standards

The kratom industry in America has always been a bit shaky, especially from the outside looking in. Due to strict rules, importation problems, and changing laws, the status of kratom is not always clear or consistent. This can lead to some fear and discomfort among both kratom vendors and kratom consumers.

Due to this uncertainty, the GMP program was established by the American Kratom Association in an attempt to organize and plan for the future of the kratom industry. Varying laws and disorganization were putting the industry’s future at risk. The GMP program has, in many ways, smoothed out many of those risks.

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into understanding the GMP program and what it is all about. How can a single program change the future of the industry forever? Find out today!

All About The GMP Program

If you aren’t familiar with the GMP program run by the American Kratom Association, don’t worry! We’ll cover it (and why it matters for consumers like you) today.

The GMP Program, also known as the Good Manufacturing Practices Program, is a standards program that was set up to help kratom vendors establish a high level of manufacturing. The program sets up certain industry standards that help to ensure every batch of kratom sold is safe and reliable for consumers.

What Guidelines Are Established?

The specific guidelines established by the GMP program are very detailed. If you want to read the full guidelines, you can check them out on the AKA website here.

Generally, these guidelines set up provisions to ensure the following:

Kratom is being tested regularly
Kratom is being tested in batches that are tracked with proper documentation.
The facilities are being managed in safe, secure ways.
The workers are in safe conditions and are also being encouraged to follow safety procedures properly.
The labeling on kratom is not misleading for consumers.
The business is being properly audited by a 3rd party every year.
There are systems in place to track the complete kratom supply chain being used.

Each of these areas, as well as all of the others covered in the complete guidelines, are important to ensure that the kratom sold to customers is being monitored for safety. Before these guidelines existed, there were discrepancies within the community about what level of testing was necessary.

With industry standards like the GMP rules in place, it makes it easier to share and apply all new research about what is best for kratom processing as well.

How Are Vendors Added?

If a vendor wants to join the GMP program, they have to make sure that they are compliant with all of the guidelines. That, however, is just one step of the complete process. Joining the GMP isn’t necessarily simple, but it is a worthwhile time investment for vendors.

Here is what vendors have to do to join the program:

Enroll on AKA’s website.
Complete the initial 3rd party audit within 90 days.
If the 90-day audit window is missed, AKA will work with the vendor to find out if this was a reasonable mistake or if their practices are out of the GMP requirements. The AKA will update their participant list accordingly.
Every year, the vendor must complete another 3rd party audit.

As long as a vendor remains in line with the guidelines laid out by the AKA’s program, they will be able to stay in the program for many years to come.

Why Does GMP Matter?

Has it become clear to you why the GMP is so important yet?

If not, that’s okay!

It can be confusing to pay attention to the behind-the-scenes workings of an industry when you are just a consumer in that area. Let’s focus on why the GMP program should matter to you.

There are a few major reasons why having this program in place is so important for kratom consumers:

Gives you an easy way to check if your preferred vendors take safety seriously
Ensures that only safe and tested kratom is being sold
Helps track any contaminated batches and who bought them if that should happen
Builds up the community into a respected, safe place

Kratom’s status in the United States can be scary and confusing when the laws are different depending on where you live. A program like GMP helps to ensure that regardless of limited state laws and actions, the industry as a whole is being held to a level of high-quality.

Left Coast Kratom and GMP

Left Coast Kratom is a proud member of the GMP program. In addition to passing the initial screenings after we made sure that our business was in line with the guidelines, we continue to update our processes to follow the best practices as they are updated by the GMP program.

As time goes on, we believe that having such high standards in the industry is going to make it a better place for consumers and vendors alike.

Support The GMP Program

The best way that you, as a consumer, can support the GMP program is to make sure that you are only buying from vendors that are actively working towards accreditation or are, even better, already participants.

The complete list of qualified vendors is updated on AKA’s website regularly.

Buying from vendors on this list rather than those that do not take these protections seriously helps to ensure the future of safe kratom in America. When low-quality products make it to the market, they put the entire industry at risk.

Shopping Locally

Kratom lovers that love to shop for kratom locally can still follow this rule by checking out the list of vendors before they hit up their local shop. In the shop, you should be able to find more than one brand option for kratom. And if your local shop doesn’t carry any qualified vendors, you can strike up a conversation and find out why not!

In some cases, they may not be able to source from those vendors, or they may not be aware of the program’s importance. Either way, getting involved with kratom advocation at the local level is a great thing to do.

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.

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:

• Helped specific states and counties pass kratom regulation laws
• Set up the GMP program for safer kratom sales
• Responded to misleading claims by the FDA for the kratom community
• Reached out to Indonesia government officials about potential export ban

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.

How The Future of Kratom Relies On The GMP Program