Are you new to the world of Kratom? If so, you might be excited but also confused about the overall Kratom industry. After all, it is confusing that Kratom is a legal product that has so much stigma placed against using it. That stigma can be very intimidating as the use of Kratom can even feel taboo because of it.
For that reason, talking about Kratom with others may seem like an impossible task even if you have a strong urge to connect with the community and a desire to learn more about what Kratom has to offer.
But that impossibility is a big part of why we believe that everyone who finds Kratom to be beneficial should be talking about Kratom!
We don’t think that the precarious legal status of Kratom should take away your chance to connect with other Kratom lovers or that it should keep you from being able to talk about Kratom. Still, we know it’s not as simple as just talking about Kratom, so we’ve gathered up some of our best tips about how to talk about Kratom positively and successfully.
Why You Should Talk About Kratom
Before we get into our tips, we want to explain why we here at Left Coast Kratom believe that you should talk about Kratom. The key here is advocacy.
A big reason why there is so much stigma and fear towards the idea of Kratom is because not many people have any direct experience with Kratom or with anyone who regularly uses Kratom. Instead, any knowledge they have of the botanical is through radicalized news stories or their own assumptions.
The only way that those opinions about Kratom can begin to change to a more positive society is if people like you begin talking about Kratom! Grassroots advocacy can cause huge changes in public perception over time, so get talking!
#1: Learn Your Stuff
The first step of advocating for the power and usefulness of Kratom is to learn more about Kratom. While you have your own personal experiences to share, there are going to be questioned. To be a great advocate, you’ll need to be able to at least provide some answers to those questions!
Learn about the science of Kratom. Think about what questions you have about how Kratom affects the body, and then do the research! See what the latest science says, and question everything. As your own knowledge base expands, you’ll become a more useful resource for anyone that has questions about Kratom.
Misinformation has been a huge contributing factor in the villification of Kratom. Similar to the previous reactions to weed and CBD in this country, Kratom is being painted as something very different than it actually is.
Don’t cause more harm by being an uneducated advocate; educate yourself so that you can advocate for others!
#2: Connect People To Reliable Resources
Despite how much you know about Kratom, you won’t be able to teach people everything that there is to know about Kratom in a single conversation. It’s true that sharing your stories and information will be a great first advocacy step, but the next step is to make sure they are given the resources that they need.
Suggest that they follow up with other resources after your conversation:
- • “Can I link you to a blog with great info?”
- • “I’m part of a great advocacy group. I’ll invite you when I get home!”
- • “Next week, I’m going to go shopping for my new Kratom at the shop a few towns over. Do you want to come along?”
Giving people the opportunity to gain more knowledge from different sources will help them to figure out what they think or feel about Kratom. When they only get knowledge from one source, they’re more likely to distrust the information. Expanding where they get their knowledge from will help them learn more successfully.
One final great resource to help them discover is AKA, the American Kratom Assocation. This organization has the most up-to-date information about Kratom laws and community issues, so helping those with a new interest in Kratom find AKA is a great thing to do.
#3: Know When It’s Time To Stop
When you’re passionate about something, it can be hard to know when to stop talking about it. You may meet a lot of people who are excited to learn about your Kratom experiences, but you may also meet those who are in no way interested to learn about Kratom.
Trying to force those people to come around to the idea of Kratom is not going to be worth your time, and it’s not a very nice thing to do. Some people will simply find the precarious legal status of Kratom and the power of its effects to be off-putting, and that’s okay.
The key thing to remember when you encounter these situations is that your goal in advocating for Kratom is not to get more people to use Kratom. The main goal is to improve the incorrect stereotype that exists about Kratom and those who use it. By trying to force your opinion on someone, you will not be creating any positive situations.
Share your ideas when relevant, and then move on in a respectful way. By acting this way, you’ll be doing more for advocacy efforts than you would be doing if you tried to force your opinion on everyone around you.
Don’t Be Afraid To Talk About It!
It can be scary to go around talking about something with such a negative stereotype against it, and the questionable legal status of Kratom being in such a precarious position doesn’t help to reinforce any positive feelings.
That being said, you don’t need to be afraid to talk about Kratom! Kratom is not illegal, and there are no laws that would prevent you from talking about Kratom even if it was! After all, free speech is allowed.
If you want to help change the tide of conversations happening about Kratom in the US, starting by being open about your Kratom experiences with friends and those who bring up alternative products in conversation.
