Is Kratom Legal in the UK?

Living in the UK and curious about kratom? You are certainly not alone. This wonderful, natural plant has been used for hundreds of years in Southeast Asia and has been gaining a great deal of attention in the United Kingdom lately. It even has quite a dedicated customer base, albeit buying through ‘unofficial channels.’

The benefits of kratom are extensive, including relief from physical discomfort and improved mood. As a result, this energy-inducing substance has also become popular in the US over the last decade or two and has picked up a lot of attention on social channels, with both American and Southeast Asian consumers singing its praises.

But is kratom officially available in the UK, and what are the laws surrounding this intriguing substance? Is kratom legal in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or not?

The short answer is resounding: kratom is most definitely illegal in the UK, although, interestingly, it never used to be. Before 2016, UK kratom was sold in a smattering of head shops, and for those who could not access physical stores, UK kratom was easily sourced online.

However, reforms came into effect in 2016 when the UK government - as part of a broader move to control so-called 'legal highs' - placed a sudden, firm, blanket ban on UK kratom sales. The ban covers absolutely everything related to UK kratom commerce, from importation and sale to possession.

But why is kratom illegal in the UK? What are the reasons behind this rather odd shift in laws towards a natural plant, taken by hundreds of thousands of people in many other countries?

UK kratom used to be available for purchase (and use) without any restrictions. However, as concerns grew over the safety and potential misuse of various substances, the government decided to reclassify kratom products, putting them under the category of controlled substances.

You could argue that UK kratom was simply a victim of bad timing. The mid-2010s saw a peak of ‘legal highs,’ with unscrupulous entrepreneurs making fortunes selling imitation Class-A drugs online. The authorities would ban these products, but then manufacturers would exploit a legal loophole by altering the chemical composition slightly and rebranding the same thing with a different name.

To curtail the legal loophole once and for all, the government made sweeping reforms that saw kratom arbitrarily swept up in a broad crackdown. These reforms, intended to hinder the synthetic Class-A markets, inadvertently affected natural substances like kratom, which had been used for centuries in its native regions for medicinal purposes. 

This legal stance means that as of 2016, kratom joins other substances that are tightly regulated: an overly cautious approach towards substances that are deemed to alter the user's mental state and possibly lead to dependency. 

This tough position on UK kratom sales meets with similar actions taken by countries like Australia and Sweden, where kratom is also banned for almost identical reasons. However, one might argue that plenty of other substances like alcohol or even caffeine also affect the user’s mental state and therefore raise questions about why these substances, and many others, are treated differently.

After all, kratom does not have a reputation for being dangerous or highly addictive unless taken in excessive quantities. There are no hallucinogenic effects, and most people would describe the actual effects as relatively mild. So, what is the official reason for such a tough legal position?

The official reason behind the UK kratom ban is a concern regarding health and safety. Kratom acts on opioid receptors in the brain, which means it can have significant effects on the body and mind. While some users report benefits such as improved mood and reduced pain, others experience negative effects, including kratom addiction and severe withdrawal symptoms.

However, to experience those negative effects, users would have to exceed the recommended dose for a sustained period of time. Much in the same way alcohol has negative effects if abused, so does kratom. The majority of people taking kratom would do so sensibly, incurring no negative effects, but the government seems to have enacted regulations owing to the small minority who do not.

While kratom is banned in the UK, its legal status varies around the world. In the United States, kratom is legal on a federal level but may be banned or regulated in specific states. Countries in Southeast Asia (where kratom is native, of course) have differing policies. 

For instance, Thailand recently moved from a strict ban to a more regulated legalization of the plant, acknowledging its traditional use while keeping a cautious eye on public health.

You can buy UK kratom through nefarious illegal channels (or, to put it another way, the dark web), although doing so would break the law and lead to a low-quality product at best or something potentially dangerous at worst. We advise against this approach for obvious reasons. 

Currently, no legal avenues exist for buying UK kratom. The ban prohibits not just the sale but also the possession and importation of the plant, meaning Brits must travel to countries where kratom is legal or order it online from regions where its sale is allowed (though the latter would still be breaking UK law).

With a whole host of potential benefits, it seems a little unfair that Kratom has been curtailed in Britain, but with advocacy groups pushing for reforms, there might yet come a time when UK kratom is legal once again.

For anyone residing in countries where kratom is legally available, Authentic Kratom offers a wonderful variety of high-quality kratom for sale, sourced ethically from its native Southeast Asian regions, providing you with effective natural alternatives for discomfort relief and wellness.

• https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/130171
• https://www.politico.eu/article/kratom-czech-republic-ban-ignore-or-regulate-and-the-whac-a-mole-world-of-soft-drugs/
• https://eka.eu/about-kratom/kratom-legality/