by Keith | Mar 13, 2015 | Articles
There’s a lot of hype out there online about kratom 100X extract—unfortunately, it’s mostly hype. We understand the appeal of stronger is better, but unfortunately, kratom 100X extract is at most a marketing gimmick and at worst an actual rip off. Why? Well, it has a lot to do with the chemistry behind how kratom extract is made.
Along with whole and powdered kratom leaf, Shaman’s Garden also sells several forms of kratom extract, from liquid extracts to resins and powders. Our extracts can be used just like the whole leaf in incense blends, aromatherapy preparations, and in research; some people may prefer kratom extract for these uses because it is a more concentrated form of kratom, with a higher concentration of active alkaloids such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. For one thing, since you can use a smaller amount of extract than unenhanced powder or leaf, kratom extract tends to be more economical despite its slightly higher selling price. Kratom extract also offers a purer form of some of kratom’s alkaloids that are of interest to researchers.
A Primer on Herbal Extracts
An herbal extract is a reduction of raw herbal material into a concentrated form which is a standard multiple stronger than the raw herb. The X on extract labels, such as 15X or 20X, refers to the ratio of fresh herb used to make the extract. For instance, if you have a 15X or 15:1 kratom extract, this means that 15 grams of fresh kratom leaves were used to make 1 gram of the finished extract. A 20X extract means 20 grams of kratom were used to make 1 gram of extract, and so on. Herbal extracts can be made using different solvents such as alcohol, acetone, superchilled carbon dioxide, and water. Though manufacturers have all kinds of fancy extracting equipment, it doesn’t have to be a complex process—if you’ve ever brewed coffee, tea, or kava kava, you’ve made a water-based extraction.
Kratom 100X Extract
So why should you be wary of a kratom extract that’s 100X? Two reasons. First of all, the alkaloids in fresh kratom leaves extract unevenly. Although mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are the ones most people focus on, scientists have identified up to 25 active alkaloids in kratom, and more than 40 in total. All of these compounds leach into a kratom extract with different rates of efficiency, depending on their chemical structure and what kind of solvent (water, alcohol, etc.) is used. Unfortunately, this means that a highly concentrated kratom 100X extract will have a skewed alkaloid profile: some alkaloids will be overrepresented in the extract, while others won’t be present at all. To get a true full-spectrum extract where all of kratom’s alkaloids are represented in the same ratio as in the fresh leaf, it’s better to stick to lower concentrations such as 15X or 20X extracts. Any kratom extract over 20X, and definitely any kratom extract 50X or higher, will not be full spectrum.
Second, if you plan to use kratom extract in aromatherapy or incense preparations, a kratom 100X extract would be a waste of money. There is an upper limit to the body’s ability to absorb alkaloids and other plant chemicals, as well as vitamins and minerals. Even if you could obtain a kratom 100X extract that contained the full spectrum of kratom’s many alkaloids (which you couldn’t, for the reason explained above), you wouldn’t be able to absorb any greater amount than you would from a less concentrated extract such as a 20X.
A helpful example is vitamins. Researchers have long known that different factors, including the chemical form of a vitamin, limit how well the body can absorb and make use of that vitamin. This measure is sometimes called “bioavailability”. For instance, our bodies need folate, a chemical found in many leafy greens as well as standard multivitamins. Folate naturally occurs in the form of folic acid in some whole foods, and researchers are now beginning to think that human bodies absorb folic acid more easily than folate, which is the chemical form used in most multivitamins. Another reason it’s always important to eat your vegetables!
