There has been a lot of talks lately about kratom’s medicinal benefits after consuming it and about its legality in the United States. This tropical tree, which comes from the coffee family, can be used for all kinds of things.
People that have some experience with this plant claim that they feel a lot more energetic throughout the day, or that it has helped them with certain chronic pain, headaches and that it may even improve the metabolism of the body. So, if it has so many pros to using kratom, you are probably wondering why it would be illegal in the United States.
Well, the reason why there are some states in the US that forbid the use and selling of this plant is because of the legal system is quite complicated. But, the legal system being this way might actually be better for all of us. Every new food, drug or medicinal herb needs to go through a set of testing to determine whether it is safe to be consumed by humans or even animals.
Kratom is still quite a young discovery, especially in the US. I think that the legal system still needs a little bit more time to get this healing herb legalized in all of the states.
However, until then, I guess you will need to be careful where you are purchasing kratom and where you are using it. Traveling with kratom into a state that still hasn’t decided whether product from this tropical evergreen tree is illegal can cause you problems.
To keep you out of trouble, here are the places where using this product is completely legal.
Some countries still see it as a drug
One of the biggest problems with the legality of kratom is the fact that a lot of countries around the world still see this as a drug and as something that should be illegal. This doesn’t really make any sense because many opiates and drugs today are completely legal. Sure, some require a receipt from the doctor, but not all of them. Since marijuana has been accepted in almost every country on this world as a healing herb and has been legalized too, why shouldn’t this tropical tree be accepted too?
Well, the reason why it is still in a very gray area around the legal system is because many people believe it can cause serious opiate-like side effects. This can either be dizziness, nausea, physical dependence, and mental addiction. But, the reality is that this still has not been proven and even if it is true, it does not mean that it should be entirely banned.
As suggested by wekratom.com we cannot ignore the fact that many people in this world still have a great need for kratom. We cannot simply take this away from them.
Where is it legal?
Let’s get to the most important part of this article. Where exactly is it legal in the United States? Well, this is where things get a bit more complicated. The legality situation for kratom can change any day. There have been some changes that were done 10 years ago and there have also been a couple of changes just two years ago in 2018. This shows us that the United States government still doesn’t know what to do about this situation.
However, it is actually more widely accepted than you would think. In fact, the federal law of the country states that this herb can legally be carried in person. But, some states have still not accepted this federal law and they have their own regulations about it.
- California has widely legalized kratom and it is obvious that this decision will also spread to other states that have problems with this medicinal herb. However, I should mention that in San Diego, carrying kratom is actually illegal. I know, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that simply how the system works sometimes in the United States.
- Sarasota County is the only place in Florida where it is illegal to carry, use, or sell this product. My advice would be to either be very careful when in Sarasota County or just completely avoid it.
- In Illinois, selling this product to persons under the age of 18 is not allowed. It is punishable by law and you might end up in jail by doing so. Make sure that you do not supply this product to anyone else and keep it only to yourself. But, when you find yourself in Jerseyville, I would avoid using it completely.
- New Hampshire allows the use of kratom but only for those that are about the age of 18.
- Unfortunately, just four years ago, Alabama made new regulations and has listed this as a controlled substance. In other words, it is banned from use or sale. Avoid Alabama if you have the need of using kratom.
- Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, and Wisconsin all have different regulations about this substance for different reasons. But, simply put, it is banned in these four states.
The DEA might cause further trouble
While it seems like kratom is widely accepted in the United States, I am not exactly sure whether things will stay this way in the next couple of years. The Drug Enforcement Administration in the United States is constantly pushing for a change in the law towards kratom. They claim that it is a drug and that it should not be legal in any state in the US.
Just a couple of years ago, the DEA put this medicinal herb in the same spot as other hard drugs such as LSD, heroin, methamphetamine, and others. This doesn’t really make much sense. All of us understand that there may be some side effects to using this product, but should it be put at the same level as heroin? This is not a drug that has ruined millions of lives in the US as heroin has.
It is safe to assume that kratom has great medicinal properties and should be used with care. But, you will need to be careful and watch out for the regulations of it in the United States.
