Kratom Around the World: Bali 

Today at Club13, we’d like to take our readers on a journey to one small Indonesian island whose namesake is popularly used as a Kratom product name, Bali. While Kratom is no longer produced in mass on this little tropical island, it is still found to grow there. This small island shares a rich history with our favorite plant, one in which will forever be immortalized on Kratom labels and retail shops everywhere. 

Bali Tourism 

Did you know that Indonesia consists of over 17,500 islands that make up its archipelago? The island of Bali happens to be one of these islands and is Indonesia’s most prominent tourist destination. The little island is renowned for its arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather metalworking, and music.

Bali has some serious natural wonders to explore, as well. The island is part of the Coral Triangle, an area with some of the highest biodiversity of marine species. The Coral Triangle is made up of over 500 reef-building coral species alone. 

Let’s not forget the palaces! Bali is home to a unified federation of kingdoms composed of 10 traditional Balinese houses. At one time, each house ruled a specific geographic area. Today, this kingdom is not recognized by the current Indonesian government, and most palaces were partially destroyed during the Dutch colonization in the 1600s. But visitors can still go and see what was once a unique and vibrant kingdom. 

Tourism makes up 80% of its economy today, but that wasn’t always the case. Prior to the 1980s, tourism wasn’t booming in Bali as it is today, and locals subsisted on small farms just like the rest of Indonesia. 

Bali Kratom Today

Bali Kratom strains typically come in white, green or red. Red is currently the most popular strain variation. Club13’s Bali Red Kratom is favored for its relieving qualities and mild, pleasant energy boosting components. 

Today, Kratom isn’t produced for export on the island of Bali. The small tourist island holds claim to this strains namesake, but not the current production of this famous strain. The “Bali” strain is still grown in Indonesia and Thailand, and the effects of the Kratom will always reflect the magical, relaxing, and revitalizing island.

February 24, 2020Uncategorized, , , 0 Comments
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Coffee & Kratom – Cousins in Comfort

Picture this classic scene: A mother is cooking and preparing breakfast, the table is already set. Two bouncing little children come down the stairs, they each grab an apple and run out the door to the bus stop. The father comes down the stairs next, tying his tie, “Honey, I’m running late to my meeting! I need my pick-me-up!” The pot is already boiling, and the mother pours her husband a nice, hot, to go cup of … Kratom. 

If you’re anything like myself, or millions of Americans, the first thing you do when you wake up is grab a cup of coffee. This international tradition of early morning coffee drinking has permeated every facet of society and culture. But if you’re also like me, the sugar, the milk, and the caffeine constantly has me looking for healthier alternatives. I tried “healthy” energy drinks, juices, and snacks but nothing has the same kick as coffee. So with my alternative options running out, I decided to take Don Corleone’s advice, and keep it in the family. What I found was salvation in coffee’s natural cousin - Kratom. 

The Rubiaceae Family 

The plant family that contains both coffee and Kratom is the Rubiaceae family. The Rubiaceae family is more commonly referred to as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. There are more than 13,500 species and within 650 genera in the Rubiaceae family, making it the fourth-largest family in the angiosperm class. Varying alkaloid combinations are one of the key distinctions between each member of the family. Plants in the Rubiaceae family grow all over the world, but the most abundant species diversity is concentrated in the tropics.

The family, which contains coffee and Kratom, has many smaller divisions. Kratom is related to some other members of the Rubicae family, like Quinine, have been used in traditional medicine. Quinine comes from cinchona bark and is an antimalarial alkaloid that has saved thousands of lives. 

What does this mean? Generally, what region Kratom plants are grown affects it very little. Whereas coffee, on the other hand, can have significant differences based on what species of the coffee bean is grown. 

Similarities and Differences 

Just like human families, members of the Rubiaceae family come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Coffee and Kratom, for example, look very different. Kratom comes from a tropical evergreen tree. It has broad leaves with a traditional “leafy” shape, as in the leaves are whole, not needley or divided. Mitragyna speciosa trees do not create fruit, but they do create little clusters of flowers at the end of their branches. 

Coffee trees tend to be much smaller than Kratom trees and produce harvestable material per tree than their larger cousins. Coffee beans, from which coffee is derived, are seeds housed in the fruit of the plant flowers. Because coffee comes from mature fruits, harvesting the coffee beans can be tricky since the fruits need to be ripened properly before harvest.

