There’s a buzz around kratom’s health benefits. Kratom enthusiasts wax lyrical on its energy-boosting and relaxation effects, among many other benefits that the herb offers. The shift towards herbal and natural medicines has also led to kratom’s burgeoning popularity.
One of the first places you might think to look for kratom is big box stores like CVS. Unfortunately, you cannot buy the product at your local CVS store. In fact, none of the big box stores, including Wal-Mart, Amazon, GNC, and Walgreens, have kratom on their shelves. So, where can you get good-quality kratom?
Read on to find out why big box stores won’t touch kratom at the moment. You’ll also learn the alternative outlets to buy kratom.
Big retail corporations are unwilling to sell kratom, even in states where the herb is legal, because of regulatory concerns arising from contradictory federal and state regulations.
Kratom is legal under federal law. But the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) refers to the herb as a “drug of concern” because of its opioid-like effects. The bureau seeks to label kratom as a Schedule 1 drug, a category comprising marijuana, heroin, ecstasy, and LSD.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that kratom exposes users to the dangers of drug abuse, addiction, and even death. Currently, there are no FDA-approved uses for kratom. In fact, the FDA has always been on the warpath with kratom sellers. Time and again, the agency has seized tons of kratom products and materials, especially from kratom vendors selling kratom-derived products with unverified health claims.
Despite the herb’s legal status at the federal level, several states and municipalities have outlawed kratom. Currently, kratom is illegal to purchase, use, sell, or possess in:
Other U.S states and jurisdictions have enforced age restrictions on kratom use, including Illinois, New Hampshire, and Tennessee.
Banking institutions and credit card processors don’t allow kratom transactions. They deem kratom as a high-risk industry based on two reasons. First, the volatility of legislation on kratom poses the concern of legality or safety.
The second reason is the concern about sustained profitability. High-risk industries often have high chargeback ratios. It happens when consumers demand a refund on a disputed or fraudulent transaction. If merchants don’t want to make the refund, the aggrieved customer can contact their issuing bank to get the chargebacks. High chargeback ratios eat up the profits from the kratom sale.
Enacting kratom banking provisions into law would pave the way for banks to process kratom transactions without fear of government reprisal. And this would allow big box stores to jump onto the kratom business.
With CVS out of the question, kratom users can make their purchases locally from smoke shops, headshops, gas stations, and kava bars. In many cases, vape shops, CBD stores, and herbal stores also have kratom products.
Unfortunately, buying kratom “near me” has its share of drawbacks. For example, you might come across low-quality, expired products or ignorant staff at the local shop. To avoid this, use the following tips before making your kratom purchase locally:
While kratom is legal federally, states have jurisdiction over their respective territories. Some states have banned the sale, use, and possession of kratom. (zgardensantamonica) Make sure kratom is legal in your local jurisdiction before buying it.
Only buy from a vendor who provides lab test reports for their kratom products. A lab report will show any presence of contaminants in the kratom. It also shows the concentration of alkaloids in the batch so you can figure out the potency of the kratom product before buying.
Read reviews from previous customers to know about the quality of kratom products and services from a particular local smoke shop.
Buying your kratom online is a better alternative to buying locally. The decision to buy kratom on the Internet comes with the following benefits:
While you won’t find kratom in your local CVS store, you can make your purchase from smoke shops, headshops, herbal stores, and vape shops near you. But if you want access to a diversity of kratom strains, affordable prices, bulk options, and overall convenience, consider buying kratom online.
White Maeng Da Kratom
$29.99 – $99.99
Green Kali Kratom
$29.99 – $99.99
Green Maeng Da Kratom
$29.99 – $99.99
Red Maeng Da Kratom
$29.99 – $99.99
Red Medan Kratom
$29.99 – $99.99
