what is kratom

5 Awesome Kratom Facts That Everyone Should Know

September 25, 2019 by LCK

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.

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.

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!

Kratom Lab Testing: Why You Should Care If It’s Being Done

May 15, 2019 by LCK

As we go about our daily lives, there are a lot of different things that get tested before we use them. Cars and buses go through rigorous safety tests before they can hit the roads. Facilities that process produce must ensure their safety, and restaurants have to pass regular cleanliness tests to be permitted to serve food.

Testing products that we are eating is one of the most important things that we rely on companies to do. When we buy something at a store, we feel safe. We trust that the item has been handled appropriately, and we feel that it is safe to eat.

Why would we feel any differently about Kratom?

Like other substances that are ingested, Kratom is going into your body and can thus have very serious effects on your body. While uncontaminated Kratom is unlikely to cause any big problems, contaminated Kratom can cause serious shock and illness.

So what can be done about this?

Kratom vendors, makers, and middle-men can ensure that Kratom is being tested properly before it makes its way into the hands of consumers. We’re going to discuss how the testing process should happen and why it’s so important that it does happen!

Testing Kratom

All in all, it is relatively easy for a company to have their Kratom tested. They have to hire a third-party service to take samples of various product batches and then analyze those samples to ensure that there are no contaminants.

When talking in the world of Kratom, we usually call qualified testing labs accredited labs.

All About Accredited Labs

What makes a lab an accredited lab? Simply put, an accredited lab has passed a set of exams to ensure that they are following the right methodology when performing ISO/IEC tests at their facilities.

Testing at an accredited lab is essential because other labs might not do the test the right way, or they might not be legally allowed to certify the results of the exams.

GMP Standards In The World Of Kratom

GMP Standards, also known as Good Manufacturing Practices, are a part of most manufacturing industries. These rules are created (often at the national level) and monitored to ensure that the items being produced are safe for consumers to use.

For Kratom, there is no national governing body that regulates the production and processing of Kratom. As such, there have been cases of contaminated Kratom making it to the market and causing users to get ill.

To prevent the spread of those type of issues, the American Kratom Association created a set of Good Manufacturing Practices, based on the FDA’s GMP standards, for Kratom vendors and makers to follow.

As a GMP qualified vendor, we are confident that our products are safely made and processed. Gaining recognition as a qualified vendor in this program is very special to us because we know that we are doing everything that we can to ensure our customer’s safety when choosing to use Kratom!

Our Testing

Here at Left Coast Kratom, we like to be confident that we are going to be selling the best possible Kratom to our customers.

As such, we’ve implemented a number of safety protocols to align with AKA’s GMP standards:

Test for pathogens in our facilities
Ensure proper sanitation techniques
Screen suppliers thoroughly
Have complete tests done more regularly
Use more than one third-party testing lab

By doing all of these things, we are ensuring that our products are properly stored, maintained, and created before they get to you.

Possible Kratom Contaminants

You may be curious about what type of contaminants can be found in Kratom. While there are a wide variety of potential cross-contamination issues, the main areas that are focused on when testing Kratom include the following:

• Pathogens:
Coliforms, mold, yeast, salmonella
• Heavy metals:
Lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, arsenic

Those are the most common problems found in batches created and processed by dishonest Kratom sellers that are trying to make a quick buck. These sellers don’t worry about safety practices, and that allows their product to be contaminated with dangerous growth like mold or yeast.

Kratom Testing: What Is Tested For

When an accredited lab carries out a test on Kratom, there is a specific set of things that they will look for.

The test will include all of the following:

• Ensure the product is actually Kratom
• Ensure that there are no microbials in the substance
• Check heavy metal concentrations
• Check for any contamination
• Ensure the alkaloids present are real, not synthetic
• Confirm the presence and percentages of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, the two most common alkaloids found in Kratom

How You Can Be Confident In Your Purchase

When you’re planning on trying a new Kratom store or you simply want to restock on your favorite product, it’s important that you check that all the vendors you like to use have up-to-date testing procedures and practices.

Most qualified GMP vendors will have that information clearly and proudly listed on their website. After all, it’s quite a feat to be accepted into AKA’s program!

If you cannot find any clear information about testing on a vendor’s website, reach out to their customer service contact and find out about their testing policy. It will only take you a couple of hours to get the information that you need, and you will be able to feel safer and more confident in your purchase!

Taking Kratom Is Serious

Here at Left Coast Kratom, we love Kratom! We know that it can have a lot of benefits for different people, and we love that we get to be a part of making that connection.

That being said, we are also fully aware that Kratom is a very serious substance. When used incorrectly or contaminated at the source without a customer’s knowledge, Kratom can be dangerous.

