Kratom, also known as Mitragyna speciosa, is an herbal leaf from a tree of the Rubiaceae family.
It is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family
native to where?
A: Southeast Asia.
It is indigenous to what countries?
A: Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia,
Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea.
It has been used in herbal medicine since when?
A: Since at least the nineteenth century.
Kratom has opioid properties and some what?
A: Stimulant-like effects.
As of 2018, the efficacy and safety of kratom are
unclear, and the drug was not approved as what in the United States due to
the poor quality of the research?
A: A therapeutic agent.
In 2019, the United States
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) stated what?
A: That there is no evidence that kratom is safe or effective for treating
any condition.
Some people take it for what?
A: Managing chronic pain, for treating opioid withdrawal symptoms, or for
recreational purposes.
When does the onset of effects typically begin?
A: Within five to ten minutes and lasts for two to five hours.
Anecdotal reports describe what?
A: Increased alertness, physical energy, talkativeness, sociability,
sedation, changes in mood, and pain relief following kratom use at various
doses.
What are common side effects?
A: Appetite loss, erectile dysfunction, nausea and constipation.
More severe side effects may include what?
A: Respiratory depression (decreased breathing), seizure, addiction, and
psychosis.
Other side effects may include what?
A: High heart rate and blood pressure, trouble sleeping, and, rarely, liver
toxicity.
What may occur when use is stopped?
A: Withdrawal symptoms.
Deaths have occurred with kratom both by itself and
how?
A: Mixed with other substances.
Serious toxicity is relatively rare and generally
appears when?
A: At high doses or when kratom is used with other substances.
As of 2018, kratom is a controlled substance in how
many countries?
A: 16.
In 2014, the FDA banned importing and manufacturing of kratom as what?
A: A dietary supplement.
Mitragyna speciosa is an evergreen tree in the genus
Mitragyna that can grow to what height?
A: A height of 25 m (82 ft).
Its trunk may grow to what diameter?
A: a 0.9 m (3 ft) diameter.
The trunk is generally straight, and the outer bark is
what?
A: Smooth and grey.
The leaves are dark green and glossy and can grow to
how long?
A: Over 14–20 cm (5.5–7.9 in) long.
What color are the flowers?
A: Deep yellow.
They grow in clusters of how many at the ends of the
branches?
A: Three.
How are Kratom leaves commonly used?
A: By chewing, as a tea, powdered in capsules or pills, or extracted for use
in liquids.
Kratom is rarely what?
A: Smoked.
In cultures where the plant grows, kratom has been used
in what?
A: Traditional medicine.
The leaves are chewed to relieve musculoskeletal pain
and increase energy, appetite, and sexual desire in ways similar to what?
A: Khat and coca.
The leaves or extracts from them are used to do what?
A: To heal wounds and as a local anesthetic.
Extracts and leaves have been used to treat what?
A: Coughs, diarrhea, and intestinal infections.
They are also used as intestinal deworming agents in
what country?
A: Thailand.
Kratom is often used by workers in laborious or
monotonous professions to stave off what?
A: Exhaustion as well as a mood enhancer and painkiller.