While one study on kratom by Andrew Kruegel (who happens to be featured in the new A Leaf of Faith documentary by Chris Bell) another article published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence shows that kratom has immense potential as a harm reduction tool.

We must take care to educate people to think about government propaganda that wants to appear as if it has public health in mind, yet fails to remember that many kratom and cannabis consumers have already been down that road and it led to a very dark place. The road I am speaking about is synthetic pharmaceuticals.
As any kratom advocate will tell you, there is a time and a place for pharmaceuticals. We obviously need drugs such as insulin and antibiotics. But America needs to wean itself from a dependency on oil, drugs and the drug war.

Background

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a psychoactive plant native to Southeastern Asia that is receiving increased international attention as a potential therapeutic agent. While much of the limited scientific research on kratom is focused on its analgesic potential, kratom use also has important risks and benefits in the domain of mental health.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of all studies on kratom use and mental health published between January 1960 and July 2017.

Results

Findings indicate kratom’s potential as a harm reduction tool, most notably as a substitute for opioids among people who are addicted. Kratom also enhances mood and relieves anxiety among many users. For many, kratom’s negative mental health effects – primarily withdrawal symptoms – appear to be mild relative to those of opioids. For some users, however, withdrawal is highly uncomfortable and maintaining abstinence becomes difficult.

Conclusion

Results inform clinicians working in the mental health and substance use fields, policy-makers, and researchers about the mental health effects of this plant.

Read the full story about kratom and mental health by Marc T. Swogger on Science Direct.