Kratom rush in Thailand as producers eye US exports of opioid-like herb
- The US kratom market is estimated to be valued at more than US$1 billion annually, much of which is currently imported from Indonesia
- But the opioid alternative is under review by the WHO’s drug dependence committee and the US FDA has warned consumers about it
“A lot of the older villagers kept kratom trees to harvest and eat its leaves,” Sittichai, 31, said. “After it became legal, I started collecting and buying the leaves to help them earn extra income.”
Already, the domestic response has been overwhelming: one week after Sittichai launched, he stopped advertising because Thai orders were coming in faster than villagers could harvest the crop.
Kratom, the herbal supplement from Indonesia that has US drug agencies worried
Thailand removed kratom from the narcotics list on August 24 and on September 8 lawmakers passed a draft law to allow kratom imports and exports. The moves followed easing of rules against cannabis and hemp.
Thailand’s local kratom market could be worth 600 million baht by next year, based on assumptions that the sector will be smaller than the hemp industry, according to Chaiwat Sowcharoensuk, an analyst at Krungsri Research. Once Thailand announces rules to regulate trade and large-scale companies join the green rush, though, the export market could be significantly larger, he said.
“Decriminalisation will not only benefit farmers but will create a whole new supply chain from upstream to downstream and will likely attract operators looking to turn it into beverages, health supplements and cosmetics,” Chaiwat said.
The biggest potential export market is the US, where online dealers now sell Indonesian-sourced kratom powder and other products to consumers looking for alternatives to opioids. The US market is estimated to be valued at more than US$1 billion annually, with 11 million to 15 million users, according to the American Kratom Association, which based its valuation on imports from Indonesia.
“We expect that the legalisation of kratom in Thailand will lead to more acceptance of this botanical, and, in turn, reasonable regulations for growing and processing in the countries where kratom is cultivated,” said Jenn Lauder, director of marketing and advocacy at Kraken Kratom, an Oregon-based vendor that sells products from strains local to Indonesia and Thailand.
“This means that companies in the US could have greater control over their supply chains, including seed-to-sale tracking and quality assurance standards that start at the source, and more consistent raw plant materials.”
Hong Kong takes a hard line on kratom, but ‘herbal heroin’ still available
In the US, the Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers about kratom.
“There is substantial concern regarding the safety of kratom, the risk it may pose to public health and its potential for abuse,” Judy McMeekin, the FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, said in a May statement.
Advocates say criticism is unfair.
“Kratom may be much more beneficial than harmful to society and if properly regulated can help with certain addictions, help those struggling with acute and chronic pain, and offer those who are trapped in the opioid addiction cycle a safe path away from that,” said Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association.
In Thailand, decriminalisation is getting good reviews from people like Phatcharaphon Thupaphong, a 47-year-old caddie who chews kratom to get an energy boost while working under the tropical sun.
“Before it became legal, I’d have to hide the leaves under my car seat and they’d shrivel from the heat by the time I got home,” she said. “Now I don’t have to worry.”