That is why we want to reiterate one last time how important it is for you to make sure that you are only buying fully vetted, properly tested Kratom. When you take Kratom that has not been tested, you’re taking a risk that isn’t worth taking.

Lab testing is important; ask your favorite vendors to join AKA’s compliance program to help ensure the safety of Kratom users across the country!

Kratom: What Is It & Who Uses It?

May 8, 2019 by LCK

Are you new to the world of Kratom? Unsure about what Kratom really is and what it can do for you? Today, we’re going to help you clear up that confusion so you can get a better understanding of this botanical, its current status, and the ways people use it.

When you’re considering trying a product like Kratom, researching it before you start is incredibly important. You should never try something that you don’t have a good foundation of knowledge about, so we will help you get that foundation in place for your first Kratom experience!

What Is Kratom?

Let’s begin by answering this basic question: what is Kratom?

Kratom is a plant. This deciduous tree grows in Asian countries like Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and more. The tree mostly grows in very warm climates like those present in these areas, but it’s not unheard of to be able to grow Kratom in colder weather areas.

It’s a tropical plant that can grow quite tall; it can even reach heights of over 70 feet! But the interesting part of this tree is not its height, it’s what chemicals are inside of the leaves.

This type of tree is also known as Mitragyna speciosa, because it contains two special compounds called mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Those compounds are naturally occurring chemical substances known as alkaloids. Alkaloids are found in many plants, especially flowering plants, including common alkaloids like caffeine, nicotine, and quinine.

Kratom’s Traditional Past

In Southeast Asia, there is a long history of people regularly using Kratom for a variety of reasons. From chewing on the leaves straight off the tree to brewing up a special tea from the leaves or stems, Kratom has been safely used for centuries.

Today, the leaves are typically dried before they are used. Once dried and processed, they can be used as a tea, powder, or in a number of other ways.

How Is Kratom Consumed?

How do you take Kratom?

M. speciosa products are available in a wide variety of ingestion methods. With a plethora of products, from liquid extracts to tea and crushed leaves to capsules, there’s an option to suit pretty much everyone’s preferences. For various reasons, some methods are better than others for different people, so we recommend that you take some time to look into those methods and find what works for you.

How Does Kratom Work?

Before we get too far into this section of today’s guide, we want to be clear that there is still a need for more research about Kratom and how it works. While some studies about this very interesting plant substance have been done, more unbiased and thorough research will be needed to completely understand the intricacies of this amazing botanicals.

Still, there are some things that we already know about Kratom and the compounds found in Kratom.

Both mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are active alkaloids. These alkaloids interact with receptors in the central nervous system when they are taken. When the alkaloids bind with receptors in the body, the various effects of Kratom occur.

Who Uses Kratom?

Kratom is used by a lot of different people in many walks of life. In fact, you could not categorize people that use Kratom any easier than you could categorize people who love the color blue! There simply isn’t a specific type of person that uses Kratom.

It is estimated by the American Kratom Association that approximately 15 million Americans use Kratom, and this number is surely growing every single day! This includes doctors, nurses, and first responders, as well as lawyers, politicians, teachers, and probably some folks you know!

The point is that anybody can use Kratom. If you’re interested in the effects that Kratom could have on your life, you’re doing the right thing by learning more about this substance. In the end, you may find that it is a great fit for what you are looking for!

Is Kratom Legal?

If you search the word “Kratom” online, you’ll find a slew of results about the dangers of Kratom and statements by the FDA about the risks of Kratom. Unfortunately, Kratom has gained a bad reputation over the past few years due to misinformation, misguidance, and dishonest Kratom vendors.

The simple fact remains that Kratom is legal to take for personal use in most places in the U.S. There are six states and a few counties and cities that have banned Kratom. It is not legal for vendors like us to sell Kratom to you as a medical treatment as it is not meant to treat any specific disorder, but there are no federal laws preventing its sale.

For the past few years, organizations like the American Kratom Association have been working together with Kratom vendors like us to help improve the name that Kratom has among the general population. Kratom, when used properly, is a safe botanical that has truly benefited many lives.

We want to help the world see that, and that is a big part of why we put so much time into creating educational content like this article about the history and usage of Kratom.

The Future of Your Kratom Usage

We hope that you’ve learned a lot from today’s guide to the basics of Kratom! If you browse our site, you’ll find many different strains and varieties of Kratom that may catch your interest.

If you’re still not sure about whether not using Kratom is right for you at this time, we recommend that you check out more of the articles we have on our blog. By continuing your search for knowledge about Kratom, we’re confident that you’ll be able to figure out if Kratom is the right choice for you!