by Keith | Mar 18, 2015 | Articles
One of the most popular strains of kratom in cultivation, Rifat Kratom is a type of Thai Red Vein kratom originally bred by cloning wild trees. In fact, Rifat Kratom is one of the most highly prized of the cultivated varieties due to its high mitragynine content. We sell both the Rifat and Bumblebee Red Vein Kratom varieties as rooted cuttings for the aspiring exotic gardener. Many people find these particular strains to be the easiest and hardiest-growing types of kratom as well.
What does it mean when we say Rifat Kratom is a type of Red Vein? Kratom varieties come in several strains which are described by the color of the leaves’ central veins. Kratom leaves have central veins that can be green, white, or red to reddish purple. The different colors are thought to indicate a specific makeup of kratom’s major alkaloids—mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and so on. Strains are further distinguished by origin: so you have Thai Red Vein, Malaysian Green Vein, Borneo White Vein, etc. Red Vein varieties are generally thought to have an alkaloid makeup that is more relaxing, while White Vein varieties are classed as energizing and Green Vein varieties are somewhere in between.
Rifat Kratom is a type of Thai Red Vein produced by cloning. It is named after Claude Rifat (Ree-FAH), a Swiss botanist who was the first to grow Rifat Kratom from seed as part of his research in Thailand. The parent plant is rumored to be the same one growing at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand whose leaves have been used in numerous research studies by Chiba University in Japan. Chiba University scientist Hitomitsu Takayama was among the first researchers to synthesize mitragynine in 1995.
As might be expected from the “Red Vein” label, mature Rifat Kratom plants have leaves with red or reddish purple central and lateral veins (veins running from the central stem down the leaf). However, if you get a plant labeled Rifat Kratom whose veins appear to be white or green as it’s maturing, don’t jump to the conclusion you’ve been ripped off! Factors in the growing environment can definitely affect the color of kratom’s leaves. Also, when kratom plants are reaching maturity, the levels of alkaloids and other chemicals in the leaf are changing. This means that the leaf color may change quite a bit before the kratom has fully matured. Frequently, Red Vein varieties have green or white veins when young, only deepening to red or purple at maturity.
If you’re thinking of purchasing a young kratom cutting or kratom seeds to grow yourself, we recommend getting a Rifat Kratom if you can. This hardy, fast-growing kratom variety has remained the most popular strain of kratom in private non-commercial cultivation, not only because of its mitragynine content, but also because it’s widely regarded to be easier to grow than other strains of kratom. This might be in part because Rifat Kratom is a clone: the Rifat strain was specially bred from wild kratom trees to select for genetic traits that made it more likely to thrive in cultivation. These traits combine to make Rifat Kratom a fairly forgiving and rewarding strain of kratom to try growing on your own, even for first-time kratom growers!
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 12, 2009 | Articles
Another Top Question we get here at ShamansGarden is “How Do I Extract Kratom?” We’re happy to answer this here as this botanical can be a fun plant to practice extracting with. And, Kratom Extract follows standard extraction procedures, which can be applied to a wide range of plants you wish to extract. Kratom is such a hot topic, I simply chose my plant material to be Kratom leaf, but you can apply this formula to any herb you want to extract for research purposes.
There are many benefits of making a Kratom extract as it’s much less plant material to work with once its extracted, it takes up far less space if traveling, and it can be ground into a fine powder so it easily blends with anything you wish to blend it with. The below steps will turn anyone into a Kratom Extraction Expert after your first try! The wonderful thing about working with botanicals is if you don’t get it right the first time, you can change and modify and adjust your procedure until you get the extract extract you’re looking for. Some like very resin-y extracts, some like to defat their Kratom extracts and have a product that contains more mitragynine than anything else. It’s really up to you and how you want to adjust the below technique.
The Kratom Extract Recipe:
- 100 grams of powdered Kratom leaf
- 8 ounces of water
- 1 lemon or lime
- 1 muslin cloth of bag
- 1 pot to boil it in
- 1 pot to strain it into
The Method:
01. The 100 grams that this recipe calls for is just a random number to make everything neat and tidy. The more powdered the leaf, the better it is for extracting. If you have crushed leaf as a starting point, I highly recommend further grinding that leaf in a coffee grinder as you will get a much better finished product. In short; the more surface area you present to the water and the lemon, the more alkaloids will be presented to that water or lemon.
