I took half the amount you did, alone.

      • You are acting as if all kratom from every supplier is of exactly the same uniform strength. Of course that is not the case at all. Anyone with a tiny bit of time to research will quickly discover that the amounts you and I suggest are out of context with the type of kratom we are talking about.

        • If its real kratom then one shouldn’t take more than 2-4 grams at a time, or its considered abusing the product. If you do any research companies will tell you to take 5-9 capusles when you buy a small bag then when you buy larger quantities they tell you to take 2-4 of the same exact product, these companies do that to get you hooked, knowing someone isn’t going to spend $50 on the large package the first time they buy it. Though, as sneaky as this is I didn’t get any effects the first few times I used the product but as I have been using it longer I have a greater benefit from it.. Probably a therapeutic effect. There isn’t one kratom on the market that takes 7-8 grams to work, thats reiculous!

    • Hey i’d really like to contact you about the symptoms you experienced, I pray somehow you see this, i’ve been experiencing similar problems after daily kratom use. It started as muscle weakness and i just dealt with it, the last two weeks on a thursday and also on sunday i went to ER after having a “flair up” or attack like you said, exact same symptoms, i was shaking, muscle weakness everywhere and I thought was low blood sugar so i downed orange juice and placebo or not it went away 25 mins later for the most part. ER said my blood sugar was fine after and my urinalysis and blood panels came back just fine so i have to conclude its kratom related. I’ve been doing kratom for a long time and never had anything like this, I hope you see this could explain more to me about what happened with you, because you are only post i’ve found ever after scouring the internet for similar experiences.

      • These are kratom overdose symptoms for both of you. That is why your blood sugar came back fine. Kratom is a very sensitive substance and everyone is different. Not only that, different suppliers and even different batches from a reliable supplier can have varying potency. A couple of rules you need to follow: #1 less is always more with kratom. If you are not on a full stomach and you haven’t gotten the desired effects with 45min, re-dose another small amount. #2 get a digital scale and WEIGH YOUR DOSES. Sometimes powdered concentrate can be denser and what looks to the naked eye like the amount that was taken previously. I have not only read all this information I have literally experienced it personally. This is such a useful and wonderful plant, I want others to know what I have learned through trial and error. No as for your symptoms, just lying down comfortably for half an hour to an hour will remove them and just don’t take as much next time. The symptoms are by no means life threatening, though uncomfortable. Hope this helps.

  5. As a long-time sufferer of neuralgia (and several other chronic pain producing ailments), all I can say is, if not for kratom, I would be 6 ft under. I was on every pain medicine and had to take more and more (you know the story); its the medical community’s “only alternative” for that kind of pain.

    I was lucky enough, let me change that to “blessed enough” to wander into kratom. Didn’t take it at first due to all the “panic stories”; then finally 8 weeks later found real research and decided it was much less risky than the hydro and oxy drugs; plus it is plant, not a drug.

    The fact that it attaches to mu opium receptors no more makes it a drug than a bicycle. Cheese, dark chocolate, coffee and most fatty foods attach to our opiate receptors. Shall we call them drugs too.

    Even the FDA doesn’t call it a drug, but a “Substance Of Interest” or “Substance Of Concern” but not “Drug of anything”, because it is not.

    Now in my late 50s and before learning of kratom was a chronic couch potato on days I was fortunate enough to get out of bed, I now jog 4-6 miles a day, finished college and have opened 6 successful (and 3 businesses that failed). I work hard. I love life. Forget St. John’s Wort, it doesn’t hold a candle to kratom (and it belongs much more in the herbal remedies section of a store than bath salts or energy drinks).

    Kratom is an organic substance, like okra, echinacea and yes even its cousin coffee (which I’ve found a bit harder to quit than kratom).

    Is kratom habit forming? You bet it is. But a bit less than coffee (in fact a lot less so in my experience). Do some people abuse it? I bet so. So should we ban it because some people abuse a plant in which nobody has ever reportedly died or even overdosed yet app 200,000 Americans die annually of the medical alternative?

    We did that with marijuana which we now knows cures and heals more people than all the other drugs made for similar illnesses put together; and how did that work out for us, America?

  6. Thank you so much for such a well balanced article. No sensation, just the story and the facts. I too have been able to get off all Rx’s thanks to kratom, which I have been using daily for the past 2 years to control neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain (it even helps with the anxiety and depression that I’ve struggled with most of my life). It has been a miracle for me and many, many others and should remain completely legal no matter the use.

  7. And one more thing: I’ve been using the same exact dose, every day, for 2 years. I very rarely have to take more than 15g per day to control my pain. So far there seems to be no buildup of tolerance with kratom when it comes to pain control, for me.

