Most of you will have hit this site because you already know about Kratom anyway. For everybody who landed here by chance we still feel some explanations would certainly be in order.
Mitragyna speciosa is a tree native to South East Asia where it is spread sporadically from Thailand in the west to New Guinea in the east - in other words an area seriously larger even than the US.
The leaves of this tree are commonly known under their name in the language of Thailand: Kratom. Kratom has for centuries been used all through South East Asia as a herbal remedy in shamanic and folk medicine: Kratom was considered effective against diarrhea. Kratom was also reputed to be a powerful painkiller. For this reason Kratom was - and still is - used in some parts of South East Asia for the treatment of the unpleasant effects of opium withdrawal, but also against smaller maladies like menstruation problems. In higher doses Kratom was also frequently used as a sedative - the Kratom leaves contain strong psychotropic agents with reliable mood brightening effects that reduce stress and depressions.
At the same time and in lower dosages Kratom is still popular in Thailand and Malaysia as a potent stimulant. Although Kratom has been outlawed in these countries, Kratom consumption is still widespread among their workers. They say Kratom makes them more cheerful and takes away tiredness and muscle aches.
There are a number of different Kratom products available with slightly different effects and in different concentrations all of which are legal in the US and in Europe.