Kratom

"Kratom is a plant known as Mitragyna Speciosa (Rubiaceae Family), naturally growing in Africa, South-East Asia (e.g., Malaysia and Thailand), and New Guinea. Since the 19th century, its leaves and extracts have been used as a folk remedy in these countries to deal with common health problems (e.g., pain, fever, diabetes), to replace opiates, and to boost energy and reduce fatigue (Cinosi et al. 2015; Hassan et al. 2013; Kruegel and Grundmann 2018; Swogger et al. 2022). Kratom use has also expanded to Western countries, leading to a wide availability of kratom products (e.g., powder, capsules, tablets) online and in specialty shops (Hillebrand et al. 2010; Prevete et al. 2024; Prozialeck et al. 2012; Williams and Nikitin 2020). The main motivations for using kratom include recreational purposes and self-treatment of various mental and physical health conditions (Bath et al. 2020; Coe et al. 2019; Grundmann et al. 2022, 2023; Smith et al. 2024a). A small amount (< 5 g) of raw plant material has been reported to produce stimulatory effects such as increasing talkativeness, alertness, or physical energy (Henningfield et al. 2024; Kruegel and Grundmann 2018; Prozialeck et al. 2012; Singh et al. 2019a; Swogger et al. 2022). Doses above 5 g have been reported to produce inhibitory-analgesic and sedative properties like opioids (Henningfield et al. 2024; Kruegel and Grundmann 2018; Prozialeck et al. 2012; Singh et al. 2019a; Swogger et al. 2022). Moreover, it has been shown that kratom’s stimulant and sedative effects can co-exist (Smith et al. 2023a), often at higher doses (Peran et al. 2023)."