02. Put the 100 grams of powdered Kratom leaf into a pot with the 8 ounces of water. Before adding any heat, let this mixture soak in for at least 1 hour, stirring at least every 20 minutes. If you’re lucky enough to have a lab stirrer, stirring the mixture for at least 20 minutes really helps with the extraction.
03. Once the Kratom seems to be thoroughly and evenly soaked by the water, it’s time to add 1/2 of the lemon juice. You will be boiling twice, so you’ll use 1/2 of the lemon each boil. By the time you get to the final product, the juice from the lemon will be completely evaporated, so there will be little juice residue left in the final material. Stir thoroughly and turn on the heat.
04. Bring to a gentle boil. You want to slowly bring the water up to the boiling point as this will further ease the alkaloids out of the powdered leaf material. Since mitragynine has a melting temperature well above the boiling point of water, you cannot break down the alkaloids by boiling too hard or too long, so fret not. Once you’re at an even, gentle boil, let this boil for 30 minutes. You may need to stir along the way to stop powdered leaf from sticking to the edges. But, a careful eye will ensure as much of the powder is gently rolling in the boil.
05. Great. You’ve boiled your powdered Kratom leaf and now need to strain the Kratom. This is where a muslin bag makes it so easy to proceed. If you’ve got a muslin bag, simply pout the liquid and powdered Kratom leaf mixture through the muslin bag. Make sure you do it slowly and carefully, as the mixture is still going to be scalding hot. I highly recommend using safety gloves, work gloves, or something to protect your hands from any accidents.
06. Once it cools enough, work the material inside the muslin bag like clay. Knead the powdered leaf until you’ve squeezed all the liquid out that you can. You should be left with a good size lump of powdered leaf that should easily come out of the muslin bag by turning the bag inside out. Turn it inside out into the pot the powdered Kratom leaf was originally boiling in.
At this point, you should have one pot that has only liquid in it from your first boil. The second pot will have the powdered leaf mass in it, ready for a second boil. Add enough water to cover all of the material, and stir it until it’s thoroughly soaked again. Don’t be shy with the water; you can add up to 8 ounces for this second boil. Then, add the other half of that lemon or lime, and start the above steps all over again.
07. You should now have added the liquid from the second boiling to the liquid from the firs boiling. At this point you can discard the muddy, clay-like material that used to be powdered Kratom leaf. It doesn’t serve much purpose at this point as all of the alkaloids are suspended in the water.
08. Take this second pot and now bring this liquid to a boil. CRITICAL POINT: Do not leave this boiling unattended. You are working to get to the exact moment all of the water boils away, but BEFORE the point where the resin extract burns on the bottom of the pot. The resin that forms at the bottom of the pot will turn thick like molasses when it’s ready to removed from the heat. Again, don’t dry it out too much and don’t let it burn.
09. Pour the liquid out onto a plate, preferably a Pyrex container that has been treated to withstand heat. This step isn’t required, but it does make it easier to collect the resin and to work with it if you’ve removed it from the pot before it completely dries. You might think it would be easy to remove the resin from the pot after its dried, but it’s actually a scraping nightmare, so save yourself the trouble, and get it out of the pot while it’s still a warm, thick liquid. This is definitely an acquired skill, so have patience as you’re working with this material, knowing that it will take several times to get it just right.
10. If you want to put the resin under a heat lamp, or even just an incandescent bulb, this will help it dry out. When it gets to a consistency you like, simply roll it up into whatever size chunks you want to work with for your research project. If you want to have a powdered resin that’s soluble in water, then let it throughly dry. Gather the crumbly pieces from the Pyrex container, and drop them into a coffee grinder. Whichever method you choose, you’ll have about 14-18 grams of material. This ends up being about a true 5x material, which is likely very close to the 20x materials that you see advertised on the internet.
Enjoy!
One of the most popular strains of kratom in cultivation, Rifat Kratom is a type of Thai Red Vein kratom originally bred by cloning wild trees. In fact, Rifat Kratom is one of the most highly prized of the cultivated varieties due to its high mitragynine content. We sell both the Rifat and Bumblebee Red Vein Kratom varieties as rooted cuttings for the aspiring exotic gardener. Many people find these particular strains to be the easiest and hardiest-growing types of kratom as well.
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