It’s common knowledge that coffee produces stimulant-like effects called caffeine. Caffeine is an alkaloid which produces euphoric effects. Kratom produces a lesser-known alkaloid which provides similar effects as caffeine, called Mitragynine. But unlike caffeine, Mitragynine typically does not give you “the jitters” like coffee does. 

Coffee and Kratom come from two different regions. Coffee originated in Africa but later was produced all over the world. Kratom originated in southeast Asia and continues to be cultivated there. Indonesia is the world’s largest Kratom producer, and exports Kratom all over the world. It is possible that one day, since Kratom is growing in popularity in the West, more countries will start growing and exporting Kratom, as happened with coffee. 

Humans have been consuming Kratom a lot longer than they’ve consumed coffee. For many centuries, people in South East Asia have been using Kratom for it’s more stimulating qualities. Coffee on the other hand, doesn’t have the same history of traditional use and didn’t make a significant impact on the world until about the year 1500. Once coffee first started gaining popularity, it experienced similar fear-mongering that Kratom is facing now. Ethnocentric beliefs and distrust of foreigners made a lot of Europeans skeptical of the new beverage. Sound familiar? 

Conclusion 

So if you’re a coffee-bean freak trying to find an easy alternative, look no further than Club13’s invigorating strains of white Kratom. Our Indo White and Maeng Da White Kratom powders are the perfect pick me up to get your gears running. All the best parts of a Rubicaean plant, with none of the teeth staining or ulcers! 

February 17, 2020Uncategorized, , 0 Comments
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Hurdles, Talking kratom and the FDA.

Kratom’s legal limbo has made navigating the Kratom community a little tricky. In 2017, the FDA lifted the federal ban on Kratom. This decision solidified Kratom’s legality on a federal level. However, during this process, certain limitations were placed on what retailers and manufacturers could and could not say about Kratom and its effects. At Club 13, our primary goal has always been to educate our customers about our favorite plant, and it’s wide array of strains and uses. In addition to bringing you the highest quality Kratom products possible, we also want to shed light on the limitations we face when speaking to you.

The Basic Restrictions

As mentioned above, talking about Kratom and how it works can be tricky. Vendors can’t make specific claims about the effects of Kratom. For example, we cannot say that Kratom treats any disease or serves any other medical purpose. When a retailer or manufacturer claims the effects of their consumable products, that retailer has entered FDA territory. The FDA categorizes product claims in two ways: health claims and structure-function claims.

Claim One: Health Claims

The first type of claim is a health claim. Health claims are the only type of claims that are regulated by the FDA. When you make a health claim, it must be pre-approved before it’s included on any packaging or in any marketing campaigns. A health claim is a claim which states that a specific substance (food, dietary ingredient, etc.) can affect a particular disease or health condition. If a statement contains both of these components (a substance and a disease), it can be legally considered a health claim.

Claim Two: Structure-Function Claims

The other type of claim is the structure-function claim. This is a claim that: Claims that a specific nutrient or ingredient changes the normal function of the body; Does not mention any specific disease; Does not present itself as a cure; and Focuses on improving the body’s overall health The FDA narrowly limits structure-function claims. No pre-approval is required, and a vendor can make any structure-function claim that is supported by evidence. Still, these claims must be reported to the FDA within 30 days of marketing them. All products that use structure-function claims for advertising must also include a disclaimer, which says the FDA did not regulate the statements. This is legally required; any products without the disclaimer can be pulled by the FDA at any time. In the case of Kratom, neither health claims nor structure/function claims are accepted by the FDA. So, even though we can’t say everything we wish we could say, we can still tell you to go out there and do the research for yourself. And we can proudly say that Club 13 is the nation’s most trusted brand of pure, organic, and wonderful Kratom! So what else CAN we say about Kratom? We’ve said a lot already! Read more here!
January 2, 2020Kratom, , 0 Comments
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What is the American Kratom Association?

