Kratom infused beverages at a local kava bar (Rhett Kaya/CU Independent)
Most people’s awareness of kratom, a natural opioid-like substance, is limited to those flickering light-up signs on the windows of dingy local smoke shops. However, this may not be the case for long. As kratom increases in popularity, its most common forms of consumption are changing from capsules, and dried leaves to be smoked or brewed for tea to more inconspicuous forms like gummies and “tonics.” Kratom is going through a rebrand, and though you have to be 21+ to purchase it in Colorado, it may be poised to be the next big thing among young people.
Kratom is one of several substances used for centuries in other countries but recently gained attention in Western media as an alternative to alcohol, caffeine or other drugs. Sober alternatives are entering the mainstream in the United States as more and more people are experimenting with sobriety and buying “wellness” products. A large number of nonalcoholic beverages have entered the market since 2020, including traditional nonalcoholic beverages and trendy “functional beverages.”
Functional beverages, such as Kin Euphorics, cofounded by supermodel Bella Hadid, often contain plant compounds like mood-boosting herbs or brain-healthy mushrooms (not to be confused with psychedelics). Many of these products, though research is limited, are thought to be safe when consumed in moderation.
While kratom can certainly be called a wellness product because “wellness” in terms of marketing has zero fixed meaning, it is not healthy. Nor is it really a “sober” alternative at all because, to phrase it crudely, it gets you high.
Historically, Malaysian and Thai laborers would chew the leaf to boost their energy and remedy physical pain from hard labor. In the United States, it’s usually made into tea, taken in capsules or crushed and smoked. People use kratom recreationally and to self-medicate a range of ailments, from muscle soreness to anxiety to opioid withdrawal.
Kratom has several dangerous side effects. The FDA states that they will continue to “warn consumers not to use kratom because of the risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder.” Users can also experience a range of psychological side effects like hallucinations, delusions and depression. There have even been a small number of deaths caused by the drug.
Though there are several Kratom products on the market, I’ll be focusing on Botanic Tonic’s Feel Free Tonics and Super Speciosa’s Kratom Gummies that are relatively popular products. Botanic Tonics appears to be distracting customers from the kratom in its products and instead focusing on its other active ingredients like kava, a nonaddictive calming substance. In contrast, Super Speciosa is advertising kratom, the only active ingredient, as a healthy, wellness-promoting substance.
If you head to the “new to kratom” section of Super Speciosa’s website, you’ll find mentions of kratoms’ “therapeutic and energizing qualities.” Scrolling to the very bottom, the terms and conditions state, “SuperSpeciosa.com and its owners or employees cannot be held responsible for and will not be liable for the inaccuracy or application of any information whatsoever herein provided.” I don’t know about you, but that’s not exactly what I love to hear regarding anything I consume.
Regarding kratom’s potential for addiction, Super Speciosa’s website states, “Dependence on any supplement, whether it’s coffee or kratom, can be undesirable … withdrawal can feel similar to that of caffeine. Since it’s hard to stop anything once you develop everyday habits, it’s best to let your body naturally recover every once in a while.”
It’s true that kratom shares withdrawal symptoms with caffeine, although I’m pretty sure ditching my daily Celsius won’t give me seizures. Further, the most severe and rare symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are the most common and typically the most mild of kratom withdrawal symptoms.
Also, “everyday habit” is probably the most pleasant, innocuous way you could refer to addiction.
The Feel Free website has a section clearly explaining the benefits of kava but on the front page, kratom is only mentioned by name in the consumer warnings. To be fair, unlike Super Speciosa, Botanic Tonics does mention the risk of dependence on their bottles and website. Yet they steer clear of the condemning word, “addictive.” In this warning, it is compared to caffeine or alcohol. The warning on the bottle itself makes the same comparison.
However, in scientific contexts, or rather by organizations not looking to sell it, it’s overwhelmingly compared to opioids. While kratom is not a controlled substance, it’s classified as a “drug of concern” by the FDA. Kratom is frequently compared to opioids because it shares many of the effects and unwanted side effects of opioids. It affects the same receptors in the brain but to a lesser extent. A 2024 article from the Mayo Clinic explains that those with a kratom addiction are often treated with the same methods as used in opioid addiction treatment.
There are dozens of kratom vendors in Denver and even one in Boulder. These vendors are different from the smoke shops. They’re not just selling kratom; they’re selling an experience. These buisnesses are similar to the high-end cannabis dispensaries popping up in legalized states. One such store, Clean Kratom, the first vendor to obtain a license to sell kratom in Colorado, advertises its transparency and its highly regulated product. While they do appear to be reputable, transparency is ironic when under the “Is kratom safe” section of their website, dependency isn’t mentioned at all. However, I’ll give them some credit for admitting that in rare cases, it can be deadly. Photos online of Clean Kratom’s Denver location show a clean, stylish interior with products neatly displayed in a glass case.
Products purchased from these vendors are relatively safer than the kratom you can find at shady convenience stores and from your buddy’s big brother’s coworker’s cousin or wherever else you might source it. The issue is, kratom is still kratom.
These companies are selling kratom in aesthetically pleasing, modern packaging and pushing an association with sobriety, wellness and overall health. It seems the goal is to move kratom from being seen as something niche found in grungy smoke shops and used by stereotypical hippies and heavy drug users to a clean and trendy product for professionals and young people looking for a healthier social lubricant or energy buzz.
The idealistic narratives these companies create to sell kratom do not negate its addictiveness. It’s that simple. The bottom line is that you can, in theory, consume kratom products every day and be fine. The problem is that you might not. Personally, I’ll be avoiding them. If I can feel good enough from a ten-minute run and a cup of coffee, I’ll stick to that rather than risk a potentially life-ruining addiction.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Savannah Behr at savannah.behr@colorado.edu.
