More Misleading Journalism

Please politely tell the author about your positive experiences with kratom: http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/local/kratom-gateway-to-opioid-abuse/article_f18ee886-7c95-513b-895f-af9bef947f0f.html

I've grown so frustrated with the misinformation/bias that it's difficult not to tune these articles out. It's unfortunate the journalists only appear interested in presenting one side of a story. It's the same tired formula:

1. Someone dies
2. Investigators find traces of kratom in the bloodstream of the deceased
3. Kratom is to blame; print "kratom is evil" article
4. Throw longtime responsible kratom consumers under the bus

Objectivity, my friends, isn't a moneymaker. Disinformation and sensationalism, however, are what bring the ad clicks. I don't blame a publication for trying to make a buck, but I am certain there's a way to go about making money without sacrificing integrity.

Is Kratom Legal in My State?

I recently received this question through my contact form and thought it might be helpful to answer it in a blog post, since the answer may be beneficial to a larger audience. The American Kratom Association has a section that covers legality, complete with an interactive map of the U.S, detailing the legal status of kratom in each state. Additionally, the Botanical Legal Defense website contains up-to-date status of kratom bills as they progress through state legislatures.

Getting to Know Hill Country Kratom

A couple of weeks ago, Dominic from Hill Country Kratom contacted me about trying some samples. I'm fairly selective about the vendors with whom I choose to do business, but Dominic really caught my attention. Hill Country Kratom is based in central Texas, so I'm always eager to pump some money back into the local economy. What really stood out, though, was the great relationship that Hill Country Kratom (HCK) has with their farmer in Indonesia. The farmer that supplies kratom for HCK is a teacher as well, and some of the proceeds from HCK's sales are donated to the school where the farmer teaches. How cool! Needless to say, I was enthusiastic to try some samples, and help promote the business a bit.

Dominic sent me two varieties to try: Red Maeng Da and Green Vein. The Green Vein was definitely outstanding. I took it before my son's basketball game on a Saturday, and was feeling social, energized, and ready to take on the world. Normally, I'm pretty sluggish on Saturdays (by choice), but this was a nice change. The Red Maeng Da wasn't super noteworthy, but that may have had more to do with my condition at the time, as I wasn't feeling particularly well. I don't fault the strain for this.

I was impressed by Hill Country Kratom and Dominic. I'm going to place my next bulk order with them, so that I can get a good sampling or their product over a period of a month. I'm also going to give the Red Maeng Da another try! Hill Country Kratom is a vendor worth checking out, and they are doing good things for the world. I'm looking forward to seeing some of my money get reinvested into education!

Updates

I’ve made a couple of minor updates to the process for posting comments on the blog. There seemed to be an influx of nefarious characters posting anonymously, so I now require registration. There are several services available from which to select when you leave a comment, so just choose the one that you prefer. You’re bound to have an account with one of the services. I’ve also added a gentle reminder to be nice when you leave a comment. I realize that’s a broad and subjective term, but I don’t think it’s too difficult to keep your comments within the boundaries of decency.

Thanks!

A Trip to the Local Head Shop

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I don't normally purchase my kratom from a head shop. Head shops are notorious for marketing kratom as a "legal high," which casts a dark shadow over kratom and those who consume it. On the rare occasions when I run low, I will make a quick stop at the locally-owned head shop.

This may be obvious to some, but if you're new to kratom, take the dosing instructions from the head shop employees with a grain of salt. While I was standing in line the other day, an employee was instructing someone new to kratom to take three tablespoons every three to four hours. That's roughly twenty-five grams in a dose which would leave me in a very poor state for many hours. (My normal dose is about 5-7 grams or 1.5 teaspoons.) I'm glad I happened to be there that day, because I was able to tell the customer that she should start with one teaspoon. I sincerely hope she listened. She was middle-aged, so I suspect a dose as high as the employee recommended might have been quite a bit harder on her.

While we're on the topic, how much kratom should one have if they've never tried kratom before? No more than a teaspoon is what I would say. What are your thoughts?