The American Kratom Association, also known as (a.k.a.) AKA, was established in 2014 with the mission of ensuring safe Kratom use in America. Consumer protection is the overall goal of the AKA. They seek to protect consumers from corporate and governmental threats. Whether it is bringing to light poor manufacturing processes or lobbying against unreasonable legal decisions, American Kratom Association is there to prevent, protect, and preserve a pure Kratom international community. When you want to learn about the most recent and pertinent information in the world of Kratom, the quickest way is to visit the Updates Section on AKA’s website, americankratom.org. This page details AKA’s ongoing work in safety, education, and advocacy while also updating Kratom lovers with other in a timely manner. This article will provide a brief overview of the American Kratom Association's role in the world of Kratom.  Safety  The AKA has released their own quality standards program based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Kratom vendors. They developed this AKA GMP Standards Program to improve the credibility and safety of Kratom products that are sold in the USA.  Inconsistent manufacturing processes and little-to-no testing requirements have allowed contaminated Kratom products to be released to the public in the past. These previous contaminations have heavily contributed to the conspiracy that Kratom is a dangerous substance.  If contaminated products are allowed to infiltrate the market, and therefore, make up a portion of the Kratom industry, a ban slowly becomes more reasonable. The rationale being: if a quality can’t be ensured, then the whole industry needs to be scrapped. So, in the interest of protecting consumers from contamination and ensuring the continued legality of high quality Kratom, AKA created this program.  In order to become an AKA GMP-qualified vendor, manufacturers must follow a specific set of manufacturing guidelines and pass an official audit.  Education  For many years, Kratom consumers have feared the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will force the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to instill a total ban on Kratom. Due to misinformation and misconceptions about Kratom and how it is used, there are many people who believe it to be a dangerous intoxicant.  This is false, of course, and the American Kratom Association is driven to clear up this misinformation. Through AKA’s website, outreach, and other research studies, they are constantly working to clarify what Kratom really is. They particularly focus on the latest scientific findings concerning Kratom and the impact these findings have on the industry.  AKA believes in the importance of true and factual information. When society develops a curiosity for a certain product, especially one that is consumed, like Kratom, it becomes our responsibility to nourish that curiosity in a safe way.  that it is important that those with a curiosity for Kratom have true and factual information to digest before they decide whether or not Kratom is a good choice for them. So, in order to provide people with all the relevant information needed before they decide to digest the plant, AKA continues to release educational materials to customers, vendors, suppliers, lawmakers, and government agencies such as the FDA.  Advocacy & Outreach  Finally, we’ve mentioned a few times that the AKA wants to ensure consumer protections for those who are interested in Kratom. In addition to protecting consumers from untested Kratom products, this also means that the AKA is interested in protecting the legal status of Kratom.  At this time, Kratom exists in a legal grey area. While it is not illegal to use, it is also not regulated, classified, or even acknowledged by the FDA. This means that the FDA could, if prompted, ban Kratom at any time. Of course, they would never arbitrarily ban Kratom, but with all the fear-mongering surrounding the plant, many in the community fear that this possibility. American Kratom Association has worked continuously to advocate for the safe and legal use of Kratom. In addition to helping pass consumer protection laws in Utah and Georgia, AKA is working with vendors and lawmakers in several more states to push the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. They are also working to ensure that Kratom remains legal for export in Indonesia. If banned, this would cut a major supply chain to Kratom vendors and customers in the USA.  
December 19, 2019Uncategorized, , , 0 Comments
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Advocating for Kratom: How to Get Involved