  8. Without kratom I would not be living a normal life. I’ve suffered from debilitating back pain for over a decade. At it’s worst every muscle in my back flares up in spasm and leaves me hardly able to even walk down the hallway. This condition lead to me losing 3 jobs, and eventually I became unemployed and without medical coverage. Then I found kratom. A dosage of 4 grams daily, taken in the morning with my morning with my coffee has given me back my life. I used to spend most of the week in agony, laying in bed alternating ice packs with heating pads and losing day after day to the crippling pain. I could hardly even sit in a chair for more than an hour before I was in more pain than I could stand, and standing up was no better. Now, I am able to work every day, and have started my own web development company. I hike daily with my dog now, and on the weekends even go out for hikes up to 10 miles! I don’t ever feel the need to redose, and after the first week or so any intoxication I felt from it disappeared and was on par with the little buzz one gets from drinking a large cup of coffee. This herb is a godsend to people in pain. Of course there are people who will overuse and abuse it, but for many of us, this herb is the only thing standing between us and a life of agonizing and debilitating pain. I really hope the media can explore more stories like mine, and others, who have regained a large portion of their lives that were lost to pain before due to kratom. And for the record, I had previously tried using pharmaceutical options like opiates, muscle relaxers, and even anti anxiety drugs, and none of them address the pain. There is something unique to kratom and how it treats the type of back pain I experience and 4 years of daily use has showed, so far, no negatives in my experience. I’ve even stopped for a period of up to 3 months at a time, and there were no more withdrawal issues than a person would experience than with quitting a daily coffee habit, and far less severe than quitting smoking cigarettes, which I’ve experienced that too, so I am making a realistic comparison here.

  9. This is the best example of a fair and honest report on kratom that I have seen. Way to go Fort Worth Weekly for putting out the most accurate kratom article to date. Refreshing to read an article by a journalist that actually wants to go the extra mile to produce truthful and un-sensationalized news. Others could learn a lot from this article and authors pursuit of truth.

  10. It is refreshing to see an article about a supposed drug danger in which the reporter actually takes time to investigate different points of view.

    Congratulations on a thoughtful, well-balanced article.

  11. Very good and true article about kratom! I am glad somebody is actually telling the truth finally! This is a very good guy too. I know him personally and he is a very respectable and good person. His eyes and mission are on the ministry of herbs. I respect him very much for what he does for the kratom market and man kind. Thank you for the true article!

  12. I might also add that I would not be able to live a normal life without kratom. My hips and pelvis are crushed. One leg was almost completely ripped off and one foot turned around backwards in a terrible motorcycle accident. Kratom is a ministry to so many people including me. It literally saved my life. I would be dead from all the pain pills that I was taking just to deal with the pain if I would not have found out about kratom. Very proud of Payam for standing up and telling the truth about kratom. Also very proud of whoever wrote this article for doing true news reporting. It is very sad to see big pharma paying off some major stations to try to get kratom banned. Please fight for the herb kratom and please keep posting youtube testimonials about kratom if you believe in it. Thank you so much for this article! This means a huge amount to me!

  13. I use kratom to keep me away from heroin. I was recommended by several doctors for a life long program of Suboxone to keep me “sober”, for I am extremely prone to relapse. Suboxone is deadly and addictive. I used it for a while and was a mess. I was told about kratom and started taking it. I was able to come off Suboxone with an extremely light detox, and have been taking kratom ever since for 5 years with no relapse. Kratom saved my life, I have a functional life, my family wants to be around me now, and I am off all of my 12 RX medications which consisted of antidepressants, Xanax, and many other anti-anxiety neds, and a couple other types. Kratom have me what Suboxone or a doctor couldn’t.

  14. I use kratom to keep me away from heroin and alcohol. I was recommended by several doctors for a life long program of Suboxone to keep me “sober”, for I am extremely prone to relapse. Suboxone is deadly and addictive. I used it for a while and was a mess. I was told about kratom and started taking it. I was able to come off Suboxone with an extremely light detox, and have been taking kratom ever since for 5 years with no relapse. Kratom saved my life, I have a functional life, my family wants to be around me now, and I am off all of my 12 RX medications which consisted of antidepressants, Xanax, and many other anti-anxiety neds, and a couple other types. Kratom have me what Suboxone or a doctor couldn’t.

  15. “A Kennedale woman discovered 80 empty bottles of kratom in her daughter’s possession, noted her mood swings, and staged an intervention. Reporter Ginger Allen interviewed the mom, who showed the empty bottles. Allen’s investigative team then went “undercover” at local head shops to show how easy it is to buy kratom (a legal product).”

    Ugh! What an annoying news report by CBS. When I was 16 my mom told my psychiatrist I had mood swings and boom-he prescribed me anti-psychotic medication, which rendered me completely unable to function normally for the two weeks it was in my system. My mom and I both learned a lesson about psychiatry from that experience. For all the mothers out there raising a daughter for the first time – you must understand there isn’t a single one without mood swings. Teenage mood swings don’t need to be a cause for alarm and doesn’t automatically mean your child is either on drugs or suffering from a mood disorder.

