'Groovy new drug' Kratom gaining in popularity - and perfectly legal
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BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) - Kratom is a perfectly legal herbal pill that's on the market at various online locations and smoke shops.
Its effects can be life threatening and can last for days, even weeks before feeling normal again. And the drug is 100 percent legal.
KBOI reporter Sarah Brodie went to a local Tobacco Connection shop to see if the store sells the herb. Employees wouldn't allow her to take video from inside the shop. But Kratom is really easy to purchase if you're over the 18 and you have $9.
Inside a bag of Kratom contains a capsule with green and black powder. Its effects can last three to five hours and "truly helps you obtain bliss, peace and tranquility. This product has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat, prevent, cure or diagnose any disease."
"It's the groovy new drug," said Burny Wells, a drug counselor in Boise. | Kratom Facts
Wells says Kratom has been around the Treasure Valley for a while, but it's gaining in popularity. He lumps kratom in the same category as the so-called "bath salts" or "bathtub" drugs.
One of his patients had a bad experience.
"He was kind of experiencing psychosis for the three days and because of the lingering effects there was some questions as to whether he had become permanently psychotic," Wells said.
The effects, Wells said, are comparable to a mixture of LSD and cocaine.
"There's people it's going to be permanently damaging and (some may) die from it," he said.
And Wells is correct. Last Sunday in Cowlitz County, Washington, a female died from taking the drug.
"We're just really concerned that this product, which she clearly had been using, played a role in her death," said Charlie Rosenweig, chief deputy of Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office.
So, why do people take it?
Right now, it's a legal way to get high and pass a drug test. As of right now, no test out there can find whether Kratom is in your system.
"It's a way for them to get high and not get detected," officials say.
On the packaging, the drug says it's also used as a natural pain killer and for prolong sexual activity and the drug is 100 percent legal.
But drug counselor Wells warns Kratom is not just a gateway drug - it's long past that.
"When you're dealing with bathtub drugs...you know, god only knows what's going to happen."
LMAO!!!!!!
I seriously was laughing so hard at the 'in-field' reporter when she opened the package and read the back. How SERIOUS she was.. you can just tell she is gullible as a baby doing the story, how her body language was, how her tone of voice was, EVERYTHING!
The funniest thing ever was how "shocked " she was at this - " GET THIS!  truly helps you obtain bliss, peace and tranquility. This product has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat, prevent, cure or diagnose any disease."
lol.. she said get this twice, and i think I've seen SO many things in the health food store say something like this, and almost EVERY product is NOT evaluated by the FDA.
I enjoy the fact that you merely alerted all the bored and experimental kids out there to this "groovy new drug". Way to go there, folks.
http://www.justice.gov/dea/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Kratom.pdf
SERIOUSLY? You put this crap on the story as "facts" about Kratom? Facts according to the DEA....lol...you're funny.
http://current.com/1ekpnkc
Here is an example of an idiot in action.
I agree Kl...this will get picked up by our lunatic Republican lawmakers and put on a fast track to class I drug status. And they will do ZERO research about it to learn the truth.Â
LOL did I tune into Reefer Madness by mistake? Good God talk about disinformation.. long time kratom user here, and I say there is nothing to worry about. Put an age restriction on it if yo'ure that concerned, but it's not as popular as they'd have you believe. Why? Because it doesn't get you high, not like the kids are hoping for.
On the scale of effect of a substance on community in general, from 1-10, alcohol would be a 10, marijuana a 3 (purely an age issue -- kids should NOT be smoking pot as it prevents learning and forming new memories ,duh), and kratom a 1. How backwards is this?
This is purely a Kratom witch hunt. Kratom may not be for everyone but it does have its place. It has saved the life of thousands of people who have been addicted to pharmaceuticals, I would be willing to bet money that Mr. Burny Wells, the so called drug counselor, is really just a suboxone pusher. If no one knows what suboxone is its a combination of buprenorhine and naloxone. Buprenorphine can be a very dangerous drug, and is sold on the street just like any other pharmaceutical opioid, in fact, it is a very highly sought after. Kratom has been used for thousands of years for its analgesic effects which are very mild yet effective, rendering it an effective treatment for anyone with arthritis to fibromyalgia to even cancer patients. Kratom grows from the earth, its a tree related to to coffee from southeast asia. The powder is just ground leaves and possibly and extract of the leaves made the same way any other extact is made. I agree with the majority of people who use kratom, who mainly use it as a medicine, please do real research find out the truth.... Mr. Burny Wells I have to tell you that if you want to tell people that kratom is like a mixture of LSD and Cocaine and that it puts people in a state of psychosis, then stop treating patients. You obviously are deep in the pockets of the the suboxone pushing crowd or simply want to have you 15 minute of fame. KBOI-2 please look at the opposing side to this story.Â
no one seems to fact check anymore. That lady acording to other news was on more then just kratom, which I have been taking for years and never experienced anything more then a slight boost of energy and sometimes depending on the type relaxed.
http://current.com/community/94069250_kratom-witch-hunt-need-to-show-people-the-benefits-of-this-plant-not-just-media-bias.htm
People PLEASE contact Kendra Martinez at KBOI2 and share your opinions about this news story and the true facts about Kratom. I've been trying her with no returned phone calls. She is the director of editoral and her contact info is as follows:
Kendra Martinez
208-472-2222
kmartinez@kboi2.com
@AlanaBrophyKBOI come on one died from it alone...maybe it something was mixed with it...
@kratomgodsend @AlanaBrophyKBOIÂ
Alana...you, Burny, the reporter who wrote this story and everyone at KBOI2 will be the first to get the autopsy reports when they come out in the next two weeks. ..."maybe something was mixed with it?" you come on. First you say someone died from it "alone" and then you say that? Kind of a contridictive statement you made. FYI...not one person has died from kratom use. I hope there will be a public apology made when the truth be know
@kratomgodsend decent point
@AlanaBrophyKBOI thank you
@GodsDontExist @KBOITV it has saved many lives....really take a second to learn about it...thanks
Burny Wells is a liar and a fraud. Our media is in bed with our government and they just report what they are told to. Kratom is safe and very mild. These people are so dumb. They just make up crap. What the hell is a bathtub drug??? You people make me sick.
One of the most uneducated and misinformed articles I have ever read. Kratom is safe, been around for centuries and has helped millions relieve pain, depression and anxiety in a safe, organic and natural way. There has never been a single documented case of fatality directly linked to the use of Kratom.
I will now consider and promote KBOI news as a propoganda spewing, pathetic excuse for journalistic media. Get your facts straight! Mitragyna Speciosa(Kratom) is not some "new groovy drug". It's been used for generations and has only recently made news thanks to the propoganda  spewing media. It is taken both recreationally and for therapeutic treatment--aiding thousands of it's users who are combating anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and diarrhea. It also helps thousands more to wein themselves off prescription narcotics. I've had kratom withdrawals once, and it was minute compared to my caffeine withdrawals...it was a walk in the park compared to opiate withdrawals following surgery.
Groovy! Hahaha!
Burny, read a book on drugs, Jerk. Take your warty self to a therapist and tell them that you are tired of being a lying, musty anus. You have effectively publicly admitted that you don't know your pekker from your hand and you should be forced to give up your license based on the wreckless and wild claims that you have made about this plant. You malignant festering hemmorrhoid.
The problem with this reporting is that it isn't reporting at all! This is fantasy/fiction-writing, and very poorly done. This is what happens when you have some 23 year old "Reporter" who is given power of press- The power to inform other people of pertinent information when the reality is that they just got out of sorority house fantasy land and don't have a clue about the world around them.  Congrats on scoring your big Job right out of college Sarah, I hope that paycheck is worth more to you than the physical and mental well being of the MILLIONS of Americans who struggle with pain, addiction, and the slow death that the FDA has forced upon them. Think about your paycheck and what it affords you, and then go visit a pain clinic. Just stand outside of the methadone clinic if you are too chicken to go in there and know that people have to go there for the rest of their lives to ingest poison...Nazi-made FDA approved poison....day after day after day for the rest of their lives. I dare you. Live with yourself afterwards. Know that through your dishonesty, you are keeping people doped up and poisoned and are directly responsible for the torturing and enslavement of MILLIONS by removing viable options like Kratom from the market place. Again, congratulations on your big new job right out of college, way to make a positive impact on society.
Hahaha, this is some of the worst journalism one could possibly imagine.  The writer should consider doing a few minutes of research before writing something. Â
For anyone reading, nothing in this article has any relevance to reality. 5 minutes of research will show this.
Berny,
Don't forget the princials and practice them in all your affairs. I"ve heard you preach this time and time again. I'm disappointed and think you need Kratom more than most now Here are some reminders in case you have strayed from the herd. Good luck.
Honesty.BB How It Works, p.58
They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty.
Those who do not recover are people who cannot and will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates...
"They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty...
"but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest."
"Its effects can be life threatening and can last for days, even weeks before feeling normal again." Â seriously? where did you get this info? site a source, I dare you! Â your reporting sucks. Â where is the due diligence in reporting? You are not cracking a career making story. Â You are trying to deprive people of a naturally medicinal plant. Â reading your story is like LSD because nothing is as it should be.
Characterizing kratom's effects as similar to "a combination of LSD and cocaine" is on the short list of the most outrageously ridiculous things I have ever heard.  If you don't understand the magnitude of error there, it's akin to claiming that the effects of one 12oz beer are "similar to a combination of crack and PCP." It's literally the most inaccurate description one might give to kratom's effects...subjectively, objectively, physiologically, and neurologically. Â
 The Cowlitz county girl's cause of death, as one can quickly see with a 5 second google search, has not yet been determined and the toxicology report hasn't even been released. Â
Shame on the main source for this trash, Burny Wells, who apparently convinced someone once upon a time that he was remotely qualified to be a drug counselor.  I'm gobsmacked that anyone who doesn't understand (or appreciate) the difference between a substance like kratom and a combination of LSD and cocaine could or would ever be placed in a position to counsel those struggling with drug problems. It is DANGEROUS to have someone so ignorant about psychopharmacology tasked with such a job.Â
 This piece would make Anslinger and Hearst blush. What shamefully dishonest and inaccurate reporting.
In my opinion I see some reporters are like sheep, they want a hot story but don't want to step out of their comfort zone, They follow the safe path. If they see most people say something nasty about a topic, they will follow what their colleagues do.
After I read this article a few journalism buzz words came to mind:
Academic consensus- requires reliable sourcing that directly says that all or most scientists or scholars hold the same view
Usage by other sources- Â How accepted, high-quality reliable sources use a given source provides evidence, positive or negative, for its reliability and reputation. The more widespread and consistent this use is, the stronger the evidence.
Statements of opinion- Some sources may be considered reliable for statements as to their author's opinion, but not for statements asserted as fact without an inline qualifier. When using them, it is better to explicitly attribute such material in the text to the author to make it clear to the reader that they are reading an opinion.
This article was grossly misrepresented and there are absolutely no facts to base this story on. Granted I am a Kratom user but I also follow the news and expect the truth. I hope this journalist and her peers can learn from this mistake
http://www.facebook.com/burny.wells
I have eaten powder kratom leaves daily for the past 8 years. It has a mildly stimulating effect which helps me with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. If this plant were not around I am not sure I would be able to function in society anymore because my only other option is to take massive amounts of pain pills as well as a "legal" amphetamine stimulant just to get out of bed. It would be irresponsible to compare this plant to Marijuana (it is actually alot like drinking several cups of coffee)so you comparing it to LSD and Cocaine is looney. Kratom is not bath salt and you would know that if you took the 3 minutes it takes to read the Wikipedia page.Â
@winch You are keeping the pharma industry from getting rich off of your misery. How dare you!
This article has to be the most irresponsible piece of âreportingâ I have ever read.The author is so out of touch with reality that she needs to have her credentials revoked.I am a 44 year old man living in Eagle and I am certainly not part of the drug culture.I was introduced to Kratom after suffering back issues and trouble sleeping.I have taken it for about a year as needed and I can say without doubt that I have never had âan LSD or Cocaineâ type experience.Hysteria like this article runs the risk of perpetuating the real drug problem while taking away the real attributes of this natural pain reliever.In a time when there is so much abuse in prescribed medication and expensive health care, Kratom ranks right up there with aspirin and ibuprofenâ¦not heroin and methamphetamines.A STUPID, STUPID, STUPID article without merit.
This is ridiculouus!!! Get your facts straight, deadly? This is a fine example of a runaway reporter. First of all, there is a drug test that can detect this plant (my sister is in prison right now because she was on drug court and yes such test does exist) people use this for a variety of reasons, including natural painkiller (it is an opiod antaginist) and some use it to get off of painkillers, herorin, oxy's, etc. LSD???? OMG(osh) lol, this is the worst and most subjective reporting I have seen in a long time. I don't personally take it, but I do know a lot of people whom do, and it's not to get  high. I know people that take it to overcome addiction to powerful druugs, people that take it for natural pain relief. Anyone that overuses anything can die. Energy drinks, alcohol, even sleeping pills. So, before people make judegements they should do some research on it. The DEA is very aware of this plant and have not listed it as a scheduled drug. I doubt the crediblity of this "drug counselor," for the simple fact that they compared it to "bath salts." My advice for Channell 2 (and anyone that is not sure about this plant) to do some research, all you have to do is spend more than 10 seconds online to at least be somewhat objective instead of taking a "story," and running with it. I'm really disappointed in the reporting because it is clearly not objective reporting. If it was you would see that millions of people take it and have not died. I am sure that the death of the person they are referring to probably had other drugs or chemicals in thier body that caused their death. The report says Kratom played a role in her death, not caused it.Â
@boisegirl180 Well said. You should post your comments on their FB page https://www.facebook.com/kboi2 and others should too.Â
Is life so miserable in Idaho, that people have to take all of that crap, just to feel stupid, just to get by and handle life???
@John West If you lived here, with the lawmakers who run this state, you'd probably want to do just what you said. Possibly even kill yourself.
@John West Mr West, I encourage you to do research on the subject of this article. I'm sure you will find that this is nothing more than yellow journalism, intended to mislead and frighten the public about a plant that does less harm than caffeine. There were are more deaths caused by autoerotiqe asphyxia last year than kratom in the past 100 years...and that is a fact.
I say this with all due respect...
@John West Hi John, please do some research on this and do not take this news story at face value. It is not even close to "bath salts," or "LSD," lol I promise this news report is completely biased and they want to get ratings by using shock tactics to thier viewers. I am not trying to convince you of anything, but I think you should do some reasearch before you make a decision on how you feel about this plant. It's a good idea to research any story before you make decisions because people should be objective and get their information from multiple sources so that they can be well informed. http://www.kratomassociation.org/kratom-testimonials
I mean seriously Burny, isn't it rather hypocritical of you to author an entire novel on the witch-hunting of Gays in the 1950's and how they were unfairly persecuted and imprisoned... and then you go and head up a witch hunt yourself on an even more helpless victim - A defenseless plant that has helped and healed literally tens of thousands of people!
Permanent psychosis? Bath Salts? LSD??? Cocaine? .... Bath tubs? ....BATH TUBS? Burny.... Bathub drugs? What are you even talking about? Do you know Burny? Ground control to Burny? Bath tub drugs? Christ.
Kratom seems to cause confusion, hallucinations, psychosis, and irrational BS spewing from the mouth... ONLY IN PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PLANT.
I am seriously concerned that a "Drug Conselor", someone who is supposed to be an expert in the field of drugs and psychoactive substances, cannot tell the difference between a leaf and synthetic drugs made in a bathtub, or that they would be so humiliatingly uneducated in their subject matter to make the ridiculous reefer madness like claims that you have. That scares me. Big time. God help your "patients".
@Tyler B He's a fear mongerer. It blows me away how a so-called drug counselor can be spewing such nonsense. Do people actually go to this quack for help? Whatever happened to fact checking and research? How can this man help anyone if he doesn't even know what people are taking and what the so-called drugs do? No doubt he's too busy writing prescriptions for hard-core anti-psychotics, benzodiazepenes and methadone every time some poor kid comes in because his mother caught him sniffing the laundry detergent to actually do his due diligence as a physician. Pathetic. You know what else is a pain reliever, sex enhancer and a stimulant? COFFEE.  How would Burny like it if I started comparing his morning joe to bath salts and BATH TUB DRUGS, whatever those are.Â
Next you reporters will be saying that yerba mate turns you into an rainbow colored ape.Â
Personally, I use Kratom to treat migraines and menstrual cramps. It's inexpensive, effective, organic, and a thousand times safer than imitrex or even tylenol, because it doesn't harm your liver or any other vital organ. It's an all-natural pain-killer. It doesn't get me high, and if it did, I wouldn't take it because I don't do that sort of thing. I'm a Christian and I don't put anything in my body for recreational purposes. There's no withdrawal. It only lasts between 4-6 hours. You can go to sleep while it's in effect. Looking at its chemical make-up, it's intrinsically impossible to hallucinate just from using Kratom. You might as well say that taking aspirin makes you hallucinate; that's how absurd that statement is. For the record, Kratom leaves are green, even when they're dehydrated. If it was poisonous or toxic, there would be thousands upon thousands of people in America dead right now that have been using Kratom, but there aren't.Â
I don't take any pharmaceutical drugs now. I used to be physically dependent on lortab for migraines until I found out that the combination of hydrocodone and tylenol was responsible for rebound pain---I was suffering from migraines every day for years, spending thousands of dollars on this garbage, not knowing that the treatment was also the reason I was suffering. I suffered a horrible withdrawal, and then swore off pharmaceuticals forever. I hope someone in the pharmaceutical industry reads this: The sort of people that use these herbs and plants to treat their ailments are the very same sort of people that will NEVER purchase your pharmaceuticals. You can demonize and illegalize their plants and herbs, but it won't make them spend 20x as much money on your dangerous drug cocktails that have more harmful or even deadly side-effects than they do so-called therapeutic effects. For every plant you demonize and lie about, there are a hundred more that are just as awesome, and many more that have yet to be discovered. This reporter should be fired and the website should print a retraction. It's positively shameful how empty this article is of any facts.Â
@Heather Williams Rainbow colored ape..love it!
@Heather Williams   Great info and points Heather. You should post this on the KBOI FB Page. Check out this list of FDA approved drugs that have been pulled from the market. FDA approval safe and trustworthy? You decide....   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_withdrawn_drugs
Quite obviously KBOI web staff are using a combination of LSD and Cocaine and suffering from some psychotic symptoms if this is considered truthful journalism.
Burny Wells, in my opinion you are a flat out liar. Here is the contact info for his offices so we can get a little accountability. Funny that he used to work for the dept of corrections isn't it?
(208) 384-0284
(208) 898-9755Perhaps we could all read his book, looks like a real page turner:
http://www.amazon.com/Boise-Boys-Burny-Wells/dp/1606433830
@Tyler BÂ I wouldn't buy this book. It would merely give him money in his pocket. Maybe find it at the library, but I would never waste money on it.
These news reporters disgust me. The average person will watch this, read the comments, and think "oh these people are bad mouthing this story because they want to get high." No. That is far from it. Kratom can be harmful in some ways. I will admit that. But saying the effects are similar to LSD and Cocaine is such a lie it is not even funny. I used kratom before and I know quite a few people who use it daily to replace their pain medication (look up prescription drug deaths by the way) and I or none of them experienced side effects to the extent of which this guy is claiming. Yes, the bath salts are horrible, but this is far from it. It is a plant with sedative and antioxidant effects. Please do your own research. Please. Read all the comments. How can EVERYONE be saying these people are lying. Find one comment that agrees with this article. You can't. I am lost for words. I thought that the internet will help spread the truth to everyone. About the government, about the incentives of people who have power. But looking at this, the internet can be a tool to spread complete BS as well. KBOI2, I will never trust a single word you say , ever , liars.
This comment has been deleted
You should also be educated to know what bath salts and spice are if you are ever going to mention them in an article. I have a feeling you have no idea what they are. Bath salts and spice are synthetic chemicals. Very evil ones that are badly addicting. I hate these things with all my life. However to take an all natural leaf in the same family as the coffee tree and ignorantly compare it to them is insane! Why don't you pick on St. John's wart or something else? Surely St. John's Wart would be even easier. It is not even in the coffee family. It is not as well known and you could probably call it brake cleaner and get away with it. Go browse the health food aisles. Pick on iron supplements, etc. Please don't attempt to limit my constitutional rights to an all natural herb. I would honestly have to leave America if kratom every became banned here because I would never go on the pain pills again.
You can contact me one of the following ways. 772-349-6754 or email wesley@mayankratom.com or go to my website at www.mayankratom.com  I am sure you know people hooked on pain pills. Why don't you be objective and let me send you some Mayan Kratom so that you can see if it helps them. Not just to get people off them but also to help with minor pain, minor stress, and allow you to work relaxed. Give it a try and you will be the biggest fan. I have Never, Ever, seen somebody try kratom and not become an immediate fan.
This article proves our media is corrupt. Our media is nothing but a bunch of sellouts They get paid to lie. I've studies Kratom for over 10 years and I can tell you everything in this report is 100% a lie. But we are ahead of the media on kratom. We knew this day was coming so we already have people in the house and senate informed about Kratom. This news site was told to report this by the big Pharmaceutical companies. This site and others are going to be exposed for what they are.
@chris0007Â DO IT! Take them DOWN!
B*llSnit YELLOW JOURNALISM. Pathetic fear mongering for the sole purpose of demonizing an alternative to the pharmaceutical industries ( who support these "journalists" through advertising). REEFER MADNESS REDUX. Anyone with half a brain can look up the truth about KRATOM on Wikipedia, or any of the primary sources listed there and learn that Kratom is a NON TOXIC plant that has been used for hundreds if not thousands of years to effectively treat pain and opiate dependance, without a single fatality. This reporting is coming straight from the pharmaceutical companies lobbyists, who are terrorized by alternatives to their toxic remedies. Shame on this "reporter" for not having any ethics.
I really hope these reporters read the comments. Hopefully they will update their story with some accurate information. It's out there KBOI webstaff! Go ahead and research kratom related death or psychosis and we will compare numbers.