The Kratom community is large and diverse. Parents, students, lawyers, doctors, athletes and other hard working American people are using (and loving!) Kratom. Advocates for Kratom are in your neighborhood, at your school, and in your town hall working towards a safe and practical future for all Kratom users.  As it stands, Kratom is legal in most areas of the US. Since failing to get Kratom scheduled, the FDA has been scheming to put limitations on the consumption of this traditional plant. Despite there being no conclusive evidence that a ban would be effective, some states, inspired by the FDA’s failed attempts, are still considering outlawing Kratom.  Advocates for Kratom know that regulation, not a ban, would help purify, protect, and ensure that the Kratom being consumed by Americans is in it’s natural and true form. While a ban is completely over reactive, some regulation would benefit the Kratom community. Without reasonable regulation, the community can fall victim to slippery slopes, such as buying adulterated Kratom from unreliable sources.    If you are a Kratom lover who wants to help this plant continue to help others, these are some of the best ways that you can get involved:
  1. Find out if Kratom is Legal in your local community -- Kratom is legal in most areas of the USA. Still, bills regularly pop up in many communities and states around the country attempting to criminalize Kratom sale, possession, and use. Ask around at your local Kratom shop or search online about any bills or petitions in your area regarding Kratom. After doing some research you can then take action by getting your friends involved and by going to town hall meetings. 
  2. Connect Online -- For many Kratom users, there may not be a local shop where you can congregate, especially in communities in which Kratom is not readily available due to laws. So if you want to meet other local Kratom lovers and find out how to take action, join an online community. Or start your own! From community-based sites like Reddit or Facebook to other popular private Kratom forums, there are a wide variety of sites and pages where you can find your own Kratom community. These groups are amazing resources for information about Kratom legalization, regulation, and how to get involved. 
  3. Support Good Practice Suppliers -- You should only buy your Kratom products from reliable companies engaged in the market’s leading business practices. Whether it’s their sources, production,or product management, it is important to support a vendor you can trust and a vendor who follows the rules. Untrustworthy Kratom sellers are largely responsible for the negative publicity surrounding Kratom. These sellers will take shortcuts that could lead to impurities mixed in with natural Kratom. These sellers combine their impure product with unproven medical claims, which creates safety hazards. If you want to advocate for Kratom, make sure you advocate for Kratom, and not a perversion of Kratom.
  4. Spread the word -- Finally, the most important (and easiest) thing you can do as a Kratom advocate is to spread the word. Buying anything from your local or online vendor not only supports their presence in the community, it also provides you, a hopeful new Kratom advocate, the ideal conversation starter. Something as simple as a Club13 tee-shirt can help normalize Kratom in your local communities. 
 
December 9, 2019Uncategorized, , , , , , , 0 Comments
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Growing Kratom.

The plant Mitragyna Speciosa, more commonly referred to as Kratom, is a cousin to the plant Coffea Arabica, or more commonly referred to as coffee. Kratom is native to Southeast Asia and thrives in Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and surrounding countries in the Pacific Rim.  Kratom needs heat, humidity, and the right soil pH to thrive. As such, Kratom trees thrive in their home regions where it’s hot and humid, and the soil is perfect. “Perfect” for Kratom means a pH range between 5.5 and 6.5, high humus levels, and exceptional fertility. Kratom’s strict growing requirements also demand that the consistency of the soil must be porous enough to drain but sturdy enough to retain moisture. Consistently wet soil wet is not recommended because it increases the chance of insects and fungi.  In the U.S, it is nearly impossible to find the right conditions to plant Kratom outdoors. To grow this botanical stateside, an indoor growing light, proper humidity, and a temperature-controlled environment are recommended. For reference, the average humidity in Medan, the capital city found on the western island of Sumatra in Indonesia, is between 72 and 74 percent. Humidity is one of the factors that change the alkaloid content of the Kratom leaves. If the humidity isn’t right, the whole chemical makeup of the plant can be disturbed.  
December 5, 2019informative, Kratom, , , , , 0 Comments
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Indonesia Bans their King Cash Crop

Kratom is one of Indonesia’s biggest exports, rivaling palm oil and rubber. This high global demand has allowed Indonesian farmers to make more money off Kratom than other commodities. Compared to palm oil or rubber, Kratom production is simple, quick, and takes up less land. And most importantly, raw Kratom leaves are worth more per kilogram than rubber or other crops. As a result, many farmers who were scraping by harvesting latex from rubber trees and oil from palms are switching to Kratom. 

Growers are personally exporting hundreds of tons of Kratom a month. Kratom crops are providing Indonesian farmers with additional profits that they’ve not experienced before. This extra income is putting their children through college and increasing their standard of living. 

But - this past June - Indonesia issued a regulation banning Kratom in Indonesia. The ban includes producing, growing, and exporting Kratom and consists of a 5-year transition period for Kratom growers to shift to another crop. 

The impact of this ban in Indonesia could cripple Indonesian Kratom farmers and would severely deplete Kratom supply in the United States - given that 95% of the world’s Kratom comes from Indonesia. 

The Indonesian impact on the US Kratom trade is speculative, but the American impact on this policy is inevitable. The United States of America Food and Drug Administration had contact with and reportedly influenced the Indonesian Minister of Health to place the ban. 

