When you enter the world of Kratom, you’re entering a large and diverse community. There are people from all walks of life and all backgrounds that enjoy using Kratom, and that’s not going to change anytime soon!
Still, the position of Kratom in America is not yet solidified. While there are millions of people that use Kratom regularly, the misconception that Kratom is a dangerous substance still exists in many areas. That rumor has led to a number of media blitzes about the danger of the substance. How can these rumors be put to rest?
Like CBD which was once viewed as dangerous, Kratom needs a champion to lead the way to full legal protection. And that champion is going to be the American Kratom Association.
AKA: American Kratom Association
The American Kratom Association, also known as AKA, is an advocacy group that is working tirelessly to cement the legal and protected status of Kratom in America. From working on grassroots movements to working with state-level politicians to pass protection acts for Kratom users in each state, AKA is doing a lot of work to ensure that Kratom can be used in the USA.
The active leadership that AKA has committed to in the community is essential! They strive to make using Kratom a safe and legal activity in America, and they’ve done amazing work doing just that. Since their work began, they have revolutionized the way that the Kratom industry operates.
The Goals of AKA
According to AKA’s advocacy efforts sheet, their goal is to: “make natural kratom safe and to keep it available for millions of Americans who use it for health and wellness; manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers whose livelihoods depend on a safe and robust market; and for scientific and research communities that are actively exploring its potential.”
Basically, the American Kratom Association wants to ensure that the government is going to continue to allow the sales of safe Kratom while simultaneously holding manufacturers accountable for the products that they are putting into consumer’s hands.
AKA’s Activities
How can the American Kratom Association make these things happen? The organization works with manufacturers, consumers, media, and government politicians to help ensure that the Kratom industry becomes a fair and safe place for consumers and manufacturers alike.
Specifically, AKA works in these areas:
- • Helps vendor members learn to promote safety properly
- • Engages with the US government to protect the safety and availability of Kratom
- • Keeps an eye on all FDA, NIDA, and DEA policies that might incorrectly characterize the status and nature of Kratom
- • Engages with the media and scientific community to promote accurate and thorough research about Kratom
- • Shares all gained knowledge with the public
- • Sponsors the Good Manufacturing Practices Standards Program to help vendors only sell high-quality and well-tested products to Kratom consumers in America
- • Connects with the FDA about the need to set up a regulatory system for Kratom
As you can see from the list, the American Kratom Association is very active! Not only does their list of desired actions look good on paper, but their list of positive outcome events does, too! AKA has successfully set up its GMP program and also helped a number of policies be passed in states around the country to solidify Kratom’s legal status.
More About The GMP Program
We feel that AKA’s Good Manufacturing Practices Standards Program is one of the most exciting things that they have achieved. While some organizations might not want to report their testing results or to keep up with high-quality testing requirements, we believe that it is important to keep our consumers’ safety in mind while we sell our products.
The GMP program by the American Kratom Association is a set of standards and guidelines for Kratom vendors and manufacturers to be sure that they follow. These expectations help to ensure that all Kratom sold to consumers is safe.
The GMP program is a voluntary program, but all reputable vendors of Kratom should have no issue joining up with this program. We find that the honesty of a company willing to join and show their test results is a great thing for consumers who need to be able to see this kind of transparency.
Why We Need AKA
Some people might not see the need for an organization like the American Kratom Association. After all, isn’t it up to the FDA and the government to determine what is and what is not safe?
While we agree that government organizations should play a role in deciding what is and what is not safe to use, we know that Kratom has a solid background. Unfortunately, several biased studies and dishonest media reports have tarnished Kratom’s image. Mistakenly linked to the opioid crisis, Kratom is at risk.
But Kratom itself is not an opioid, nor does it carry any of the risks of opioids! Kratom does partially bind to receptors in the body, but it works in very different ways than opioids do and thus should not be linked to the crisis.
Unfortunately, there are some organizations determined to continue to blame Kratom for things that are not true when Kratom is used and made correctly. An organization like AKA, then, is needed to ensure that Kratom consumers will able to continue safely and legally using Kratom.
Vendors Need AKA, Too
We get very frustrated when we see vendors out there that are selling unreliable or mislabeled products to the customers. Without complete regulation in all areas, however, there is nothing stopping vendors from being dishonest in their sales tactics.
For that reason, we believe that AKA is beneficial to vendors like us as well. Honest vendors should have no problem subscribing to what AKA is trying to do, and we believe that you should only shop from vendors that are going to put your safety first.
As you shop around for your next Kratom purchase, find out if the vendors that you are buying from are part of the GMP program. If they are not, you may want to reconsider where you are going to buy from unless you have some other proof of their safety practices.