When it comes to kratom extracts, it’s probably for the best that there is an upper limit on the body’s absorption capacity. Otherwise, with such a strong extract it would be almost impossible to reliably measure the right amount for any kind of incense or aromatherapy use. To save yourself time and money on disappointing results, we think it’s much better to go for a 15X or 20X extract that you can be assured genuinely represents all the alkaloids in this complex and intriguing herb.
by Keith | Mar 13, 2015 | Articles
Unless you’re an expert or a vendor like us, the issue of kratom legal status can be very confusing to sort out. The legal status of kratom is changing rapidly in the U.S., often on a state-by-state basis; for the average consumer, it can be tricky to figure out if kratom is legal to purchase in your home state. Remember, it’s the state you live in, not the state the kratom vendor is in, that determines kratom’s legal status for you as a consumer. Even though kratom is legal here in Illinois, we will not be able to ship it to you if you live in a state where kratom is banned. Luckily, Shaman’s Garden is here to help you sort through the complex terrain of kratom legal status.
It might surprise you to learn that kratom has been made illegal in its native country of Thailand, as well as in Malaysia and Burma. Kratom was banned in Southeast Asia despite the fact that fresh kratom leaves have been used in these regions for hundreds of years as a traditional herbal medicine. Why is this? Why would countries where kratom has been innocently used for so long suddenly decide to ban this herb? Unfortunately, as is often the case, political and economic reasons rather than medical evidence motivated the kratom ban in Thailand and nearby regions. Kratom was illegalized in 1943 in Thailand, after the Thai government decided the traditional use of kratom was cutting into the widespread (though illegal) opium trade. That’s right: the government went after kratom because it’s a native tree people could harvest for free, instead of a drug they had to pay money for. It’s currently punishable by death to possess an ounce of kratom in Thailand! The Thai government has even tried to eradicate kratom trees from their native habitat, luckily without success.
Fortunately, the legal outlook for kratom is much rosier in other parts of the world. Kratom is legal in the United States, with the exception of a few states we’ll look at below. Kratom is also totally legal to import and sell in our two nearest neighbors, Canada and Mexico, although these countries classify kratom as “not for human consumption” and ban it from being marketed or sold as a dietary supplement. Other countries that regulate kratom as a controlled substance include Denmark, Germany, Finland, Romania, Poland, Ireland, Lithuania, Norway, Israel, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, and South Korea. This is the most complete list we could find of countries that regulate or ban kratom. To be on the safe side, if you’re outside of the United States, check the laws and regulations in your country if you plan to order kratom from us.
Kratom Legal Status in the U.S.
The United States has recently ruled that kratom cannot be imported as a dietary supplement for human consumption under its import laws. However, in most of the US, kratom is totally legal to buy and sell as an incense component, for aromatherapy or research purposes, or as an herbarium specimen, which is exactly how we sell it.
States where kratom or its main compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have been banned are Indiana, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. States where bills to ban kratom are pending (but not yet passed) are Michigan, Iowa, and Louisiana. Our home state of Illinois also bans the sale of kratom to minors under the age of 18, which has always been our company policy for all products we sell. Other gray areas in the US’s kratom legal status include the laws in Vermont: in Vermont, 7-hydroxymitragynine is banned under the state’s Regulated Drug Rules. Although kratom the herb is not mentioned, illegalizing a main alkaloid of kratom is tantamount to illegalizing kratom itself.
Then there’s Florida. The laws on kratom in this state are changing so fast that sometimes it seems like every day brings a new update. Our latest news is that as of March 11th, 2015, the Florida Senate has passed a bill illegalizing kratom and its main alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, and making their possession a misdemeanor. Previously, kratom was legal in most areas of Florida, although Sarasota County passed a motion to ban kratom and its main alkaloids, and other Florida counties considered following suit.
Finally, some states originally had bans kratom or planned to, but later amended those laws due to the efforts of kratom advocacy groups, notably the Botanical Legal Defense. Legislation has been amended to remove kratom from the banned substances list in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Illinois. If you need the latest updates to kratom’s legal status, or just have a healthy interest in the shifting legal landscape surrounding kratom in the US, the people over at Speciosa.org maintain a regularly updated, color-coded map of the states where kratom is banned, regulated, and legal. It’s a great resource, and the most dynamic source on kratom’s rapidly changing legal status that is readily available to consumers!
by Keith | Feb 27, 2015 | Products
Of all the types of kratom currently available, probably none is more highly sought after than Maeng Da Kratom. However, one thing we’ve seen over and over in our years in the kratom business is that customers, even other vendors, can be confused about what the Maeng Da label actually means! We’ve seen Maeng Da kratom advertised as both a strain and a grade of kratom, but these are very different things. To make an analogy using one of our other favorite herbs, kava, there are both different strains or varieties of kava–Mahakea, Isa, Melo Melo, etc.—and different grades of kava. For instance, Waka kava is harvested only from the young lateral roots and is considered the finest grade of kava; however, any strain of kava can be harvested to make a Waka-grade kava.
