#Kratom

Kratom use has spread rapidly outside Southeast Asia. New scientific reviews show its effects vary widely and call for measured regulation to protect public health (Kratom safety review).

Kratom is a tropical tree leaf that people chew, brew, or take as capsules. Many users report it helps pain, mood, energy and opioid withdrawal (Kratom safety review).

The surge in kratom use matters to Thai readers. Thailand has a long cultural history with kratom and new export and regulatory plans. The issue connects local traditions to global health and trade concerns (Kratom safety review).

Thailand finds itself at the center of a global transformation in kratom policy and scientific understanding, as the nation’s traditional herbal medicine—used for centuries by agricultural workers and traditional healers—now faces intense international scrutiny while offering unprecedented economic opportunities through regulated export markets and evidence-based therapeutic applications.

Comprehensive scientific reviews published in leading medical journals demonstrate that kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) produces highly variable effects depending on dosage, preparation method, and individual physiology, challenging both blanket prohibition policies and uncritical acceptance. These nuanced findings call for sophisticated regulatory frameworks that protect public health while preserving beneficial traditional uses.

The sudden death of a 37-year-old man in the United States after ingesting powdered kratom—a plant long used in Southeast Asia—has triggered renewed international safety warnings and legal scrutiny, with fresh research revealing mounting risks for consumers worldwide, including in Thailand. The case, now at the heart of a wrongful death lawsuit against manufacturers and vendors, highlights a surge in kratom-related poisonings, youth experimentation, and the global push for improved regulation and public awareness.

US health officials have launched a major crackdown on kratom-related products, targeting an opioid-like compound known as 7-hydroxymitragynine—often called “7-OH”—after a surge of complaints from the dietary supplement industry and growing safety concerns among regulators and medical experts. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced its intention to classify 7-OH as a Schedule I controlled substance, placing it on par with substances like LSD and heroin, and recommending a nationwide ban pending Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) review (WBRZ; Yahoo News; FDA).