Kratom. It's all the buzz. Packaged as gummies, liquid extracts and powders, kratom is sold at many retail outlets -- gas stations, convenience stores, coffee shops, vape shops and online. It's promoted as an energy booster, mood lifter and pain reliever. But buyer beware! Its side effects can be serious.
According to the American Kratom Association, kratom is a $1.5 billion a year industry in the US. Related to coffee, kratom is an active chemical ingredient found in the leaves of an evergreen tree that grows in Southeast Asia. Scientifically named "Mitragyna speciosa," local kratom users are known to chew its leaves, brew them or add its extract to a liquid. It's been used as an herbal drug by laborers and farmers for generations.