drug use

Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, with leaves that can have psychotropic effects. Kratom is not currently illegal and has been easy to order on the internet. Most people take kratom as a pill or capsule. Some people chew kratom leaves or brew the dried or powdered leaves as a tea. Sometimes the leaves are smoked or eaten in food. Two compounds in kratom leaves, mitragynine and 7-α-hydroxymitragynine, interact with opioid receptors in the brain, producing sedation, pleasure, and decreased pain. Mitragynine can also interact with other receptor systems in the brain to produce stimulant effects. Reported health effects of kratom use include nausea, sweating, seizures, and psychotic symptoms. Commercial forms of kratom are sometimes laced with other compounds that have caused deaths. Some users have reported becoming addicted to kratom. Behavioral therapies and medications have not specifically been tested for treatment of kratom addiction.

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services