advocacy

AKA, LCK, and Compliance: What We Think You Should Know

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If you were to open up a newspaper right now or watch the local news, the chances are pretty high that you would see a story about a company causing problems with untested or fake products. We see it everywhere, and it can make consumers very wary of buying from anyone.

It’s scary, really, to think that you could be buying things without even truly knowing what is in them. 

In the kratom industry, this problem is just as prevalent, and that is why we find the work that the American Kratom Association is doing so important. Today, we’re going to discuss AKA, their compliance programs, and what our role in the future of kratom’s safety is.

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All About The American Kratom Association

Have you heard about the American Kratom Association? If not, it’s time that you learned more about this group, their mission, and how they have already made a difference in your life!

What is AKA?

AKA, also known as the American Kratom Association, is a kratom advocacy nonprofit organization that works to standardize kratom manufacturing procedures, protect consumers, and improve the regulatory laws that affect the industry as a whole.

AKA’s Mission

The mission of the American Kratom Association is pretty simple. Here’s what they want to do:

“Make natural kratom safe and to keep it available for millions of Americans who use it for health and wellness; manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers whose livelihoods depend on a safe and robust market; and for scientific and research communities that are actively exploring its potential.”

There are a few specific ways that AKA works to do these things. They work with politicians, vendors, consumers, suppliers, shop owners, and more. Realistically, they have become involved at nearly every stage of kratom production and sales to ensure that consumers may continue to safely and confidently use kratom.

AKA Victories

If you’ve ever used kratom before, there is a good chance that work done by the American Kratom Association has already had a positive effect on your life. The organization has been working at every turn for years to ensure that kratom lovers like you can continue to use kratom safely and legally.

While they have had a lot of different victories, these are a few key accomplishments by AKA that have found to be the most inspiring:

These are just a few of the many things that the American Kratom Association has done to help protect the availability and quality of Kratom. In the future, there will be more and more updates to check out from their hard work! 

AKA Science

Another cool thing that AKA puts a lot of money and time into is researching the science of kratom. One of the biggest complaints or points made about kratom when it is being discussed in the political arena is the lack of solid scientific proof for or against its effects.

The existing science doesn’t say it is truly dangerous, but it doesn’t say it is fully safe, either. AKA wants kratom users to be able to know for sure what the risks, potential benefits, and chemicals involved in kratom, and that is why they have put a lot of effort into deep-diving into the science of kratom.

GMP Compliance Program

One of the victories we mentioned above is AKA’s Good Manufacturing Practices program, also known as the GMP compliance program. This program helps to certify that kratom vendors are following complete and thorough safety procedures with all of their products.

To remain in the program, vendors initially accepted must complete a yearly audit with a third-party tester. This auditor ensures that all of the proper procedures are being followed so that consumers are only sold safe and well-tested kratom.

We’re proud to be part of AKA’s GMP compliance program.

We Have A Big Role To Play

Here at Left Coat Kratom, we know that we have a big role to play in the future of kratom. Every day, we connect with customers when we sell our kratom and other products. Every week, people visit our website to learn more about how kratom is manufactured and everything else there is to know about it.

As a reputable vendor, it’s up to us to help support the good name that AKA is helping to build for kratom. We want our consumers to be able to safely and legally use kratom, and we want to ensure that our products are the best that they can possibly be.

With these thoughts in mind, we’ve made it a big part of our mission to ensure we are following AKA’s GMP compliance standards and staying up-to-date with all of their news about kratom. When we can, we even help support their cases in various states to protect kratom’s legal status.

We have a big role to play – and we’re ready to help!

What You Can Do To Help

We’re not the only ones who can make a difference in the future of kratom, however. You, too, can be a key player in how kratom will be used, viewed, and accepted in years to come. While it can be overwhelming to think about becoming an active advocate, your involvement doesn’t have to be that extreme.

In fact, there are a lot of simple things that you can do to make a difference:

  • • Donate to AKA – funding them funds the future of kratom.
  • • Purchase from GMP-qualified vendors – supporting them supports quality.
  • • Get involved locally – visit local shops that sell kratom and see what they need help advocating for.
  • • Support kratom laws – regulatory laws protect consumers like you; show your support for them to make a change.

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to get involved in supporting the kratom industry. It’s in your best interest to seek safe kratom that comes from a vendor that focuses on quality control. We hope that you’ll consider that as you do your future kratom shopping.

5 Awesome Kratom Facts That Everyone Should Know

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After you’ve discovered the positive results of kratom in your life, it’s time to uncover some more facts about what it is, how it’s used, and other important things that you should know about this botanical!

Kratom is more than just a plant that can be ingested, and it has a much longer history that you should be aware of when you decide to use it regularly. Today, we’ll help you expand your knowledge about this great substance.

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1: The Kratom Tree Is Unique

One of the coolest things about where kratom comes from is the tree itself. Kratom is a tropical tree, and it grows best when things are all wet, all the time. Kratom products are made from the leaves of the trees, and they are unique because of their distinct chemical composition.

The Kratom tree is one of seven different trees in the Mitragyna speciosa variety. The leaves of the kratom tree contain two major chemical compounds that have effects on the body: mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.

These chemicals are known as alkaloids. Alkaloids interact with the body in specific ways; when you consume kratom, those effects start happening!