It’s exactly the same with Maeng Da kratom: this label simply means that the product was made from kratom leaves that have been harvested at the peak of richness, in the fall or early winter when the leaves contain the highest concentration of alkaloids. Maeng Da Kratom is not a distinct strain of kratom any more than Waka kava is a distinct strain of kava. For many kratom connoisseurs, what sets Maeng Da kratom apart from other grades is its combination of both energizing and relaxing properties in one leaf; it’s great as a daytime incense for when you want to get focused, yet it also has a smooth, relaxing quality that can be great to unwind with. The name “Maeng Da” comes from a Thai slang term that means, loosely, “pimp’s kratom”—we’ll leave it to your imagination how this translates to quality!
Perhaps because it’s so highly sought after, various rumors have sprung up around Maeng Da kratom, including the wild theory that it’s a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) created from a gene splice of different kratom strains. This is probably how the whole confusion with Maeng Da—is it a distinct strain or a grade of kratom?—got started in the first place: according to the Kratom Bible, a few years back an Indonesian kratom farm started experimentally grafting cuttings of various kratom strains to create an ultra-alkaloid-rich plant. However, according to the story, this original Maeng Da strain was not a GMO: instead, the farm was using much older grafting techniques that have been employed in horticulture to breed new varieties of many useful plants. The various types of apples available in your supermarket are mostly products of grafting.
Grafting takes advantage of a plant cell’s totipotency, a fancy term meaning that adult plant cells can be induced to diversify into any type of cell with the right chemical or physical stimulation (such as pruning, which induces the cut stem to proliferate cells that eventually produce new leaves). Supposedly, this Indonesian farm successfully grafted a cutting from one strain of kratom onto another strain and created a whole new variety of kratom, which they named Maeng Da. However, this original strain has now been lost. These days, Maeng Da kratom simply refers to any high-quality strain of kratom harvested at peak richness.
Working With Maeng Da:
We recommend Maeng Da incense only to those already experienced with kratom. As a rule, Maeng Da kratom is more alkaloid rich than other grades of kratom, so it often requires extra care when working with it. Here are some general pointers: when working with Maeng Da, estimate beforehand the smallest effective amount, and start with that first. Because Maeng Da is especially rich, as little as 1-2 g of unenhanced leaf is sufficient for most users. With enhanced Maeng Da extracts, this amount should be adjusted downward according to the strength of the extract. In general, we think it’s better to start with a conservative amount of any kratom strain the first time you use it, and titrate the amount upward if necessary.
Of course, the richness of Maeng Da kratom is another plus: it makes for a very economical grade of kratom, because you can use much less to achieve the same results. Shaman’s Garden sells this uniquely rich variety of kratom incense in multiple forms, including the original Maeng Da enhanced extract and our new “Gold” Maeng Da kratom incense, which has an almost silky feel and an extraordinarily smooth burn. Namaste!
by Keith | Feb 19, 2015 | Products
Of all the questions about kratom we get at the shop, among the most frequent is, “What kind of kratom should I buy?” We understand it can be daunting to choose among the diverse selection of kratom extracts, powders and dried leaves we offer; however, if you’re interested in acquiring kratom as an exotic incense rather than an herbarium specimen, it might make sense to buy kratom resin from us.
