Learn about the addictive potential of mitragyna speciosa. Discover tips that can prevent you from raising your tolerance too fast and how to prevent yourself from falling into the addiction trap.
Traditional Mitragyna Speciosa Use in Thailand
Mitragyna speciosa is one of the most popular herbs in its native country, Thailand: another name for it is kratom, which is the name often used for marketing it to western consumers nowadays. While mitragyna speciosa usage in the west is only just beginning, usage in Thailand has already become something of an established tradition, with even the illegalization of the plant by the government failing to stem usage among locals. The history of use for kratom in the country is simply too long—as well as too benign, some would argue, and with good reason—to prevent people from using it now, and even today, Thais can be seen munching on a few leaves of the plant as they go about their daily work without any apparent concern for its status as a contraband substance.
While the origins of mitragyna speciosa usage are unclear, what is known is that the Thais have been using it to cure complaints such as anxiety and depression as well as diarrhea for generations. Its psychoactive effects as a stimulant and sedative (an intriguing and paradoxical combination) are the ones most desired by those taking it, though. While many psychoactive herbs often grow in notoriety as herbs of recreation, kratom grew in popularity as an actual daily treatment for many people’s woes—specifically those of the laboring lower classes.
The typical way of taking it, even now, is for the user to stuff a few leaves (these are quite large, it should be noted) into his pockets and take out one to chew on throughout his work day. At low dosages, the herb is known to give people a boost of energy, permitting them to continue with manual labor: later on, mild euphoria and relaxation enter the picture, permitting them to ignore mental and emotional troubles over existence and their status.
Of course, this is not to say that all the people using kratom in Thailand do so in order to continue with their work while indulging in a form of escapism: many users were also documented as using it specifically for physical pain relief as opposed to mental and emotional. Again, chewing the fresh leaves is the traditional method of consumption, although some were also noted to indulge in the tea.
