Can You Smoke Kratom?
kratom
13 Aug, 2020
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Can You Smoke Kratom?
Can you smoke Kratom? Indeed this is a loaded question, as smoking Kratom can be done. In fact, in its geographical origin of Southeast Asia, the dried leaves of Kratom have been known in rare cases to be smoked. However, traditionally in these areas, it is either chewed or brewed into tea. So the real question, aside from whether you can smoke Kratom, is should you smoke Kratom? And if you did, what repercussions could exist for you? And what, if any, is the benefit of smoking Kratom?
Kratom, known as Mitragyna Speciosa, native to Southeast Asia, is a tropical tree in the coffee plant family. It is made up of two alkaloid substances – mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Both interact with the opioid receptors in the brain, often resulting in sedation, pleasure and decreased pain.
Possible Rationale for Smoking Kratom
Here in the United States, the most common form of consumption of Kratom is in capsule, powder or extract form. However, on rare occasions, people have been known to smoke it. But why would one smoke it? The answer is simple. Much like other smokable substances such as cannabis and tobacco, the chemical response time is lessened exponentially when smoked. For example, when smoking cannabis, one can experience an immediate response to the substance.
In contrast, it can take up to four hours to feel its effects when ingested since it would take much longer to reach the central nervous system. The same is to be said for Kratom. So Kratom users might be drawn to the possibility of instant gratification rather than delayed response.
Possible Repercussions of the Inhalation of Kratom
There are two ways that Kratom has been known to be smoked. The first is taking the dried leaf, crushing it up much like tobacco, and smoking it on a rolling paper. The second is to sprinkle the powder form onto either cannabis or tobacco and to smoke it in combination with the other substance. But here is the problem with both of these uses. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs found in your lungs called alveoli.” Two expected results of this damage are COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Adenocarcinoma, more commonly known as Lung Cancer. Both maintain a relatively high mortality rate.
Additionally, the Kratom Alkaloids are destroyed at high temperatures. What is lost when smoked has not been studied, but it is well known that it will make Kratom dramatically weaker than if ingested.
So in concussion, can you smoke Kratom? Yes, it is possible. Should you smoke Kratom? No, not when there are other more effective ways to consume it, like in kratom capsules, kratom powder and kratom extract form.
