What is Kratom? : By Driad Druid

I would to dedicate this blog to answering the question so many of my followers have been reading about - What is Kratom?

What is Kratom? Kratom, specifically called MitragynaSpeciosa and can be found in the rain forests of south east Asia. It is a plant that is a cousin to the coffee tree and can grow in excess of thirty feet. Often referred to as a plant, but that appears to be a misnomer as it is indeed a form of Evergreen Tree.

Kratom grows in the warm humid climates of Indonesian, Taiwan, Thailand, Borneo and the Malaysian jungle rain forests. Each island totes its own version of the plant and because of that, each island’s plant totes its own distinct effects it carries.  Kratom as a whole carries significant traits no matter where it grows, however, because each island’s soil has different attributes and nutrients, each island’s version gives its own interpretation to the plant. 

Indonesian Kratom plants denote a relaxing undertone. While although you still have the White, Red, and Green veins to the plants, the Indonesian soil seems to give each strain an underlying relaxing note to the plant’s effects. So while you can, for example, buy an Indonesian White Vein to combat fatigue, it won’t be as strong as another island’s White Vein version. Indonesian (or Indos) are usually suggested for first time experiencers since they seem to be a little more forgiving on the effects. And likewise, those who are coming off of a pain prescription regiment, Indos aren’t suggested because of the tolerance the previous prescription has already given to that individuals system.  In other words, you wouldn’t get much of an effect at all. You still, however, can use it to combat the withdrawals if you are coming off of a long time opiate regiment. 

Taiwan and Thailand strains tend to be a bit more on the energetic side.  These jungles denote an overall energetic level and bring a stimulating effect to their particular strains. Again, each plant is still broken down to the White, Red, and Green veins.  Those that are looking for a long term therapy session, lasting a few hours, would probably benefit from these particular strains. And when moving into this plant’s region for therapy, you can really see why this plant is kin to the coffee plant. There is a level of “jitters” with this region. Anyone who is susceptible to caffeine should probably stay away from these strains as the energy can be a bit harsh on the system. For many connoisseurs, however, the Thai strains are among the favorites in this plant’s family. 

Borneo strains tend to be the strongest in its field for whatever the Vein color denotes. For example, White Vein Borneo is particularly energetic and is described as one of the most euphoric, combating any social anxiety one might have. This holds true for its Green and Red veins as well. Those who are looking to come off of their pain medication regiment and are facing withdrawals, Red VeinBorneo seems to be a favorite to stem them off. While although you may not get the mental effects from the plant, suffering WD’s seems to be non-existent.  There are several individuals that swear by this strain as it has helped them kick their illegal drug habit.  Red Vein Borneo also seems to be the most analgesic and Chronic Pain Suffers continually keep this strain in stock for “bad days”.   

Malaysian strains are neutral. They are the true “Middle of the road” and seem to carry all the traits this Kratom plant boasts. It is analgesic, energetic, holding antianxiety properties, euphoric, beats depression, helps with sore muscles, you name it. However, since these strains are the “Jack of all Trades”, the strength that you might need may be found in other above mentioned strains. Malaysians (Malays) and Indos are a good starting point when seeking out Kratom Therapy. The Malaysian strain that seems to be popular with the Kratom connoisseurs is Green Malaysian (or Green Malay). It is the true “middle of the road” on everything and has been known to add length and duration to the effects of another strain since the synergy of the alkaloids work this way. 

Since you are getting a better picture of “What is Kratom”, I will touch on how it is harvested. Most of the tree is used as just about every part has various alkaloids that Kratom Therapists deem helpful. The majority of the alkaloids are in the veins of the leaves and the leaves itself. However, it is not uncommon to find stems in your regular powder grind. This is done to help keep tolerance down, since like with any other medication, tolerance is always an issue with individuals. 

Kratom plants need to mature five years before one can harvest its leaves and stem for use. The leaves and stems are dried out over a period of days, stacked in bundles, and shipped for processing. Some vendors process their leaves on site, ensuring top quality and the freshest stock. Some vendors have the farmers process the leaves since grinding can be a bit tricky. Anything over a certain temperature can cause the alkaloids in the plants to break down, lessening the effects and you are given a product that may be unable to help you. Read more about effects on my Kratom Effects blog.

The stems and leaves are broken down into larger chunks. Some vendors sell this and call it “Loose Leaf” as you can make a Tea out of it. The tea is the weakest of the grind uses and most Kratom Therapists have an aversion to the extremely bitter taste.  So bitter in fact, that even large quantities of honey doesn’t seem to put a dent in the taste.  However, if bitter flavors don’t seem to bother you and you are new to the therapy, Kratom Tea might be what you need.  As stated before, be careful when brewing your tea as boiling hot water will break down the alkaloids, making the plant even weaker with its medicine. You can get hundreds of tips and recipes to making Kratom Tea on the internet.

Vendors and farmers alike take the loose leaf and grind it down even further, taking particular care that their grinders doesn’t burn the powder. This is referred to as simply Kratom Powder and it is a bit more granulated than a true powder should be. You might even see bits of stem and vein in your powder. Again, this normal and you shouldn’t be wary if you get them. It is simply used and put in there for tolerance reasons. It should be noted that this grind is the most common method used. Most Kratom Therapists use this powder in conjunction with a pulpy fruit juice as the consistency can be a tad rough getting it into your system. If you can chew an aspirin tablet and not gag, you should be able to handle this. 

The final grind and taking the Regular Powder further, is the Fine Powder Grind. This grind, most of the stem and vein material has been sifted out, giving you a silky fine grain powder. The feeling is akin to flour or talcum powder. However with this grind, clumping is an issue. Keep in mind that you are grinding down plant matter and that the juices from the plant end up in the powder, causing the clumps. This too, is normal. Seeing clumps is actually a good sign that you are receiving a very fresh batch and all the alkaloids should be present. Not to say that non clumping powder is stale. Once you get a feel for Kratom Therapy, you would be able to tell whether or not a batch is stale. It should be noted that removing much of the stem and vein causes a tolerance issue. Going to the Fine Grind is a risky jump and I suggest getting your Kratom from trusted sources. www.Theleapingleaf.com in my mind is the best there is and you can actually speak to the owners if you contact them. If you are using this plant for Chronic Pain, sabbatical is something you would want to stay away from unless you have an alternative in place.

In the end I wasn't able to sum it all up in one answer but here is my best at three:

 

What is Kratom? It is medicine. It is an alternative to prescription pain killers. It is weaning yourself off of toxic prescription medication (with your doctor’s approval.)

What is Kratom? It is holistic, it is organic, it is all natural. It is a plant that the GMO monsters haven’t touched. It has been used for thousands of years for hundreds of reasons. 

What is Kratom? For much of us, it is a lifeline and a welcome alternative necessity in our daily lives.