kratom

Comparing Natural Products: Kratom & CBD Explained

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Natural substances derived from plant materials are all the rage these days, and that’s for a good reason. Many chemical compounds found in plants have potent effects on the body, and those effects can be safe and easy to bring about this way.

Two of the most commonly seen plant-derived products are Kratom and CBD products. Each of these offers an impressive array of potential effects, and there is a lot of research being done to see what people might use them for.

Are you curious about these natural remedies and how they might benefit you? Learn more about each of them today!

Understanding CBD: An In-Depth Look

Let’s start by talking about CBD.

CBD quickly became a mainstream substance over the last few years. As medical marijuana and CBD products became legalized in many areas of the country, seeing CBD products became more normal for people everywhere. But what exactly is CBD, and why is it so widely accepted?

What Is CBD Derived From?

Cannabis is a plant more commonly known as marijuana and hemp (both types of cannabis plants, distinguished primarily by the percentage of THC – hemp contains trace amounts, while marijuana can contain high percentages). The most commonly known properties of cannabis are the results of the cannabinoids, like THC, found in the plant matter.

CBD is another one of those cannabinoids. Extracted from the plant itself, CBD is a cannabinoid that has been extensively researched for its positive effects on the human body’s physical and mental conditions.

Studies show that CBD oil and other CBD products may have many benefits. Cannabinoids can be very powerful, and CBD is a great example of that. These uses are well-supported by science, but there’s still a lot to learn about CBD and how it can benefit us.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD has specific reactions in the body because of the way that it is shaped.

Like all cannabinoids, CBD is a specific chemical compound with a particular shape. When it enters the body, CBD reacts with the endocannabinoid system. CBD binds with specific receptors and sets into motion a chain reaction within the body. That reaction eventually causes the effects that CBD is known to have. 

While other cannabinoids found in cannabis can make you high, CBD does not have any intoxicating effects. The primary cannabinoid found in marijuana is THC; THC binds with CB1 receptors to cause intoxicating effects. CBD actually prevents THC from binding with CB1 as effectively and can taper off the effects of THC in some strains of cannabis.

Is CBD Legal?

Safety rules and regulations about CBD vary from state to state, but most states have made it legal and protected to use CBD products. This is thanks to the impressive amount of research showing the CBD is a non-psychoactive botanical that has proven positive effects.

As with any product, however, it’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor if you have any health concerns about using it. Additionally, be sure to source your CBD products from a reliable and reputable vendor to reduce any potential risk.

Buy Kratom online at Phytoextractum

Understanding Kratom: Beyond The Basics

Kratom’s popularity snowballed in the last five years as well, but that popularity is nothing in comparison to CBD’s growing mainstream appeal. Still, there are many exciting things about Kratom getting noticed. We can expect Kratom to continue becoming a more common feature in botanical products.

What Is Kratom?

Mitragyna speciosa, also known as Kratom, is a tropical tree that grows in Thailand, Malaysia, and other Asian or South Pacific areas. Kratom trees grow in large forests in regions where the tropical climate combines with fertile soil for the perfect growing environment. There, these trees soar to great heights, and their leaves are harvested to create great Kratom products.

Kratom leaves are harvested and processed into Kratom products such as Kratom powder and Kratom. A wide variety of strains can be created by altering the harvesting, drying, or processing method. Enthusiasts worldwide have found Kratom to be a hugely beneficial substance that improves their lifestyle.

How Does Kratom Work?

Many plants in the world contain chemical compounds known as alkaloids. Alkaloids have varying effects on the body. It just so happens that the effects caused by mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, both found in Kratom leaves, may have great benefits. 

When these compounds enter the body, they bind and react with various receptors in the body. There is no specific set of receptors that they work with; each alkaloid has its own priority system. Caffeine, for example, is an alkaloid that stimulates the body.

Kratom’s alkaloids need to be studied in more detail to understand better what effects they have. Still, early studies suggest very promising results.

Is Kratom Legal?

