Kratom or Mitragyna Speciosa belongs to the family of coffee and has originated from Southeast Asia. The dominant strains of Kratom are extracted from the island of Borneo in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. There are various uses for Kratom, and each strain of Kratom serves a different purpose.
While red vein Kratom strains are best for analgesia and pain relief, white vein Kratom works best for mood enhancement and euphoria. Simultaneously, the mildest vein, the green vein, is best for a focus boost to prevent procrastination.
Kratom can be consumed in many different days as it exists right now. It can be consumed in the form of a powder, through toss’ n wash methods, or by brewing a tea out of it.
At the same time, it can also be consumed in the form of capsules if you don’t want to experience the bitter taste by the toss’ n wash method. Recently one way of consuming Kratom, which is grabbing the attention of consumers worldwide, is smoking Kratom.
What Is The ‘Charm’ Behind Smoking Kratom?
There are several factors that need consideration when you are opting to smoke Kratom. However, customers have been swaying towards that method for some time. The question is why customers are being attracted to smoking Mitragyna rather than the traditional ways of intake i.e., toss and wash, mixing with beverages, etc.
The answer is multifaceted. One of the original charms of smoking Kratom is that many users believe it to be a safer and healthier alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes. Not only does smoking Kratom help in minimizing the nicotine cravings many cigarette addicts have – it also gives a much-balanced effect as compared to the manic results from tobacco.
Other than cigarettes, smoking Kratom can prove to be an alternative to virtually any smoking addiction that you might have. The leaves contain no carcinogens or harmful substances that can take a toll on the health of the customers.
Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to get hooked on Kratom. Although dependency may develop, strong addictions are hardly ever formed. Because of this reason, many customers that are addicted to drugs and smoking up find smoking Mitragyna, a safer alternative. Moreover, smoking ketum leaves also helps to stave off the withdrawals you will get from quitting the drugs you are previously hooked on.
Another charm behind smoking Kratom lies in its newness. Customers are always attracted to things that have not been tried before, and smoking Mitragyna leaves is one such thing. Virtually, almost no one in the western world has taken to smoking Kratom. They prefer using traditional methods for the intake of the plant. However, there are users in Southeast Asia that have smoked Kratom.
How Can Kratom Be Smoked?
Smoking Kratom has several technicalities in place. Firstly, you will need a more significant amount of the substance if you are smoking it compared to opting for the traditional ways. Moreover, your dosage would drastically increase for the same effect.
The method for smoking Kratom is quite simple. It is the same as smoking cannabis or any other herbal substance. In Southeast Asian regions, some people smoke the dried leaves of Kratom instead of the traditional way of chewing on the leaves. However, in the U.S., there are not a lot of vendors who sell dry Kratom leaves.
Because of this, some users have tried to smoke up the Mitragyna powder sold by various brands. This can prove to be messy as well as time-consuming because of the powdered nature of the substance.
Some customers also sprinkle the Mitragyna powder on their tobacco cigarettes and hash joints, but that defeats the purpose of smoking the content to stave off the addiction of other substances.
Are There Any Downsides To Smoking Kratom?
A significant number of people condemn the smoking of Kratom because it involves a lot of downsides and technicalities. Some of them include:
1) Time-Consuming
The whole ordeal of smoking Kratom can prove to be both time consuming as well as cost-inefficient. Not only do you need to research the ways to make rolls of Kratom, but the effects take much longer to make an appearance than they would through direct consumption of the substance. Therefore, this method seems inconvenient when it comes to time efficiency.
2) Higher Concentration
As mentioned above, the rolls of Kratom require a much higher amount of Mitragyna than you would expect for the same effect through direct consumption. Therefore, it is incredibly cost-inefficient. You need to buy more of the substance, but you are also missing out on better and more potent effects.
3) Less Potent Effect
Smoking Kratom does not have the same potency of beneficial effects that the toss and wash or direct consumption methods do. Ketum leaves are packed with alkaloids that are responsible for inducing the various effects associated with the plant. However, when you are burning and smoking the substance, many alkaloids are simply being given off to the air.
This results in a massive loss of potency of the substance. Furthermore, customers do not achieve a long-lasting effect either. The benefits associated with ingesting Kratom last for longer than the smoking of the substance can provide.
4) Side Effects
Although Mitragyna does not have any carcinogens that can cause cancer or other diseases like smoker’s cough – smoking any substance can have harmful side effects.
Smoking of ketum has the risk of obstructing the respiratory passageways and harming the fluid-filled respiratory vesicles known as the alveoli. Moreover, the continued use of smoking Mitragyna can cause asthma, respiratory disorders, phlegm, etc.
5) Customer Errors
Smoking Kratom can prove to be a lot trickier than direct consumption. Several technicalities need to be taken into consideration when it comes to the smoking of the plant substance.
Many users tend to miscalculate the dosage of their Mitragyna and end up smoking more than their body weight and age can support. This results in many adverse effects, including severe nausea, indigestion, dizziness, fainting, and can even result in seizures.
What Does The Future Of Smoking Kratom Look Like?
There needs to be extensive research when it comes to smoking Kratom. The American Kratom Association (AKA) usually researches these things and comes up with a verdict.
However, this verdict is yet to come. The future regarding the smoking of Kratom can have many possibilities. If the method is considered safe, many vendors might start selling pre-rolled Kratom to help customers smoke Mitragyna more carefully and responsibly.
There has to be more research on the strains that are ideal for smoking as well. Vendors may also prepare rolls using Kratom extract powders because they are more potent than regular Mitragyna strains. This will solve the low potency issue when it comes to smoking Kratom.
FAQs
Some of the questions readers might have when it comes to the topic of smoking Kratom include:
Kratom has several methods of intake apart from smoking. These are tried and tested methods, and every customer chooses their approach according to their preference. Some customers want to toss down their Kratom powder and gulp it down with water. This is known as the “toss and wash” method. Kratom can also be taken in the form of capsules, which help mask the bitter taste of the substance. Customers can also mix in their Mitragyna powders in their soups, stews, and morning coffee and beverages.
Direct consumption of Kratom is already a powerful method of Kratom intake and can have potent effects. If you choose to smoke alongside direct use, you might end up overdosing and have to throw up the entire day. However, if you want to smoke alongside the direct consumption method – make sure to carefully measure your dosage so that it does not exceed the ideal intake required for your age, body type, and weight. There are many Kratom dosage charts available online for this exact purpose.
Smoking of any substance can have harmful effects, especially if you are doing it long term. However, there needs to be extensive research on smoking Kratom because the side effects of this method are not known. However, long term smoking of this substance can have respiratory effects.
No, the method of Kratom intake has nothing to do with your tolerance. However, switching between different strains can lower your tolerance and, therefore, help you receive the same potent effects from your strains that you received on the first use.
Conclusion
Is smoking Kratom worth it? Even though it is an attractive method of Kratom intake, especially for seasonal smokers looking to quit – there are many technicalities coming along with smoking Mitragyna. It is time-consuming as well as wastes your money.
Moreover, you do not get the same effect from smoking that you would from direct consumption. Until there have been more researches conducted regarding smoking Mitragyna – the method should not be regularly adopted.