The kratom industry can be a tricky one at times. Due to the ongoing battle that kratom companies and support organizations like the American Kratom Association are having to secure the position and safety of kratom users in America, not much time is spent looking into other aspects of the industry.
We’ve come to realize, however, just how important it is for consumers like you to get the opportunity to learn more about kratom and where it comes from. In fact, one of the things that we get asked about most often is where kratom comes from.
And that’s what we’re here to talk to you about today. Many kratom users falsely believe that kratom is exported from a few different countries, but the truth is that 95% of the world’s kratom supply comes from one country. Which of these three do you think it is Malaysia, Indonesia, or Thailand?
Malaysia
The first country that is often believed to export much of the world’s kratom supply is Malaysia. If you’ve heard of kratom strains such as Green Malay or Super Malay, there is a good chance that you might have guessed that this country would be included!
While the names of many popular kratom strains come from the root word “Malaysia,” these words are inspired by the attributes of kratom in the area. Most kratom strain names are based less on where they are grown and more on what they do.
At this time, Malaysia is banned for local consumption in Malaysia, and it also cannot be exported, with one major exception. Some farms in Malaysia manage to grow and export kratom as they do this in a completely unprocessed form. Essentially, leaves are harvested and sent off. Still, the amount of kratom exported from Malaysia is very limited.
Thailand
For a long time, another location that exported a lot of kratom leaves was Thailand. You’ll often hear people say that kratom comes from Thailand. These days, however, kratom cannot legally be exported from Thailand unless it is for medicinal reasons. The trees still grow there, and there are still small groups of people that can legally use kratom there.
In Thailand, Kratom is a schedule 5 narcotic. This means that anyone caught possessing or using kratom can be put in jail or heavily fined unless they have a medicine card. The government in Thailand takes this seriously, but there are still some who use it illegally.
There are also some people in Thailand that can use kratom legally. Approved as a medicinal product for some conditions, people with approval from their doctors and the government can legally use kratom.
Changes in 2018
The change to allow some use, importation, and exportation of kratom in Thailand happened in 2018. While this is a very restricted change, it has shown some interest in Thailand for kratom to be less heavily prohibited.
The law in 2018 states that kratom, when being used for medicinal purposes, can be used, imported, exported, and grown. There are of course many limitations, but this slight change in the laws changed the way that kratom in Thailand is grown and used.
A small amount of kratom may be exported from Thailand now that this law has changed, but it is hard to know for sure exactly how much exportation is actually occurring.
Indonesia
Indonesia is probably the most interesting country to talk about when it comes to kratom exportation, and that is because the future of kratom exportation in Indonesia is at risk. Before we get into the details of that, however, let’s talk about how long it has been growing, being processed, and exported from there.
Kratom’s Past in Indo
As you might know, Indonesia takes up most of the island of Borneo. Borneo has some of the best growing conditions in the world for kratom, and that is why there is so much naturally occurring kratom on the island.
People in Indonesia have known about and used kratom ceremonially for many years. In their traditional culture as well through emerging modern culture today, people have found that the benefits of kratom can be helpful in their lives. In particular, there are many reports of farmers in rural regions using kratom after a long day to relax.
The Future of Kratom in Indonesia
Currently, 95% of the world’s supply of kratom comes from Indonesia even though it is banned for local consumption there. Kratom plantations are a huge moneymaker for many farmers in Indonesia, and the business continues to grow. Much of this growth is fueled by US-based demand for kratom.
Unfortunately, there is some legislation in talks in Indonesia that may ban kratom farms by 2024. While these laws have not yet been completely passed, it is impossible to know whether or not they will.
If the laws pass, the amount of kratom available around the world will be severely limited, and prices for this currently affordable product are likely to skyrocket. Local kratom farmers will be given time to transition to a new line of work, but many are worried about what will happen to their future careers.
The American Kratom Association, also known as the AKA, is leading efforts to connect with the Indonesian government and other organizations in an attempt to prevent these damaging laws form passing. Only time will tell if this type of change will occur in the exportation industry or not!
Kratom: A Precarious Industry
As you can see, the kratom industry might be described as quite precarious. Due to the reliance of the kratom industry in the US on other countries around the world, we need to be paying attention to the laws and export rules in those countries. And we can’t always control how those things will change!
Because of this, we find it incredibly important to support the efforts of organizations like the American Kratom Association to protect the future of kratom for kratom users around the world.