smoking kratom safety and side effects

The leaves of the tropical tree Kratom are used to make drugs. Although it has been used for a long time in Southeast Asia, the U.S. has just lately begun to use it. In Southeast Asia, Kratom tea is the most common way to consume the drug, but you can also get the powder form for smoking Kratom or snorting it.

Kratom users describe feelings of exhilaration and pain alleviation, while the effects of Kratom have not been well examined. Due to an increase in hospital visits and deaths from Kratom, there is rising worry about its safety. 

Knowing the consequences of snorting and smoking Kratom, as well as how to get help if you or a loved one is addicted to the drug, is crucial. Finding assistance should be done as soon as possible because snorting and smoking Kratom are extremely risky methods of using the drug and can cause further long-term damage.

What Is Kratom?

The tree known scientifically as Mitragyna speciosa, which is native to Southeast Asia, is the source of powdered or dried Kratom. A substance called mitragynine, which has opiate-like properties, is found in the leaves of this tree. Kratom might have minor stimulant effects in some preparations.

Kratom is not technically forbidden in the United States. Although the U.S. Food and Medicine Administration (FDA) has regulated the import of this drug, and numerous states and towns have restricted or outright banned its sale, the chemical is not specifically prohibited by federal law. Kratom is mainly sold online. However, it can also be purchased in head shops or supplement shops. It has been promoted as a remedy for several ailments, including anxiety\depression, coughing, diabetes, and high blood pressure.,

The dried leaves of Kratom were first smoked or made into a drink. The chemical is now offered for sale as capsules, pills, powders, or extracts so that it can be taken orally without needing to be prepared. The dried leaves are occasionally sold and can be consumed or smoked. The powder is occasionally snorted. However, it is uncommon.

Is Kratom Addictive?

Kratom is thought to be addictive because users exhibit behaviors and physical dependence that are reminiscent of other types of drug addiction. These behaviors include a compulsive need to take more to feel high. When you try to stop using a substance after developing a dependency on it, you could experience withdrawal symptoms. Kratom does have signs that are similar to those of opioid withdrawal symptoms. 

Kratom is intoxicating and can cause abuse and addiction, just like psychoactive drugs would, no matter how it is used. There are several Kratom adverse effects, including itching, nausea, sweating, and diarrhea.

When taking Kratom, some people have described experiencing psychotic symptoms. While Kratom shares many of the same effects as opioid medicines, when taken in excess, these effects can become deadly.

General Effects of Kratom

While Kratom has specific negative effects when snorted or smoked, it's crucial to be aware of Kratom's overall impacts as well since these will be present whether you snort it or smoke it.

Due to the paucity of research on Kratom, some of its effects are based solely on anecdotal reports. However, there is research that supports the following outcomes. Kratom's effects vary based on the dose. It exhibits stimulant-like effects at low dosages while producing opiate-like effects at large doses.

Effects of Smoking and Snorting Kratom

Can you smoke Kratom? Certainly. But be mindful of the effects aside from knowing how to smoke Kratom. Kratom enters the bloodstream more quickly when it is snorted or smoked. Addiction, overdose, and death are all becoming more likely as a result. Smoking Kratom leads to very speedy effects because the drug is taken straight into your system together with oxygen and penetrates the blood-brain barrier quickly.

Additional short- and long-term harm, including injury to the nose, throat, and upper respiratory system, can result from snorting and smoking Kratom. Additionally, it is believed that the extreme heat created by smoking could harm the active alkaloids, making it more challenging to determine the dosage. Being unsure of how much to take can raise your risk of overdosing.

Why Smoking Kratom is Discouraged

The long-term effects of smokable Kratom can be detrimental to your general health and have an effect on your lungs, nervous system, and more. Smoking Kratom can also lessen the results that you want from your Kratom supplements. That alone is a deal-breaker for many users. 

In a poll conducted by John Hopkins Medicine, "91% [of participants] reported using Kratom to reduce pain... 65% for sadness and 67% for anxiety. Smoking Kratom may interfere with its intended effects and lessen the impact of your total Kratom regimen.

Smoking Kratom Can Be Bad For You

Smoke inhalation, especially smoke from plant matter, is not biologically intended for human lungs. This applies to dry Kratom products like Kratom powder as well as raw Kratom leaves.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that smoking can harm your airways and the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs, which can lead to lung disease. One of the most prevalent lung conditions linked to smoking is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sometimes known as COPD. COPD symptoms include persistent cough, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest.

Smokers have a 12- to 13-fold higher risk of dying from COPD than nonsmokers do. Kratom smoking, though, can be risky for reasons beyond COPD or other chronic respiratory conditions.

Smoking Reduces the Efficacy of Kratom

In addition to its negative side effects, smoking Kratom can lessen the efficacy of its products. It's all related to the different alkaloids in Kratom, which are organic substances specific to the Kratom plant. The effects of Kratom you may experience after consumption are mostly brought about by its two major alkaloids, mitragynine (M.G.) and 7-hydroxymitragynine (MG-OH).

