Mitragyna speciosa, known as kratom, is a plant native to countries in Southeast Asia. Traditionally people have used the extract as a pain reliever and for other medical use. However, there is significantly less scientific evidence to back the claim.
There are, however, no synthetic cannabinoids and alkaloids present in this plant-based product. It is a tree extract and not much different from bath salts.
The primary kratom alkaloids include mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Apart from these, 40 other alkaloids and many secondary metabolites may have multiple benefits. However, kratom having medical properties is a topic of debate. Many consumers find the herb useful and have been using it as a wellness product for ages.
The kratom industry has been rapidly growing, the number of users is rising yearly, and kratom sales are skyrocketing. However, the product’s rising popularity couldn’t escape the clutches of governmental health agencies. The extract is banned in many countries and even in some US states. So is kratom still legal in florida? Let’s find out!
Kratom has many strains, the most famous being red, green, and white vein types. These vein types again have different varieties growing in different Southeast Asian countries.
Apart from these three, yellow and Bentuangie kratom is also present. However, they are less famous than the three other strains.
These strains come from matured kratom leaves and are known to have the most potency. Red maeng da strain is an excellent example of a red strain type.
Green strains come from semi-matured leaves and have a well-balanced alkaloid profile. Green Malay is an excellent example of a green strain.
Cultivators use immature leaves to produce white strain variants. These varieties are hard to find and have slightly higher pricing than the other strains. White Thai is an excellent example of a white strain.
Kratom is legal for consumption in the sunshine state, i.e., Florida, but illegal in some counties. Sarasota county and John’s county are the two places in Florida where the consumption of kratom has a complete ban imposed.
Thus the drug is legal for at least 21.48 million people living in the state of Florida but not for the mere 447 thousand people in the city of Sarasota county.
The minimum age for consuming kratom is 21 years. However, it is a good step because the extract’s effects may cause disorientation in young adults or people below the age of 21.
There is no ban on Kratom products wholly in the USA. It is legal in most states except a few regulated states like Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The herb is legal in top states like Illinois, Washington DC, North and South Dakota, Texas, Ohio, etc.
Although many states have provisions for legal kratom, few towns and cities inside these legal states have kratom as an illegal product. For example, the drug is legal in New Hampshire yet illegal in Franklin, a city in the same state. Likewise, California is a kratom-legal state, but San Diego, a coastal city inside the state, has made kratom illegal there.
Denver, a city in the US State of Colorado, has made kratom an illegal drug within its territory. However, kratom is legal and freely available in the entirety of Colorado. The same situation has happened in Illinois and Mississippi, where Jerseyville and Union county, respectively, have kratom illegal, while the counties have made kratom legal.
To date, Florida has never considered banning kratom, and there are no stringent measures to regulate kratom in the state. In addition, Florida is a great tourist hotspot, attracting tourists from inside the country and outside because of the beaches.
Florida College also holds importance because many people from the country and abroad come here to study. Thus, it makes sense why the authorities haven’t banned the substance.
However, the case differs for Sarasota county and St. John’s county. So let’s learn what’s wrong with these two places in Florida.
Sarasota is a small West-Central Florida county known for some Wildlife Sanctuaries and National parks. It is a beautiful place, yet it couldn’t escape the clutches of kratom banning.
Since January 2014, the government snatched the status of legal kratom away from Sarasota county. Violating the restrictions and subsequent offenses can land you a fine of $500 or more. However, the law has been unchanged since 2014, and the authorities should look into the matter again.
There was a petition in circulation shortly after the imposition of the ban. However, the petition could gather only 600 signatures, which needed more to overturn the law.
A similar kratom ban was on the way to imposition in St. John’s county a few years back. Then, in early 2019, a few commissioners from the county fixed a meeting to discuss the legality of the drug. But, when some 20 kratom users told the commissioners that kratom had therapeutic properties, the ban was subsided.
Thus, St. John’s county didn’t become prey to the misinformation that often spreads like wildfires. But, on the other hand, Sarasota county became one.
Kratom consumer protection act (KCPA) states that dealers or vendors selling kratom have to meet the highest level of purity, stick to the labeling requirements, and only sell products premium products like best kratom capsules to people 21 years of age and above.
It is an excellent step to keep the vendors in check and provide consumers with the best quality product. Various US states have their KCPA. The states that have passed KCPA include Utah, Nevada, Georgia, Florida, and Arizona.
The Florida Senate also has a Florida KCPA that looks after the well-being of the kratom customers in the state. The act allows educating people more about a drug, its constituents, its potential uses, and its side effects. In addition, it is an essential step in the standardization and regulation of the drug.
Kratom use is illegal in most nations worldwide. Some countries that ban kratom include Australia, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Myanmar, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, and many others.
One of the primary reasons for banning kratom is its psychoactive effects. According to governmental agencies like the FDA and DEA, other reasons, like the side effects and risks associated with its consumption, make it highly dangerous for humans. The US DEA has listed kratom as a Schedule I drug.
People worldwide say that kratom may have many medicinal properties. However, there is no solid proof regarding the same. There are ongoing studies and experiments on how the alkaloids react with the opioid receptors and what can be the severity of overdosing on the herb.
Scientists have also been studying the medical properties of the alkaloids and metabolites present inside kratom. Only time will tell if one can use kratom as a medicinal requirement. If someday medical science proves the medicinal aspects of using the drug, many countries may make it legal for recreational and medical use like cannabis.
Kratom produces adverse reactions in the body if taken in an uncontrolled way. So, there might be cases of liver damage due to overdosing. Some experts also compare the side effects of kratom to heroin because of addiction.
Overdose, addiction, and substance abuse of kratom may lead to various short-term side effects.
US DEA (Drug Enforcement Authority) states that kratom is a controlled substance. In addition, the DEA has placed the substance under the category of Schedule I drugs due to the addiction it causes and the side effects.
However, an association known as The American kratom association(AKA) has many companies under it following a set of rules to provide good quality products to customers.
The association stands for kratom advocates and the supply of high-quality kratom products in the market.
In addition, it checks if the member companies are delivering products free from heavy metals and other substances that can harm the body. In short, the AKA looks after the well-being of kratom consumers through some set of rules known as Good Manufacturing Practices or AKA-GMP.
Kratom use should be done safely. The risks involved with the drug are high and have always been a concern for many countries worldwide. We urge kratom consumers never to overdose on kratom because its results have historically never been good.
It would help if you also avoided kratom abuse or the abuse of any other drugs because it produces addiction, which will not be a good thing in the long run.
The drug from Southeast Asia may help relieve chronic pain and other medical conditions. However, pieces of evidence regarding these are scanty. The FDA and research organizations have been actively monitoring the drug for many years.
People worldwide are hopeful that the booming industry may soon urge the states where kratom is illegal to lift the ban. However, we aren’t guaranteeing anything, but if that happens, many people will love the decision. Until then, consume kratom within limits and with utmost safety.
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