Kratom resin is a highly stable solid extract with the consistency of tar. Shaman’s Garden offers kratom resin for sale in chunks of 36 to 41 grams, though priced on the low side of 36 grams as an extra bonus for customers. Made only from freshly picked kratom leaves that have been extracted into an alkaloid-rich semi-solid form, our kratom resin has a sweet-bitter, slightly carmelized aroma—the perfect base for an intriguing, exotic incense blend. While not as intense as the Maeng Da (which we recommend only to consumers already experienced with kratom), our kratom resin can be more accessible and easier to use than other types of kratom extracts: just break or cut off a piece whenever you want to use some in a blend or by itself in an incense burner.
Of course, you might still be wondering, “Why should I buy kratom resin from you instead of one of your powdered extracts?” Honestly, it’s a matter of preference. Some people prefer working with our Maeng Da powdered extract, or our Gold, Silver, and Bronze powdered extracts; some prefer the resin; and some want to work with the whole leaf. All of these ways of working with kratom have their attractions and merits! We offer kratom resin for sale to those who prefer the merits of a solid extract, including kratom resin’s long shelf life, stability, and ease of use in incense preparations. Kratom resin requires no messing about with fine powders that can get everywhere: just break or cut off a piece, measure it on your scale, and adjust the amount up or down as needed.
As with any kratom product, positive independent user reviews are a must when finding where to buy kratom resin. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of bunk kratom on the market. Furthermore, once the kratom leaf is processed from its whole form into a powder or resin, it becomes harder to assess the quality of the herbal product at a glance. However, we haven’t been in the kratom business as long as we have without picking up a few tips about distinguising good kratom resin from bad. Besides independent reviews, look to the manufacturer’s own advertising about their kratom resin: does it include the strain and origin of their kratom? Do they include informational articles about kratom on their website or blog? You only want to buy kratom resin from a vendor who knows their stuff about this complex herb, and it’s these kinds of subtle clues that will tell you who’s done their homework and who’s just looking to cash in on the latest internet craze.
When it comes to kratom extracts such as the resin, we also have to talk about concentration. You’ll find most kratom extracts offer a concentration on their label: numbers such as 10x 15x, 20x, etc. These markers indicate the ratio of fresh kratom leaves used to make 1 gram of the finished kratom extract. For instance, 15x represents a 15:1 ratio, meaning it took 15 grams of fresh kratom leaves to make 1 gram of the finished kratom extract. This ratio can be useful to have because it gives you an idea of how much extract to use by comparing it with the known amount of fresh kratom leaves that went into the extract.
However, be wary of kratom vendors that advertise huge ratios such as 100X kratom extract: though this may sound like a great deal, in actuality any kratom extract over about 20X is not going to be full spectrum and will not preserve the full range of kratom’s properties. This is because not all the alkaloids in kratom are extracted equally. Kratom contains at least 25 identified compounds, all with different chemical properties; in order to appreciate the true range of kratom’s properties, it’s desirable to preserve as much of the chemical balance of the fresh leaf as possible. Sadly, most kratom extracts above 20X—and certainly any kratom extract above 50X—will not be a full-spectrum extract.
Finally, for those do-it-yourselfers out there, you can always choose to make rather than buy kratom resin! Here is one simple method we found that requires no complex equipment, just a pot, stove, and a freezer:
1) In 1 liter of water, add 25-35 grams of fresh kratom leaves or plain kratom leaf powder. (Note: don’t use “enhanced” kratom leaf or powder that already contains an extract of kratom. You would essentially be reextracting the kratom, which will result in a stronger-than-desired extract that is also not full spectrum.)
2) Bring to a gentle boil, stirring every 2 or 3 minutes, until half the liquid has evaporated.
3) Strain the kratom leaves or powder and set the liquid aside.
4) Add the strained kratom leaves to 1 fresh liter of water and repeat steps 1-3.
5) After one repetition, discard the remaining kratom leaves/powder.
6) Combine the two liquid portions in your pot and gently boil it down until the liquid has reached a syrupy consistency. You can then pour the liquid onto a ceramic plate or heat-treated glass container (we recommend Pyrex).
