Vitamin K

Let’s talk about Kratom. Never heard of it? Well, you’re not alone— most people— including doctors— have never heard of it either. Kratom (K), like marijuana, comes from a plant. It’s cultivated in Southeast Asia, from a species of tree known as

Mitragyna Speciosa

Mitragyna Speciosa, essentially a tropical evergreen.

Marijuana Weed

It’s very similar in reputation to marijuana as well, in that people who aren’t really familiar with either plant like to paint them both in a bad light. As time has shown with marijuana, it is essentially a harmless weed. So too with K, but as it is still relatively unknown, most of the press it gets is bad press. People who know and use K, however, know it to be very different than its reputation would have you believe.

Like marijuana, K has medicinal properties that allow it to act, among other things, like an analgesic, working to alleviate minor aches and pains. But K also has sedative properties, as well as stimulant properties, depending on strain and dose.

Because it works on opioid receptors in the brain, people have successfully used K to wean them selves from opioid addiction. In America, a country that is trying to break the grip of opioid addiction/dependency, it is surprising that the medical community doesn't embrace an alternative recovery treatment.

Then again, marijuana has been federally illegal in the US since the 1930s. Even now, while the majority of states have made it legal for everything from medicinal reasons to recreational reasons, it is still illegal federally. At any time, the Fed could step in with any state that legalized it and enforce the illegality. Don't believe it? Ask California, a state that is now on its third attempt to legalize marijuana.

Is it fear? Maybe. People tend to fear what they don't understand. It's also bad publicity. What chances did marijuana have when every one of its spokespersons through the years has been viewed as a stoner?

Cheech & Chong

Snoop Dogg

  

Believe what you will, but Conservatives still "rule the roost" when it comes to societal mores. If the marijuana culture wants marijuana to be more socially acceptable, like say, alcohol, it needs to be more “mainstream” in its approach, with its advertising and with its "mascots."

K needs to take a page from that playbook. Put out as much good press as possible. Testimonials. Test results. All solid evidence.

Here’s another chestnut that the naysayers like to throw out, only taking half of the equation into consideration: no one has died exclusively from K. Why exclusively?

Well, people who use K have reportedly died, but in all of those fatalities, K was not the only substance ingested. In other words, mix to your own potential peril; much like any substance.

This writer successfully uses K, twice a day. In the mornings I take it to alleviate any residual pains from the night (hips, shoulders, legs, etc). Early evening I take it and it effectively helps me to relax.

I mentioned strains and doses earlier. A strain can usually be broken out by “color” and speed. So generally you have red, green, yellow, and white colored leaves (the veins, to be specific). A green-veined leaf is, “Great for promoting an overall positive well-being. The balanced effects help gently encourage optimism, energy, and

moderate discomfort relief (happyhippo.com).” It is associated with a “fast” speed, meaning it has stimulant properties. I will generally use green vein in the mornings, to wake up and to throw off the residual nighttime aches and pains.

Red-veined K is, “Associated with relaxing and calming effects; superior for aiding physical discomfort (happyhippo.com).” It is associated with a “slow” speed, meaning it has relaxing/sedative properties I generally take red-veined K in the evenings.

I use what’s called a modified “toss and wash:” I have a small cocktail shaker that I use to mix K and orange juice. OJ is a good mixer for two reasons: it’s strong taste somewhat masks the bitter taste of K; and OJ is a potentiator for K (it gives it a judge of strength).

You can read more about the specifics of K at my favorite K retailer, Happy Hippo

Kratom (happyhippo.com— click the Hippo for more info). If you haven’t tried it, maybe you should. Aches? K. Sleepiness? K. Over-stimulated? K. Trying to smoothly come off of pain meds (opioids)? K.

© Ray Cattie