The Ins And Outs Of Smoking Kratom: Is It Safe?

Can You Smoke Kratom?

Have trouble leaving the dangerous tar smoking? Kratom may be a better alternative. According to many smokers who resorted to kratom, lastly, they found it exceptionally helpful. But does it make smoking harmless? Should you take your kratom dosage by smoking it? 

Kratom has been sold in smoke shops for a long time. This has spontaneously created a link between kratom and smoking.

But it is not too far when the consumers think of smoking it. Mitragyna speciosa was initially consumed as whole leaves or crushed into a powder, but as new consumers joined the league, they developed more ways of consumption.

However, it is to be understood that no form of smoking is harmless, and so is the case with smoking kratom. It carries its drawbacks. With that said, according to its consumers, they find it less harmful than tar and other forms of smoking. But if you are thinking of switching to kratom smoking, you need to know that the substance is reported controversial by the FDA. Fortunately the latest report by the WHO suggested that it is still too early to draw a critical review on kratom due to a lack of evidence as mentioned by American Kratom Association.

Should You Take Your Normal Kratom Dosage Through Smoking?

It is certainly possible to take your required dosage via smoking, but it is not recommended. Smokers who fall into the deeper pits of smoking addiction often look for ways to escape. In such circumstances, they often hear people shifting to less harmful substances. Even kratom consumers suggest kratom smoking for managing tar smoking troubles. Taking your kratom dosage via smoking produces many long-term side effects, especially on the Central nervous system and air passageways.

Smoking large amounts of raw kratom leaves to damage the capillaries surrounding the alveoli in the lungs since they are very fragile. It is surely an intense method of consumption and is rare among the consumers. The drug bypasses the digestive system and directly passes the blood brain barrier to enter your brain through smoking.

Why Do People Smoke Kratom?

The obvious reason why some people smoke kratom is to get an instant boost of effects. But if you think clearly, you will have to smoke 10 grams of the leaves to get the same effects as a 1 gram kratom capsule. What happens when you smoke, and does it decrease the efficacy? When you brew kratom leaves to make tea, the kratom content reaches a temperature of around 100 degrees Celsius. 

When you light a cigarette, the contents are heated to a temperature of around 900 degrees Celsius. The fact that the alkaloids reach such a high temperature is compelling that smoking reduces the efficacy. No active component can remain effective at this high temperature.

Can You Smoke Kratom With Other Substances?

There may be those who consider mixing kratom with cannabis while smoking. In this case, cannabis can suppress the effects of kratom (note that there isn't enough research on this). Moreover, both products have an effect on the central nervous system. Mixing them can destroy the desired effect. It is recommended to consume kratom alone for optimal effect. Combining kratom with tobacco can be toxic with long-term use. Nicotine, the active compound in tobacco, can have potentially toxic effects on the liver. Similarly, it is not recommended to take kratom alongside any substance that affects the liver in this way.

How Can Smoking Kratom Negatively Affect Your Body?

It is always wise to weigh the pros and cons of any substance before consuming it. The same goes for different ways of consumption. Though there hasn’t been enough research about the therapeutic effects of kratom, let alone side effects, nothing can be said with affirmation. However, the most obvious cons of kratom are:

It Affects The Cognitive Behavior

According to a study published in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, kratom was found to be associated with deficits in visual episodic memory and new learning. It thus affects the cognitive behavior taken in overdose.

While Smoking, You Can Get An Excess Dose

Excess of everything is bad, and kratom is no different. It is always refreshing to hear stories of people healing from extreme drug dependencies using kratom. However, as a new consumer, you should be careful to avoid overdosing. This will do more harm than good. It is common to exceed the normal dose with smoking to form a cigarette.

Major kratom side effects only appear when it has overdosed. Never walk on the road of self-diagnosing because the risk factors are always unknown in self-treatment plans. Experienced consumers never suggest quitting the normal drug regime with kratom without proper research and professional guidelines.

Smoking Is Generally Detrimental To Health

Your lungs are not biologically designed for inhaling excessively hot air. In the case of smoking, the lungs deteriorate with time. According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking causes Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This happens as the delicate air sacs in your lungs get damaged, and the effective air-exchange surface area reduces. 

This further leads to congestion, difficulty in breathing, persistent coughing, and weakening of the immune system. There are high chances of getting addicted to smoking when you resort to it for taking your regular kratom dosage. Researchers have yet to find a direct link between smoking kratom and its effects on our body, but keeping in view the research conducted on smoking cannabis reveals long-term side effects on the brain, there are higher chances that smoking kratom may have similar threatening effects.

The laboratory analysis of various kratom varieties collected from several regions have also shown an increased amount of lead and nickel shedding light on one of the reasons as to why kratom smoking can be specifically detrimental.

Keeping the above possible side effects in mind, experienced consumers avoid smoking kratom and suggest others to do so too.

What Are Some Better Ways To Consume Kratom?

Why smoke kratom when there are so many innovative, exciting, and, most importantly, safe options! If you want to live a balanced healthy life, you should definitely avoid any kind of smoking. What we have heard from kratom smokers is that they would never want to do it again when they can have their dose in many other ways.

Here are some of the popular ways of consuming kratom:

By brewing it into Tea/Coffee:

Because it is a leaf, most people take kratom by making tea. You can experience the most desired effects of kratom this way. Dosing is very easy and free of the side effects of smoking.

Toss and Wash Method:

It is by far the most popular method of taking kratom. It is because it requires less effort and no preparation. All you have to do is toss your weight dosage and take a gulp of water to swallow it. Though it is an old-school way of taking kratom, consumers who prefer to experience the raw bitter taste of the herb prefer it this way. If you are new to kratom consumption, we have plenty of other ways for you.

Taking Capsules:

Kratom capsules are the easiest way to consume kratom. Finding the right dose is easy with capsules as they come pre-measured. For those who do not like the taste of the kratom leaves, a kratom capsule can be an ideal treat.

Adding in Food/Drinks:

This is the most innovative method yet requires effort. Some people may not like kratom tea as the bitter taste may persist taste. Instead, the widely available kratom powder can easily be added to foods or protein shakes. But be careful about the heat from cooking or baking with kratom. It may reduce the effects. According to consumers, kratom edibles though delicious, may not produce as apparent results as raw kratom.

The Final Verdict

Smoking kratom is not an ideal way if you are looking for a suitable method of taking your recommended dosage. Its harmful effects on the respiratory tract and un-researched nature prevent consumers from suggesting it. If you are looking for a balanced and more effective way of taking kratom, you can try tea, simple capsules, pills, etc.

Disclaimer: smoking is injurious to health. The above article is not intended to promote smoking nor suggest any ailment treatment.