7) If desired, place your new kratom resin into the freezer for a few hours to firm it up. There! Now you have a homemade kratom resin you can place in the incense burner, dissolve in liquid, or use in myriad other ways as you desire.
by Keith | Feb 18, 2009 | Products
This is perhaps the #1 question we get when new Kratom customers find their way to us. You want to know which type or strain of Kratom to buy, and which form; crushed leaf, powder, extract, resin, or in capsules. Well, we truly are the Kratom Experts here at ShamansGarden, partly because we’ve been importing Kratom for over 12 years, and have filled literally well several million orders over that time. We only want you to benefit from that expertise.
Kratom Forms
By far, the easiest way to work with Kratom is when it’s placed into capsules. Although capsules are not meant for consumption, each capsule has exactly 300mg of Kratom extract in them, or 500mg of Kratom powder in them. For those without a scale, it makes it a snap to measure the exact amount of Kratom powder you want to work with, whether it’s a powdered leaf or an extracted product.
Also, unlike leaf, extracts are a concentrated form of Kratom, requiring far less material to work with whenever you choose to work with it. So, the next best thing to working with capsules, at least in terms of ease of use, would be Kratom extracts. And, if you don’t mind a little work, it is possible to extract Kratom from powdered or crushed leaf yourself, saving you the expense of extracts. It’s not as difficult as you might think, and personally, the rewards from working with a plant directly, shaping it into the exact form I want to work with; it doesn’t ever feel like work. With some lemon juice and water or alcohol, making your own safe and effective Kratom extract is not that difficult at all. And, with a multitude of uses, such as a number of ritual preparations or incense, you’ll always have a fresh supply on hand.
Surprisingly enough, though, despite the ease of use that extracts have, the Top Seller here remains plain old Kratom powders or crushed leaf. We may never know why that is, but plain Bali Leaf or Maeng Da leaf outsells all of our other forms of Kratom combined.
Kratom Sources
As the popularity of Kratom has grown, so have the claims in relation to the origin of the Kratom grown as well. We’ve seen Kratom from Thailand (most is not), Bali, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Borneo, and a few other places. Although there is some leaf that does indeed come from these regions, our Certificate of Analysis have proven otherwise. We purchased a number of Kratom products from a number of suppliers. Many products didn’t have any mitragynine in them whatsoever. This was especially true of the Borneo leaf, which consistently showed as a completely different strain than mitragyna speciosa. Most showed up as Mitragynine latifolia, a related species, but one without the mitragynine alkaloid that everyone is in search of.
The same happened with the Vietnam strains. These showed alkaloid content, but the chemical fingerprint looked identical to the Bali strain that these websites were also offering. Or, there were subtle variations in the leaf, but they all looked very distinctly like Bali Kratom leaf. As always, I’m sure there are just a few bad apples out there, and I’m sure that most people offering more exotic locales as sources for their Kratom are doing so with the best of intentions. More often than not, it’s the Kratom suppliers and Kratom wholesalers who know they’re selling a product that’s different than what they’re advertising.
With both IAmShaman and ShamansGarden, you know that the product you’re getting has been sent out for 3rd party verification. You know that it’s manufactured in an FDA-complaint facility. you know that the same care that’s taken in consumable dietary supplements is being taken with this botanical, regardless of the end use of it. We don’t call ourselves the Kratom Experts lightly. We call ourselves the Kratom Experts because we have the science, the history, and the testimonials to back it up. We’re not going anywhere. We keep your orders and your credit card information ultra secure. We never sell your information, we never rent our customer lists to 3rd party vendors, no matter what.
All of that matters when choosing who to buy your Kratom from. We truly do care, and we want you to come back to us, time and time again for future purchases. Our goal isn’t to cash in with the latest trend or fad; we’re here for the long haul, working hard to get you the best prices and the highest quality Kratom leaf, extracts, resins, and capsules at the best price, and faster than anyone else. We take great pride in that and feel it shows in every order we send out.
Peacefulness,
Bodhi (Keith)
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