What is a Kratom?

What is a Kratom?
Kratom comes from a tree in Southeast Asia called Mitragyna speciosa, according to the DEA. The leaves of the tree have psychoactive properties and can be crushed and smoked, brewed into tea or put into capsules.

What does kratom do in the body?

"It's not an opiate, but it binds to the opiate receptor," he said. Most people think that a compound called mitragynine is the main active ingredient in kratom, but kratom hasn't been studied enough to know for sure, Swogger added. [Facts About Opioids — Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Codeine & Others]

Unlike opiates, which have a sedative effect, kratom seems to have a stimulating effect at lower doses and a relaxing and sedating effect at higher doses, Swogger said. People who have used the drug have reported that it provides pain relief but doesn't knock them out, he said.

What are the risks?

The common side effects of kratom are similar to those of opiates, including upset stomach, vomiting, itching and mild sedation, according to Swogger's study.

However, the risks appear to be relatively mild, particularly when compared to those of opiates, Swogger said.

While there have been deaths attributed to use of kratom, it's not clear in these instances that the person died directly as a result of using the drug, Swogger said. The people who died had taken other substances as well, he said. Overdosing on the drug is "almost unheard of," because people will start vomiting long before they overdose, he said.

There have been two cases of liver problems in kratom users, Swogger said. Indeed, "given the preliminary data on kratom and a lack of controlled human studies, chronic ingestion is of unknown safety," according to his study.