At this time, Kratom is neither fully legal nor illegal. In fact, Kratom’ status is dependent on what state and locale you are in. 

While the FDA continues to ignore studies that suggest Kratom could be beneficial, states around the country have taken a different approach.

Many states have passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act at the urging of the American Kratom Association and other advocates. These laws set up standards that vendors must follow and ensure consumers can legally buy and consume Kratom. We are working hard to help get this bill passed in our home state of Oregon.

Find It All At Phytoextractum

Whether you’ve found that CBD suits your needs or you are curious about Kratom powders, we carry it all here at Phytoextractum!

From CBD oils and blends to Kratom powders and capsules, you can check out a variety of safe, tested products. We pride ourselves on having a wide array of options for the enthusiast while ensuring that our customers can be safe.

It’s essential to ensure that the vendors you support are doing their part to ensure their products are safe. By having regular third-party testing and putting energy into advocacy as well, we do what we can to create a safe environment for everyone involved.

All About The Environmental Impact of Kratom

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On our blog here at Phytoextractum, we talk a lot about where kratom comes from and how it is being sold in America. While these are important topics, there are a few other areas that we haven’t covered yet.

One area that we’ve been thinking a lot about recently is the environmental impact of kratom. The shift from excess plastic to more eco-friendly options has been a huge shift in modern-day American culture, but we know that there is a lot more work to be done in the realms of sustainability and monitoring the environmental impacts of business. 

We started thinking: is kratom sustainable? Does it have a net neutral impact on the environment, or is it causing damages to the areas where it is farmed? These questions aren’t easily answered, but they are important.

Take some time today to learn about sustainability, kratom, and how those two worlds are currently intersecting! We are interested in what effect kratom is having on this aspect of the world and are excited to share our findings with you!

Risky Industries In The Region

Palm oil plantations and the timber industry are huge threats to rainforests and ecosystems where kratom grows naturally. Both of these industries tend to deforest huge areas of the rainforests to get more material or more space for their own production purposes, and that can cause huge problems.

The palm industry, in particular, is known for being incredibly rehabilitating to the ecosystem. It’s even been shown to be one of the causes of increased climate change problems in recent years.

Still, both of these industries are the lifeblood of some regions in Southeast Asia. Due to the limited work options, many farmers and laborers rely on these industries to keep their families afloat. There are few options, so they take part in a system that is slowly killing the world around them.

A Better Option: Kratom

As the kratom industry has come back to life in the past decade, many farmers and laborers have returned to this traditional farming practice. The industry gives them another option outside of the palm oil industry and the timber industry. And for many farmers, that is a huge relief.

That’s not to say that every single palm oil plantation is going to close in favor of kratom farming, but there is a considerable effect that has been had by giving these people another profitable option.

Important Sustainable Points for Kratom

In addition to being a great alternative to more harmful options in native kratom regions, there are many ways that the kratom industry can continue to be a positive force in the world of sustainability.

For the most part, kratom farms are doing things the right way, but there is always the risk that will change in the future as kratom becomes more and more popular. Hopefully, that will never become a huge concern. The key points that kratom farms need to stick to include the following.

Continue The Traditions

Traditionally, kratom has been harvested in very sustainable and environmentally friendly ways. Kratom farming was harvested in small villages throughout the forests, and this is a better alternative than cutting down forests in order to grow kratom trees.

The traditional farming method used for kratom is very different from most industrial agriculture practices, and sticking to the existing traditions is much kinder to the planet.

Avoiding Centralized Cultivation

As mentioned, kratom farms were typically spread through the forests of the countries where kratom is naturally found.

Centralized cultivation of kratom would require wide-spread cutting of the forests and rainforests in these regions; this is something that often happens in other primary industries in the region.

Kratom does not, and does not need to, rely on that type of huge plantation. Kratom farming can be successful by harvesting and cultivating wild trees as well as setting up small farms in the backyards of people and laborers in each village. Having just a few trees in each year is enough to harvest kratom while also continuing the biodiversity of the region.