  16. Just noticed, the original CBS 11 article, with its laughable 2nd grade journalism, has removed ALL the comments from its viewers on its website, for this article ONLY! Thats right, if for some reason a reporter at CBS 11 does not do their homework, reports a bunch of lies, and cant seem to fact check ANYTHING they report on, its ok. CBS 11 will just disable their comment section for that article. As of 3 days ago, there was over 35 comments on their website blasting CBS 11 for yellow journalism, inciting people through sensationalism, and straight up lies through their un-informed, un-reaserched story. Now, ALL the comments are gone. If you click the comments button, nothing happens. Not only do they want you do eat their story for breakfast without question, but now, they dont want you to be able to comment on it either if you disagree. Go see for yourself.

    http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/11/12/kratom-pain-killer-or-the-latest-designer-drug

    Perhaps its a new policy over at CBS 11 for all their stories that they dont want comments. NOPE! Just this story. I guess CBS 11 does not like being wrong, but when they obviously are, they dont want anyone to know about it! Way to go FWweekly for journalistic integrity. CBS’s fear mongering and perpetration of lies continues…..

  17. Stop censoring comments. You guys are the ones reporting misinformation. Do your research next time so we won’t have to correct you. But don’t censor the ones trying to clean up the journalistic mess you’ve made with your own misinformation

  18. To potential responders, R.E. jeff.prince’s note about the capcha math. WRITE YOUR RESPONSE FIRST, LOOK IT OVER FOR CORRECTIONS, THEN SOLVE THE MATH JUST BEFORE YOU SUBMIT.

  19. Great Article! My wife has used powdered leaf Kratom (1 level tsp) to tone down the wierd ‘creepy-crawly’ feelings in her legs and allow her to sleep She has RLS (Restless Leg Syndrom) If the out-of -control hopping -up of this natural product by the recreational drug community and irresponsible reporting gets out of hand, she will lose this helpful aid and have to rely more on Parkinson-type drugs like Mirapex, with their side-effects. Thanks for the superior reporting.

  20. Any person who wants to help protect the future availability of kratom should sign both of the petitions at Change.Org. Wisconsin politicians want to make kratom illegal in the state by adding the alkaloids found in kratom leaf into a bill with k2 and other synthetics that deserve to be banned. Everything they are wanting to ban in their bill is synthetic except for the two kratom alkaloids they have included. If they ban the alkaloids, they will be banning the sale and possession of kratom leaf.

    We are attempting to get enough support through change.org to make these politicians realize the mistake they would be making. Ban the synthetics but remove the natural plant from the bill.

    Even though you may not live in Wisconsin, if kratom is banned in Wisconsin your state may well be the next.

    You can go to change.org and search for two Wisconsin kratom petitions to the state legislature. Then you can sign them and comment if you wish. These petitions will be sent to the sponsors of the bill.

    Thanks for your support.

  21. Hello, I’m an experienced producer (MFA in Producing / Produced for TV) and I’m shooting a documentary to help Kratom leaf get a fair-shake in the media. If you are a user or skeptic please contact me so I can interview you. I am the one who produced the video about the guy with Chron’s disease and how kratom helps him cope. You can find it on youtube easily. I live in N. Fort Worth. Anyone who helps me make a video will be given free ounces! We want to make objective videos to support the truth about this herb. You can email me at producer at kratomdocumentary dot com. Thanks, Tony

  22. I’m so glad I found this article and relieved to read these stellar comments. I’ve noticed the crackdown on Kratom recently. I posted a comment on the food poisoning bulletin and was quickly banned. I have debilitating arthritis in my back and suffer leg pain from surgeries after crushing my leg in an accident. I am 43 and move around like a 90 year old man in the morning. Limping and very hunched over when I first get up. After a cup of coffee and just 2 to 3 grams of Kratom I’m able to arrive at work, standing upright, ready to seize the day. I usually take another dose after lunch. I don’t take any other medications at all. I’ve been doing this for 3 years with no adverse effects. I have read horror stories about withdrawals but , the people making these claims were taking as much Kratom in a day as I take over the course of a week . I’m on board with doing my part to keep Kratom legal. The last thing the US needs is another illegal scheduled substance for organized criminal enterprises to exploit.

  23. Good article, it is always nice when you see news or write-ups about kratom that are not completely biased, be it for or usually against the product.

    I have never tried a kratom drink, but love the maeng da kratom powder from http://www.kratomlounge.com

    Wish they sold drinks, but you cant beat the powder quality.

  24. fuck http://www.kratomlounge.com !!!!!

    i ordered my favorite indo red and they sent me maeng da instead. i dont give a shit if its more expensive, my fav is indo red, thats that.

    anyway, they did make up for it by sending indo red when it was back in stock, but still pissed me off, it wasnt about the money, i needed my indo red!!!

    • Two thumbs up to Kratomade. They have the best prices at $90 per kilo of Kratom. When I saw they posted here I had to give them two thumbs up for the fantastic blends, customer service and prices they offer us store owners. If you are looking for a great Kratom wholesale vendor I recommend Kratomade.

  25. fair story on kratom but PLEASE HELP US FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AGAINST KRATOM PROPAGADA SUCH AS THIS STORY. http://www.nkratom.com donates 10% of all their profits to help kratom legal defense. We are also offering a $10 off discount code on any order no min. order required. DISCOUNT CODE: nkratom

  26. If you want my advice, don”t over do it with kratom! If you’re new to it then start by taking a little at a time till you achieve your desired results. It won’t take long and it’s best for your health and pocket. Good luck to you all!

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