What is kratom? The science behind Mitragyna's strange leaves
Kratom has become popular among opioid users trying to get clean. Meanwhile, researchers push forward as US regulators consider cracking down
The leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, kratom’s Latin name, have been used for centuries throughout Southeast Asia for all of the aforementioned properties. The plants grow wild in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, with related species of the genus Mitragyna ranging as far as India and South Africa.
In the United States, kratom use has surged in the past decade amid the ongoing opioid crisis, which claims dozens of lives each day