Even though the Kratom ban in Indonesia has already issued, representatives from the American Kratom Association and the Botanical Education Alliance have traveled to Indonesia to discuss a reasonable resolution.  In Indonesia, these representatives met with the Ministry of Health.

While the first meeting with the Ministry of Health went well, anti-Kratom Indonesian organizations have blocked any further discourse. 

According to sources, Daniel Jonah, Deputy Chairperson of the House of Representatives Commission IV, has been furious about the decision. He pointed out that once more, a government issues a ban without doing proper research or basing their decisions on scientific data. Not only does a ban affect the local farmers, but the whole Indonesian economy will also suffer. Indonesia is banning one of its biggest exports and will no longer receive the wealth brought in by a valuable resource like Kratom. 

The American Kratom Association (AKA) is working hand in hand with the Botanical Education Alliance (BEA) to spread awareness and is currently raising funds to send another delegation to Indonesia.

https://www.americankratom.org/update/update-on-indonesia-and-their-proposed-kratom-export-ban.html 

November 6, 2019Kratom, , , , 0 Comments
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Kratom Ban Fails in Point Pleasant Beach

Ban or regulate? Ban v. regulation is the question sweeping across the country in city halls, state legislatures, and supreme courts. What do we do with alcohol,  e-scooters, or tide-pods? It's a tougher question for some sectors and a straight question for others. With alcohol, a total ban didn't work. Just ask the 18th and 21st Amendments! For the Kratom industry, regulation seems to be the obvious answer. 

After a victory for Kratom on the federal level, the debate over Kratom has moved from the national stage to your local town hall. 

On October 2, 2019, Councilman and Mayoral candidate, Paul M. Kantira, proposed an ordinance that would ban the sale of Kratom in the small coastal town of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. After the City Council cast two votes, Councilman Kantira called to table the election because it was "clear the proposed ban would not pass." 

Councilman Kantira went against compelling peer-reviewed scientific research provided by the American Kratom Association ("AKA") and failed. The City found that AKA's proposition of regulation was more practical than the Councilman's proposal of a total ban. 

Despite Councilman Kantira's good intentions, his tactics relied on emotions instead of facts. Councilman Kantira attempted to sway voters with a testimonial from a Pennsylvania woman claiming her 25-year-old son became addicted to Kratom, resulting in his eventual death. AKA was able to provide facts to the contrary. According to official records, the man died in an automobile accident. The accident was likely related to illegal drug use, as the man had publicly admitted to using drugs on social media.

This isn't the first time politicians have used fear-mongering to attack Kratom. In 2016, the pharmaceutical industry aimed its sights at Kratom, lobbying for a federal ban. After failing at the national level, the pharmaceutical industry and their political allies' campaign of disinformation now aims to convince local and state governments to ban the sale of Kratom. So far, out of the 14 states that have considered banning Kratom, none have adopted a ban. 

When considering whether to regulate or ban, the leading consideration is consumer protection. With Kratom, the biggest threat to consumers is potential adulteration. The majority of the issues that have arisen from this fast-growing industry have led to products erroneously labeled as Kratom. Club13 protects its customers by testing for all adulterants, including but not limited to fungi, pathogens, and heavy metals. AKA, who represents the growers and retailers in the industry, has spearheaded passing the Kratom Consumer Protection Act ("KCPA") at the state level. This act seeks to end Kratom adulteration and to classify Kratom as an all-natural product. 

The Kratom Consumer Protection Act is being considered state-by-state. At present, only Utah, Georgia, Arizona, and Oregon have successfully passed this act. However, like in Point Pleasant Beach, the debate continues nationwide. 

It didn't take Councilman Kantira long to realize this fight was lost. Kantira withdrew his motion after a mere two votes were cast, prompting a discussion of whether it was legally permissible to stop a roll call mid-vote. The council voted to table the ordinance, meaning, in theory, it can be brought up again for a vote as long as the text of the proposed law is not significantly modified. It remains unclear what the Councilman's immediate plans are, but AKA continues to lock down victories across the country.

https://www.americankratom.org/mediak/news/legislative-update-point-pleasant-beach,-nj.html

October 24, 2019Uncategorized, , , 0 Comments
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