Stick To Sustainability

As demand continues to grow for kratom around the world, there is a risk of sustainable practices being abandoned in favor of “faster” production. It’s important that the future generations of kratom farmers continue to follow in the footsteps of sustainable kratom farmers by:

  • Only harvesting leaves that are ready and needed
  • Leaving the trees with enough leaves to be healthy between harvests
  • Avoiding harsh chemicals and pesticides
  • Not allowing any chemical processing required to get into local groundwater
  • Avoiding any damage to the local ecosystem

Sticking to both wild and backyard farming is a great way to avoid the dangers that can happen with these issues.

Long-Term Growth Is Best

Another important facet of the kratom industry is that more mature kratom trees are actually better options for a high-quality extract and leaf. Trees need to mature for at least three years before they are harvested, and the best leaves often come from trees that are more than 20 years old.

The longer that kratom trees are allowed to thrive, the better the final product will be. This means that there is a lot of value in helping the forests to thrive, and that can be a great thing for these kratom-adjacent ecosystems.

Additionally, it is possible that kratom trees grow best when they are underneath a larger forest canopy. This is why wild harvesting of wild-grown kratom trees is so popular, and it is likely that that practice will continue. This practice encourages forest growth and sustainability, and that is amazing.

We Care About The Future

Here at Phytoextractum, we are always thinking about our sourcing and supply line. We want to make sure that we are only sourcing the highest-quality kratom, and we do a variety of testing to ensure that this remains true.

As we move forward in the industry, we also want to be sure that we pay attention to sustainability and how the farmers that we work with are affecting the environment around them. Hopefully, other kratom vendors will continue to do the same!

Advocating For Kratom In Pandemic Times: How You Can Help

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Phytoextractum has long prioritized the treatment of kratom on the political and social level in America. Using kratom legally and easily in America has been a problem for decades as the policies surrounding its use are constantly evolving. We feel it is important to continue to be involved in pro-kratom advocacy efforts to ensure that our customers can continue to safely access kratom.

However, many of the traditional routes for advocacy in America have been changing in recent months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As the spread has affected how groups can meet with politicians and other important advocacy resources, the fight for kratom protections is forever changed.

What can you still do to ensure that kratom advocacy can continue with gusto despite the pandemic? Let’s find out together.

Goals of Kratom Advocacy in 2020

Though the world has changed a lot, the ultimate goals for kratom advocacy by large groups like the American Kratom Association continue to be the same today as they were before:

  • Pass KCPA laws in states where no kratom protections exist
  • Continue to enroll vendors in the GMP compliance program
  • Ensure vendors are testing their products properly
  • Set up more third-party independent testing
  • Educating consumers about how to buy kratom safely

COVID-19 & Advocacy

How exactly has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way that kratom advocacy works in 2020?

Fewer Political Meetings and Legislative Sessions

The thing that has probably had the biggest effect on kratom advocacy is the simple fact that most politicians, legislators, and local leaders are not meeting as frequently with advocacy groups. This is due to the strict social distancing requirements needed to slow the pandemic spread, but it is causing a variety of side effects.

Earlier this year, AKA expected to move forward with KCPA proposals in more than 20 states, but many of those states have had to push back the review of such proposals until next year. While this is understandable, it presents a big roadblock for kratom advocacy.

Other Issues Take Priority

Once sessions do resume, it is to be expected that other issues such as health and budgets will take priority before any outside proposals, such as KCPA protections, are able to be brought up, discussed, and voted on. To keep these proposals relevant, advocacy groups like AKA are going to have to work overtime to ensure that they do not get passed over in the confusion that is 2020.

Misinformation

Another problem at this time is misinformation that is being spread by counter-kratom organizations in some regions, particularly in local jurisdictions. Typically, advocacy groups would fan out to try to address this misinformation in real-time, but that is not always possible due to the pandemic, so it has fallen to local citizens to argue for their right to use kratom safely and legally.

How Kratom Lovers Can Help

Are you worried about the future of kratom? Do you want to make sure that it is still both safe and legal to keep using kratom for years to come? If so, it is time to see what you can do to get involved in kratom advocacy efforts. Getting involved in 2020 might look a little different than it did in 2019, but there are still a lot of ways that you can make a difference.

Support the American Kratom Association

We’ve supported the efforts of the American Kratom Association (AKA) for years, and we plan to continue to do so for years to come. It’s not just organizations or businesses like us like that can get involved; you can also get directly involved in their efforts to make things better.

If you visit the AKA website, you can find more about many ways to get involved:

  • Join the AKA forums to discuss and interact with ongoing issues
  • Read the latest updates about kratom legislative actions
  • Find out if any initiatives are ongoing in your state
  • Join the Kratom Advocacy Council to be a more direct helper
  • Donate to support their efforts

Even if you just use AKA to become better informed about the issues that are affecting the kratom community at large, you will be making a difference in the way that kratom is perceived and received in society.

Contact Your Legislators

While AKA and similar advocacy groups can do a lot by working with legislators and local leaders to change the way that kratom is treated, their efforts only mean so much if there aren’t also local residents sharing their views on kratom as well. Legislators are far more likely to support a movement if they know that their constituents are in support of the movement, so using your voice in favor of Kratom in your community can make a huge difference.

Contact your local, state, and national representatives to share your opinion as much as possible. Pay attention to what issues they are voting on and how they are voting. Send letters and emails to explain your support or dissent with various opinions. Doing these things does not take a lot of time, but it does make a huge difference.

Get Educated

Finally, one of the most important things that you can do is to get educated about kratom and current kratom science. Not only does having this information benefit you, but it also makes it possible to refute misinformation publicly whenever you come across it. Having knowledge is power, and that is why we have a complete resources blog to help share what we know with our customers!

Phytoextractum

We want to protect kratom and kratom lovers now and for many years to come, and that is why we have always prioritized ensuring that our standards and processes are held to the highest degree of safety rules. We want to see that become the standard across the entire kratom industry, and that is why we support the work that kratom advocacy groups are doing.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocacy has taken on new forms, but it is still just as important as it ever was.

Where To Safely Buy Kratom (Hint: It’s NOT Amazon!)

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The safety of kratom throughout the last decade has been rapidly improved by an overall improvement in community standards, but that doesn’t mean that the quest to ensure that kratom is safe for consumption in America is over.

Though there are many reputable vendors working hard to only provide their customers with high-quality kratom, there are also vendors who are willing to sell subpar products at a lower price. For kratom users that aren’t aware of this problem, they might be unknowingly using a dangerous product.

Safely buying kratom is incredibly important. To make sure that you are safely stocking up on kratom, follow this guide (and avoid Amazon!).

Why You Should Avoid Amazon

Buying from a third-party seller such as Amazon is tempting in a number of industries, and some people might be tempted to try to buy their kratom there as well. After all, it just makes sense to order all of your things from one place to simplify the shipping process, right?

Ordering from one seller for many items certainly streamlines the process, but that doesn’t always mean that you are going to be making a good choice by doing this. Let’s talk about why you might not want to order kratom on Amazon.

Safety Concerns

The primary concern when buying from a selling platform when it comes to kratom is safety. Kratom is a safe product when it is manufactured and sold honestly, but it can be hard to know if that is the case when buying from a large platform like Amazon. While the individual seller may be trying to be an honest seller, confirming that is not always easy.

Shipping Concerns

Even if manufacturing conditions are ideal, does the vendor know what happens to their products after they leave their warehouse and are in control of the third-party platform? The shipping and handling aspects when ordering through these services is often taken out of the seller’s hands, and that means that there is not as much clear regulation or direction.

In the case of kratom, it is very important that the product is handled properly from start to finish. Kratom-specific vendors know what works best and will prioritize it, but that cannot be said about other sellers.

Additionally, customer service issues that come up with shipping may be better handled by individual sellers rather than large conglomerations.

