Kratom is easily one of the most demanded botanical herbs, but is Kratom legal? While customers can easily find Kratom for sale today in various places, not all of them know much about Kratom’s legality.
Kratom enthusiasts state that Kratom is a 100% natural and plant-based substance known to have fascinating properties. If this is true, why is Kratom’s legality a big deal all over the world? The truth is that Kratom’s legality is not as big an issue as some groups have made it out to be! People searching for ‘Kratom’s legality’ usually get a positive answer, and there are only some cases where the answer to that is strictly no. Keep reading this article to learn everything you need to know about ‘Kratom’s legality?’.
Kratom: Where Does It Come From?
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Before we answer ‘Is Kratom legal?’, it is important to give you a little bit of background information on this famous herb so that you can understand the controversy behind its legality. You see, Kratom originates from the Southeast Asian regions of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, etc.
Whereas the Kratom tree has been around in Southeast Asia for centuries, it was only discovered by the Western world in 1836. The leaves of this tree are harvested by farmers to obtain Kratom, and there are 3 primary Kratom colors:
After scientific studies were conducted, it was learned that Kratom has various fascinating properties due to the alkaloid profile of its leaves! Today, about 5 million customers buy Kratom regularly in the US in different forms, such as Kratom powders or Kratom capsules.
Kratom’s Complicated Legal Status
There is no single answer to ‘Is Kratom Legal?’ because of which Kratom admirers sometimes have a hard time figuring out the truth. The truth is, Kratom is largely legal all over the world except for in a few areas! Let’s discuss Kratom’s legality in different areas of the world:
Is Kratom Legal in the US?
People searching for ‘Kratom’s legal status in the US’ will have to do a little more research as Kratom’s legality in the US varies from state to state. This is because of the existence of both federal and state-level legal systems in the US. Each state can decide if a substance is legal or not.
Currently, only 6 states have made it completely illegal to buy, sell, or possess Kratom and these states are:
Wisconsin
Alabama
Arkansas
Rhode Island
Vermont
Indiana
The story of Kratom’s legality in the US doesn’t end there as various other states decided they weren’t going to ban Kratom and instead put certain restrictions on it. For example, states like New Hampshire and Tennessee decided that you need to be of a certain age to buy Kratom (18 in New Hampshire and 21 in Tennessee). Then there are states like Illinois, where Kratom is legal to everyone over 18 except in the county of Jerseyville.
If you’re searching for the answer to ‘Is Kratom legal in California’, you will learn that Kratom is completely legal there except in the county of San Diego. Other than in these states/counties and a few others, residents of the US can purchase their Kratom strains with no risk involved.
Kratom in Rest of the World
Other than the US, there are about 194 more countries in the world! The good news for Kratom admirers is that only 18 of these countries have made Kratom completely illegal to buy, sell, or possess. These countries are:
Vietnam
Thailand
Sweden
South Korea
Singapore
Russia
Romania
Poland
New Zealand
Malaysia
Myanmar
Lithuania
Latvia
Japan
Israel
Finland
Denmark
Australia
Apart from these, countries like Italy, Ireland, and the United Kingdom have followed the US stance on Kratom. Just like in the US, in these countries, Kratom’s legality varies from state to state. In African nations and China, there is no law regarding Kratom yet.
Why the Fuss Behind Kratom’s Legality?
So, if Kratom is legal in over 150 countries and largely legal in the US, why is there so much hatred directed at this botanical herb? For that, you have to take a closer look at the market.
Pharmaceuticals and other groups like the tobacco industry have long been dominating the US market and markets worldwide with their products. Citing their own concerns, they began to make collective efforts to enforce a Kratom ban. For this, they employed tactics in which they spread false, unverified information regarding the naturally occurring Kratom herb.
Recently, the countries or areas that have banned Kratom claim to have done so because of its primary alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Despite the fact that both of these alkaloids occur naturally in the kratom leaves.
Best Place to Get Your Kratom
Knowing the answer to ‘Is Kratom legal?’ isn’t enough if you don’t know where to get the best quality Kratom in the market! Not to worry, though, as we at Green Leaf Kratom have you covered. When you buy your Kratom from us, we can assure you of the following:
