The Kratom Market – Who to Trust?

-An overview on the kratom market

Your degree is sparkling. Your tie is straight. Your resume is a thing of beauty. And so thence are deployed the job applications, reaching out like roots scouring for water. 

And so pass the days. No call, no letter, nary a messenger pigeon to share some tidings or assurances of your suitability as a worker. You long for the days of youth, when the scourge of responsibility was still a distant spectre like a storm on the horizon. However shall the college loans be paid…

Then you remember the long held adage, so true it hurts.

It’s not what you know, but who you know.

It is applicable for much more than applications.

The Kratom Marketplace

To some extent, kratom is kratom. There are myriad strains, an array of cultivation methods, different geographical hubs that are thought to impart differing qualities to the particular product. These factors all contribute to the differences users report feeling between strains.

But it all stems from the same tree; kratom comes from the kratom leaf. #AccidentalPoetryHour

However, significant differences in the quality of kratom have become clear as more vendors enter the market. As kratom testing is not exactly practical for the common consumer, and so far regulations are yet to be brought up to a standardized par, it is crucial that you choose a trustworthy vendor. Who you know will decide what you know, if I may. And what do you know, bad vendors have bad product.

Bad kratom is not only a waste of money and time, but it may also be dangerous. Reports exist of vendors of low repute adding adulterants to kratom that make it unsafe for consumption. Even worse, dangerous contaminants can be included from careless handlers or cultivators. 

There are some warning signs one should look out for when choosing kratom:

There are exceptions to these rules. For example, some kratom comes pre-brewed as a tea. If it comes from a trustworthy vendor, then rest easy that it was not brewed into tea to conceal something from the consumer. Additionally, I have seen high quality kratom brands sold from headshops. While many brands of kratom in head shops are generic, in-house, cash grabs, some more quality ‘glass shops’ will offer respectable kratom brands. You know the deal. If the headshop feels shady, then it will probably have shady products.

The Search

These are a lot of modifiers and unknowns. You may be wondering how you are supposed to tell, with all the maybe’s and could be’s. 

It is simple. 

Trust your gut.

Ten out of ten times an unprofessional kratom vendor will look the part. The easiest way to cull these out are the kratom vendors who market it as a drug, a way to get high. This kratom is always low quality and subject to dubious safety standards. I have never found an exception to this rule. Do not purchase kratom that is being marketed as a ‘legal high’ or a way to ‘beat probation’. This is not only damaging to the kratom community, but it supports nefarious business practices, could be a risk to your health, and will be a waste of your money as this product almost always tests out to be very low grade.

Poor packaging is another dead give away. It indicates that a kratom vendor just doesn’t care. If that is the case, you can be sure that they don’t care who the farmer is, or if the farmer takes measures to ensure a clean and safe, pesticide free product. You can be damn sure they aren’t interested in providing good value. Once again, the test results from kratom with unprofessional looking vendors almost always contains the lowest grade product on the market.

The Good Guys

Thankfully, detecting the quality kratom vendors can be just as easy as spotting the bad ones. There are certain patterns and habits you will see that will indicate that the kratom vendor not only has quality product, but also takes steps to ensure it is safe and consistent. If these apply, then you also be sure that this vendor is an advocate for kratom use and is a good samaritan of the kratom community. Some signs that indicate a reputable kratom vendor who deserve your business include:

Oftentimes, the subconscious picks up on these things before we consciously notice and analyze them and then provides us with that ‘gut’ feeling. While it may seem abstract to suggest following your instincts, the “I’ve got a feeling” is shockingly prescient in the kratom industry. 

The most important reason to adhere to these guidelines is for your own safety, and secondarily, so that you do not waste money. It is just like looking for a restaurant; if you go to a sketchy, dirty, poorly presented place, you may just wake up with a stomach ache the next morning. Kratom from suspect vendors could very well be made with a low standard of cleanliness, and may contain contaminants, or even worse, adulterants intended to modify the experience in a way they hope will get you to purchase more. Furthermore, these vendors are the biggest threat to kratom’s legality; they are what lawmakers fixate on when they attack kratom. Supporting these businesses expressly damages the future of kratom.

As with any product, a market genesis can be filled with confusion, uncertainty, even deception. But the kratom community is, by and large, composed of passionate, adept, and sensibile individuals who believe in good business. While a wide array of kratom products can be confusing to sift through, you can rest assured that, if coming from a trustworthy vendor, they will be safe and true to any claims. Feel free to reach out to us here at the TKC with any questions, or your prospective vendor; if they are deserving of your business, they will respond with a thoughtful, honest answer. 

And now?

And now you know who to know.