Unknown Vendors

Do you recognize the vendor? Can you find information about them? Do they share their sources and how they ensure product safety? While there is an approval process for Amazon vendors, it is not always strict enough to work for a product like kratom.

Liability Limitations

This is arguably the biggest reason not to order form Amazon. No listings on Amazon directly state the word kratom because they have some liability agreements in place that do not allow vendors to sell products like kratom on the platform.

That means that any vendor selling kratom on Amazon is technically doing so illegally, so you should not buy the products from the site at this time.

Even if a company that you think that you want to try sells its products on a third-party platform, it is often better to buy kratom directly from the source as most vendors have a better profit margin when they sell their own products. If you want to support the industry, buying direct is therefore more powerful.

Where To Safely Buy Kratom

If you want to find a better option of where to buy kratom, there are luckily many other fantastic options today. The kratom industry gets stronger each year, and there are more and more brands that can be relied upon to stock up on good products.

Our company, Phytoextractum, continually dedicates time and resources to ensure that we are compliant with the latest best practices. We are part of the GMP-compliance program, which essentially means that we are doing all that we can to ensure our product is handled safely from start to finish.

Of course, we aren’t the only company that is doing our part to ensure the safety and future of the industry!

How To Vet Your Kratom Suppliers

When shopping for a high-quality kratom vendor, look for the following:

  • See if the company is part of the GMP compliance program run by the American Kratom Association
  • Look up their supply chain
  • Ask them questions about their testing procedures
  • See if they have any educational resources
  • Check reviews

By doing a little bit of research before you purchase kratom, you’ll be empowering yourself to ensure you only receive the highest quality kratom.

Why Kratom Safety Matters

Those that are new to buying kratom might not be sure why kratom safety matters so much, and they might instead look to find the cheapest product available. Unfortunately, not all kratom that is available online today should be considered pure.

As with any product, kratom needs to be properly tested, stored, handled, and shipped to be safe for use. If the vendors or suppliers do not do their part, the product can become cross-contaminated and unsafe.

Many industries have federal or state regulations that ensure proper safety procedures are followed. Because of the constantly changing legal status of kratom, however, such protections are not always in place. Some states have adopted Kratom Consumer Protection Acts, which prioritize kratom safety, but these are not yet a universal measure.

For that reason, kratom consumers need to be careful about who they buy from and ensure that they are doing what they can to buy from vendors that care about safety. The future of the kratom industry depends on this.

Stay Safe With Phytoextractum

As mentioned, we know just how important it is for kratom to be safely handled for the sake of the kratom industry, our business, and of course, our customers. That is why not only make sure that we properly test our products, but we also support the actions being taken on a national scale by the American Kratom Association to protect consumers.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about kratom and how it is being sold by our company, please feel free to reach out at any time.

Kratom Ads: What’s Allowed and What’s Not? | Why It Matters

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Did you know that there are many limitations put on what we can and cannot say about kratom? Even when new science points out exciting possibilities for kratom, we can often not share that news with our customers due to FDA regulations. 

What can we put on our kratom labels, and why does this matter so much in the industry?

Today, we’ll give you some deep insight into what is and what is not allowed when it comes to kratom advertisement and how we are working to improve that. The restrictions in place may be shocking, but they are the reality of what the industry must deal with.

The Truth About What We Can Say

Here at Phytoextractum, we do our best to keep our customers informed with the latest news in Kratom while ensuring our advertising and labeling first with all current guidelines. It’s not always an easy line to walk, but we do our best.

Our Product Information

When you visit our website and browse the kratom products that we have available, there is certain information that you will always find:

  • Product name
  • Product strain
  • Product strain origins
  • Product active ingredients
  • Testing information

You will notice that our product pages never mention any specific benefits that consumers might look for from kratom, nor do we give guidance about using kratom for any specific conditions.

Avoiding Unsubstantiated Claims

The biggest thing that we have to avoid when writing up any product labels, descriptions, or articles is that the FDA would consider unsubstantiated claims.

Under FDA guidance, there are two types of claims. Health claims are claims that must be pre-approved by the FDA and specifically address how a product or ingredient treats a specific condition or symptom. Structure/function claims are claims about nutrient effects that can be used more generally, but they still must have enough evidence to support these claims.

The FDA does not permit kratom vendors to use either health or structure/function claims as they do not currently recognize much of the ongoing research about kratom and its potential effects.

AKA’s Compliance Guidelines

In addition to paying attention to the latest news about kratom out of the FDA, we use the GMP compliance program rules from the American Kratom Association to guide what we do and do not say about kratom in our advertising and on our labels.

Essentially, this means that we do the following on our labels:

  • We do not say that kratom can treat any specific disease, nor do we include any specific research data, clinical studies, or health claims as the FDA could claim they are unsubstantiated.
  • We always include a disclaimer that our products are not intended to treat any specific disease or condition.
  • We ensure that our products affirm that we have not altered the content of the active ingredient in any way.
  • We make sure our products all have the appropriate batch and lot numbers.

By extension, we are also careful not to make any specific claims about what kratom can and cannot do in our marketing as well. We have seen how the FDA prevents vendors from sharing these types of experiences or ongoing research areas, so we reduce our risk by covering other areas instead.

FDA Pushback

The back-and-forth between advocates for the kratom industry and the FDA has been going on for years. While the FDA continues to try to push for the scheduling of kratom as a drug, the National Institute of Drug Abuse has concluded through their studies that it does not qualify for scheduling at this time.

Still, the FDA continues to ignore ongoing research and considers all claims about kratom to be unsubstantiated. Simultaneously, they affirm that kratom research suggests it may be just as dangerous as opioids, which is an unsubstantiated claim by their own terms.

Ultimately, the FDA’s conflict to settle on reasonable and measured regulation of the kratom industry will continue for years to come.

The Future Of Advertising And Labeling

The restrictions placed on kratom vendors is dangerous, and we’re not just saying that because it can be challenging to know what we can and cannot legally say!

Strict limitations are put in place without giving clarity to the kratom industry at large, leading to a lot of confusion for customers. High-quality vendors like us take these restrictions seriously while other companies ignore them and make bold, inaccurate claims.

As a consumer, how are you supposed to know what is and what is not okay? Without clarity or approved regulation from the FDA, consumers are left in a dangerous position.

Implementing The KCPA

One way that the American Kratom Association is addressing this problem is by working with specific states to implement the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. These acts function on the state level and ensure that kratom vendors working in that state must follow guidelines. These guidelines provide information on how labeling and information should be handled and regulated. 

Truth in Labeling Program

The AKA also recently started a program known as Truth in Labeling. Through this program, companies that are making bold or unsubstantiated claims can be reported to the group. AKA will then reach out to the vendor to help them get their labels under control.

If the vendor continues to risk the industry’s future by refusing to comply with FDA protocols, the vendor will be reported to the FDA. This process will begin the self-regulation that is present in other industries.

Keep Yourself Informed

While we will continue to ensure that we provide as much good information as possible while also creating our high-quality products, we urge curious consumers to stay up to date through other sources.

Kratom vendors like us are limited in what we are permitted to say because unsubstantiated claims could cause the FDA to target our business. Still, other organizations such as the American Kratom Association can share more research, statistics, and information.

To stay up to date with the latest kratom news, visit AKA’s website today.

Pronouncing Kratom: What Is The “Right” Way?

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In communities large and small, there are bound to be disagreements from time to time. The kratom community is no exception. Within our powerful community, there is a common question that comes up and divides advocates onto opposite sides.

What is that argument about?

It’s about the right way to pronounce the word “kratom” and whether the pronunciation really matters.

How do you pronounce kratom? Do you think the way that you are reading that word in your head is the more popular pronunciation or the less popular one? Did you realize that people said it in different ways?

