Science

Kratom: what does science say about the… botanical?

A 2020 survey of 2,798 American Kratom users by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that less than 3% of respondents met the criteria for moderate or severe kratom use disorder… A 2019 study in Preventative Medicine estimated that “the risk of overdose death is >1000 times greater for opioids than for kratom.” While most morphine-like opiate overdoses are fatal due to the drugs’ respiratory depressing effects, kratom seems to have little effect on respiration.

In 2019, an estimated 2 million Americans used kratom. Consumers report using the plant to self-medicate for chronic pain, anxiety, depression and opioid withdrawal. The two primary psychoactive alkaloids found in the leaf, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, act on [2 of 3 primary] opioid receptors in the brain, but the associated risks seem to be far less severe than those of opium-derived compounds. When the FDA first recommended designating kratom as a schedule I drug in 2016, they cited 44 deaths that they claimed were “associated with the use of kratom.” Closer inspection revealed that, of the 44 deaths, 43 involved additional substances [and the remaining 1 death of those 44 was reportedly caused by mitragynine and/or 7-hydroxymitragynine isolate(s), alone, in contrast to whole botanical kratom from which no deaths have been accurately verified as the sole contributor].

Original Article (Discover Magazine):
Kratom: what does science say about the controversial botanical?
Artwork Fair Use: Thehealingeast

Politics

If…

Science

…kratom extracts

Politics

Colorado SB23-290

Politics

Mushroom Dispensary

Politics

…groundbreaking…

Science

Psilocybin dosing tips

Science

Oregon is…

Politics

…repeal… 110[?]

Politics

Oregon… now what?

Politics

Mushroom boom looms

Politics

…beneficial…

Biography/Memoir

Patented…

Politics

Iowa… psilocybin…

Psychology

…policy… lead…

Biography/Memoir

…launch of…

Politics

Psilocybin… use…

Politics

…analysis… act

Science

What does kratom do?

Politics

The iron law

Science

…fentanyl overdoses…

Politics

…potential, if…

Science

Psychedelic… research…

Modern Culture

…to town

Politics

…Colorado ballot…

Politics

…peyote… all…

Science

…forage… grow…

Politics

…in [Oregon]…

Politics

Making mushrooms…

Politics

What does it mean…

Politics

…talks…

Science

…to define…

Spirituality

[Ergot…]

Anthropology

Hemp flowing…

Politics

…city on earth

Science

Shroom dosage…

Politics

Oregonians…

Spirituality

The future is fungi

Politics

…in Oregon

Psychology

MDMA… marriage…

Politics

…cannabis banking

Politics

…psilocybin… 

Psychology

…tripping solo

Spirituality

LSD… benefits…

Psychology

…salvinorin…

Anthropology

There will be oil

Anthropology

Cannabis goes green

Psychology

Home grow…

Psychology

…for macrodosing

Politics

First, it was weed…

Politics

Manufacturing…

Spirituality

…the Mushroom

Politics

Oregon psilocybin…

Science

What is kratom…?

Politics

SITSA … stopped

Politics

Grassy Globes

Politics

Weed wages water war

Politics

Big acid

Politics

Can Kratom be patented?

Science

Kratom LD-50 Stats

Science

Rolling in the deep

Science

The Peace Drug