2: Kratom Has A Long And Varied History

Did you know that Kratom has been used for hundreds of years in different parts of the world? In Southeast Asia in particular, kratom has been part of many cultural rituals and traditional practices. The tropical tree is native to Thailand and Malaysia among other countries, and that is how it became a part of their practices.

In particular, Kratom is often brewed as a tea. Sometimes, it is chewed on directly for a different type of effect.

While the use of Kratom in these regions is mostly historical, kratom is still used in those traditional ways. Around the world, however, kratom leaves tend to be ground into a fine powder and then brewed into a more concentrated, effective tea. As you might already know, there are a lot of different ways to brew tea.

3: Kratom Consumption Has Changed

While the ways that we just mentioned are the traditional ways of consuming kratom, there are a lot of different ways that people consume kratom in today’s modern world. As we mentioned, people typically grind the leaves up into a fine powder. This powder can then be prepared in a few different ways.

Method #1: Tea

While a bit different from traditional brewing, this fine powder can be made into a tea. The tea must be strained appropriately and flavored to make it drinkable, but it can provide the boosting effects of the chemicals in kratom.

Method #2: Capsules

Some people prefer to skip the need to taste the kratom at all and stick to capsules. Capsules of any size can be filled with your specific serving of kratom powder. These are easy and discreet to take, no matter where you are.

Method #3: Tinctures

The powder can also be made into a very strong tincture. This tincture can then be used mixed into other beverages or taken directly.

The particular method that you use to take kratom is going to depend on how much you want to take, what you are hoping to accomplish, and how your body processes things. Everybody’s body is different, so taking the time to try different amounts and intake methods is very important for personal discovery.

4: Kratom Has An Interesting Legal Status

Right now in the United States, Kratom is not illegal. However, it wouldn’t be accurate to call it legal either. It’s true that you wouldn’t get into trouble for using it, but the status of it is somewhat complicated.

Due to difficult reports and manufacturing problems, some believe that Kratom should be completely banned in the USA. The FDA, in fact, has been making a clear and concentrated effort to support this movement. Thankfully, many states are making their own judgments and passing regulatory protections for kratom consumers.

Why has this happened?

The main reason that kratom has not yet been put into a positive light as CBD has been that there isn’t enough research yet about the benefits of kratom. The research is so limited that it is difficult to prove once and for all that kratom is not dangerous. Without any regulation to keep bad kratom off the market, the problem isn’t improving quickly enough.

Hopefully, individual states will continue to support the movement to fully legalize kratom and to protect its consumers with basic regulations. These regulations, though simple, can save people’s lives by keeping bad kratom under control as soon as possible.

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5: Kratom Needs Your Help

Due to the complicated legal status of kratom in America, kratom needs your help! If you have ever been curious about trying kratom or already use it, it is time to step into the ring and help fight for the safety of kratom users everywhere.

While we do our best to ensure that every product that we put it out is the highest quality, not all vendors hold themselves to the same standards that we do. We’ve learned through the years, and we are doing our best to ensure that only the highest quality kratom makes it to the market.

To further our mission to keep kratom safe and legal, we’ve put our full support behind the American Kratom Association. Also known as AKA, this group works tirelessly to create guidelines for companies to follow while also working directly with politicians in each state to pass laws protecting the kratom community.

With swift and positive actions like these, we believe that kratom will one day be a safe and accepted substance. But that won’t happen without the support of people like you!

If you believe that more research should be done about kratom so that it can become a safer product, reach out to your local kratom stores or politicians and find out how you can make this opinion help. Together, we can secure the future of kratom!

How To Talk About Kratom: 3 Essential Tips

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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!

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#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.

Georgia One Step Closer to Passing Kratom Consumer Protection Act

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Great news from the American Kratom Association! The Georgia State Senate passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act unanimously with a vote of 50-0. This follows the bill’s strong performance in Georgia’s House of Representatives, where it was approved by a margin of 164-1. The bill now goes to the Governor’s desk, where it will be signed into law.

This progress in Georgia is the direct result of concerted efforts by the American Kratom Association, along with support from kratom consumers and vendors. Once enacted, this bill will protect kratom consumers in Georgia from adulterated and misbranded products and will ensure that responsible and compliant vendors can market pure, quality kratom products.

We’re grateful to the AKA, all its supporters, and the lawmakers of Georgia who understood the benefits of this consumer protection act. Please stay informed about kratom’s status in your state and support the AKA!

Georgia Update from the AKA:

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Utah’s Governor Signs Kratom Consumer Protection Act

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In a victory for both kratom consumers and the kratom industry, Utah became the first state to pass the Kratom Consumer Protection Act when Governor Gary Herbert signed it into law this week.

The American Kratom Association, along with support from consumers, vendors, and political allies, led the charge to educate Utah’s lawmakers on the merits of sensible kratom regulation. The legislation will protect kratom consumers from adulterated and misbranded products and will demand that vendors to be responsible and compliant. Left Coast Kratom is grateful for the work AKA has done to encourage compliance in the kratom industry and to keep kratom consumers and products safe.

Left Coast Kratom supports the AKA’s advocacy efforts and participates in the AKA GMP Standards Program. We hope our customers get involved, stay informed, and donate to AKA so they can continue to work for our community!

Utah Update from the AKA: