Does Kratom still have a traditional use?
Yes, but not strictly as a medical plant. In certain areas of Thailand and Malaysia it is still very popular and widespread as a recreational drug, especially among people who do hard labor at night – in our case these mostly are workers on rubber plantations (the sapping of the latex has to be done at night) and in the fishing industry.
In these areas we can still frequently find tea or coffee shops, which are open all through the night and serve a complimentary plate with Kratom leaves along with each order – in most cases unnoticed by hip westerners, who sometimes also visit the same shops.
In the same areas Kratom also is widespread as a hard-core recreational drug, in Thailand for example under the name of “sikhunroi” (lit. translated: four times hundred). In these cases Kratom is mixed with other drugs or chemicals. Sikhunroi contains Kratom, codeine cough syrup, an insect repellant and Coke – the cocktail is stirred, not shaken, and reportedly very powerful and dangerous.