It’s time to learn all about these pronunciation differences to find out if there really is a “correct” pronunciation that we all need to get behind!

How Do People Pronounce Kratom?

If you haven’t spoken with anyone directly about kratom, chances are pretty high that you’ve only ever imagined kratom pronounced in one way, and that is the way that you are always reading the word in your head.

What are the other ways that you might hear people pronouncing kratom? Let’s see how people believe kratom should be pronounced.

KRAY-tum

One way that you will often here kratom pronounced in America is as KRAY-tum, which rhymes with the name Tatum. This pronunciation of kratom utilizes the long A sound, which comes out like “ay.” Long A sounds are more common with certain American accents than others, and that is a large part of why some people have defaulted to this pronunciation.

For many, reading kratom as KRAY-tum is the natural way to sound out the word when they have never heard it aloud before. But it is not the only way that this word could be read.

KRAT-um

Another way that kratom may be pronounced is as KRAT-um, which rhymes with the word atom. This pronunciation utilizes the short a sound, which comes out like the “a” in cat. In many ways, reading A sounds as “ah” can be considered to be more standard in English but less common with many American dialects.

When it comes down to it, pronouncing kratom as KRAT-um is just as common as KRAY-tum; neither has a significant lead over the other in the American kratom community.

KEH-tum

There is one more way that some argue kratom should be pronounced. According to some people, kratom is called ketum, pronounced KEH-tum, when talked about in many of the Southeast Asian regions where kratom grows naturally.

Those who prefer to call kratom KEH-tum say that this is the best way to pronounce the word because it is closest to the true pronunciation from where the plant originates. In reality, however, different countries in this region have different words for kratom as well, so it’s hard to say which language’s word should be used.

Avoid The Word Kratom Altogether

There are even some people who choose to avoid needing to say kratom at all and instead refer to kratom only by its scientific name, Mitrogyna speciosa. This is more likely to be seen from scientists and other professionals researching the substance, but it is an option if you really want to avoid saying the word kratom.

What Is The “Official” Way Of Pronouncing Kratom?

If there was a singular answer on what is the “official” way of pronouncing kratom, this is where we would tell you! Unfortunately, there is no such thing and the idea of what makes one pronunciation more correct than another varies.

According to the Oxford Official Dictionary, both “KRAY-tum” and “KRAT-um” are correct, which means that there isn’t a singular way of saying this word.

Beyond that, many people would argue that the most correct way to pronounce the word would be to use the native pronunciation. However, different languages in the region where kratom grows say the word differently, so there isn’t a singular answer there either.

In the end, the only answer is that kratom can be pronounced in different ways. At this time, there isn’t a single, unified pronunciation that is being used in the industry. In the future, it may be standardized, but for the time being, people will continue to use different words.

Should I Correct How People Pronounce Kratom?

Unless someone is specifically asking about the pronunciation or you want to have a conversation about your different ideas about how the word should be said, it is probably best to avoid correcting others on how they say the word.

As we’ve pointed out today, there are valid reasons to pronounce kratom in a few different ways, and no one way has any more weight than the others. The difference lies primarily in accents and dialects used when pronouncing the A sound, and that happens in many different words.

Once the word kratom becomes more widely used and common in the general population, a strong preference for one pronunciation may lead above the rest. However, until then, it is best to avoid correcting others about how they say the word because there is no singular “right” answer. 

Kratom: Point Out What Matters

In the end, there’s really no reason to get too worked up about whether or not people are saying kratom the way that you think is right. After hearing you say kratom your way, they may do their own research and decide to pronounce things your way, or they might not.

Either way, the word’s pronunciation isn’t going to make a big difference in how kratom is being received in America, and that is a much bigger issue.

Rather than focusing on pointing out how someone says the word kratom, focus on pointing out the legislation going on about kratom, how the kratom industry is reforming, and other aspects of kratom use in America that are going to have a more profound effect on the industry.

How each of us says the word kratom isn’t going to make or break the kratom industry, so don’t get too worked up about it!