Based on previously published studies and anecdotal reports, it was believed that M.G. and its alkaloids break down in a pH- and temperature-dependent way, according to research published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology. Degrade, or producing an overall dose of Kratom that is less strong, is the essential word here.

To demonstrate this hypothesis, researchers Stephanie Basiliere and Sarah Kerrigan examined mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine in a five-pH, five-temperature controlled study. Both of Kratom's major alkaloids "as expected, both temperature and pH-dependent effects were seen."

How to Find the Right Way to Take Kratom

The kind of Kratom product you select will determine the best manner to safely and effectively consume it. There are numerous ways to prepare Kratom:

  • Kratom Powder

  • Infused Kratom Capsules

  • Potent Extracts

  • Kratom Shots

  • Loose Leaf Kratom

One of the most well-liked goods on the market is Kratom powder, which is highly coveted for its adaptability. The "Big 3" Kratom colors are three strain colors that you should be aware of when purchasing Kratom powder:

Red Vein: calming, great for usage at night

White Vein: stimulating, ideal for dosing at dawn

Green Vein: a cross between the red vein and white vein Kratom 

Looking for safe and high-quality Kratom products shouldn't be hard. You can never go wrong with Apotheca Kratom Capsules, Apotheca Kratom Powder, and Apotheca Kratom Extracts/Concentrates.

When administering Kratom, you should also consider the strain color. You want to maximize the benefits of both Kratom and chamomile, a natural sedative, if you're combining the two with your evening chamomile tea, for instance. 

As you probably already realized, red vein Kratom is the better option in this situation. On the other hand, taking white vein Kratom via the toss-and-wash approach can be more appropriate for you if you decide to go for a focus increase. If you use Kratom in this way, red vein goods can have the opposite impact of what you were hoping for.

For those who use green vein Kratom, we advise using whichever ingestion technique works best for you and your Kratom regimen. Because items with green veins offer a combination of the benefits of red and white veins, it's crucial to choose the right mode of ingestion for you.

Why choose the unknown when well-known Kratom products are so effective? Smoking Kratom has several immediate and long-term adverse effects that only worsen your health, going against the goals of a Kratom program.

In addition to the risks associated with smoking Kratom, the act itself weakens the main alkaloids that provide the plant with its well-known benefits. While 7-hydroxymitragynine decomposes 100% at 60°C (140°F), mitragynine attains 100% degradation at 80°C (176°F). 

This is a wasted dose of smoked Kratom when compared to the typical temperature of a lighted cigarette, which is 482°C, or around 900°F. Overall, using Kratom for smoking causes far more issues than it solves.

FAQ

Is Kratom a controlled substance?

Kratom is not subject to federal regulation in the U.S. This implies that no official agency oversees or certifies the efficacy and security of Kratom products bought in the United States, even those ordered online. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has thought of designating Kratom as a restricted substance due to the drug's negative impacts and addictive qualities.

Kratom is theoretically lawful on a federal level, but certain states and localities have chosen to outlaw it, making it illegal to buy, sell, possess, cultivate, or use it. Some people have set age limitations. The legality of Kratom in each U.S. state is summarized below.

Can Kratom make you high?

Similar to the effects of abusing opioids, Kratom consumption may cause a "high" or euphoric surge. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NY OASIS) likens how Kratom interacts with the brain's opiate receptors to how morphine does. 

A flood of some of the brain's neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, that assist in regulating mood and have an impact on decision-making are released when opioid medicines attach to opioid receptors. A person's mood is improved when the amount of these neurotransmitters in the brain is raised since it makes them feel happy.

How does Kratom affect the nervous system?

Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, the two major substances found in Kratom leaves, interact with opioid receptors in the brain. When these substances are taken in small doses, they have stimulating effects, whereas taking them at high levels they have sedative effects. 

Doctors think that Kratom has similar effects on the brain to opioid medicines because it connects to the same regions of the nerve cell. However, there are still not enough clinical trials or studies to determine the long-term consequences on health or how it functions and why.

Does smoking Kratom make you sleepy?"

You won't get the same results from Kratom smoking as you will from taking it orally. In actuality, smoking something won't have the same consequences as ingesting it. No matter what you smoke—tobacco, marijuana, or Kratom—the majority of the plant matter never gets past your throat and into your lungs. As a result, you may be consuming more toxic substances and compounds while still not experiencing the full benefits of the plant.

Buy Only the Best Kratom Products At Apotheca

If you're in the North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia areas, Apotheca can give you the Kratom products you need. It is our mission to provide you with clean, affordable, and sustainable alternative remedies to modern medicine. 

Our team researches, curates, and tests partner brands that put people first before profit. No product reaches our store shelves without being tested thoroughly for quality and efficacy. 

Our partners provide full test documentation and educational materials to support the customers' purpose of purchasing all-natural products to lead a healthier lifestyle.

We provide a safe, secure shopping experience in an industry full of uncertainty. Visit the Apotheca Store Locations to see what's in store for you.