Thailand Banishes the Ban

It has always been something of a paradox that the land where much of the world’s Kratom is produced had implemented a ban on its use. In fact, in 1943, the Thai government passed The Kratom Act, which not only prohibited the planting of new Kratom trees, but also decreed that existing trees could be destroyed, too.

It was a ban which had far reaching consequences for the Kratom business worldwide, as both the FDA and the DEA would shine a light on this ban every time it needed to prove its case against Kratom; after all, if the country which produced it deemed it dangerous, then it must be.

So Why DID Thailand Ban One of its Own?

Contrary to what the FDA and DEA would have us believe, Kratom wasn’t outlawed in Thailand because it was dangerous – quite the opposite, in fact. Kratom was proving to be too effective, and the government had to do something about it.

It was during the Great East Asia War that many people turned to professional help among other things in the medical industry, but the government decided to start charging taxes. Making the medical market an extremely lucrative one for the powers that be. People starting purchasing Kratom as a cheaper alternative for whatever reason that may be, of course this meant that the government was missing out on revenue. In turn there was only one thing the government could have done to maintain stability, they took away the supply of Kratom by making it illegal to even grow the trees, let alone use the leaves for medicinal purposes.

However, no ban can stop the force of nature, and despite the government’s prohibitive order, Kratom continued to grow wild in the jungles. In addition to this natural supply, some enterprising advocates of the tree brought seeds into other Southeast Asia countries to ensure its survival.

A Partial Lifting of the Ban

On Christmas Day 2018, the Thai government relaxed its stance somewhat, and legalized both Kratom and marijuana for medical purposes. This meant that it was no longer illegal to import, export, possess, or process Kratom as long as it was for medicinal purposes. To ensure that people don’t just use the ‘medical’ tag to justify their use, anyone growing, processing, or selling Kratom has to have a government-issued license, while those who buy the products need a doctor’s prescription specifically for it.

Anyone caught producing or using Kratom in any way shape or form without a license or prescription could face a prison term of up to 2 years, and/or a fine of up to 200,000 Thai Baht (over $6,000 USD), depending on weights and intended usage.

While this may not seem like good news for everyone, it IS a huge step in the right direction by a government which was vehemently opposed to any kind of legalization, and an unexpected a turn of events in the eyes of the FDA and DEA who leant strongly on Thailand’s total ban as proof of its ‘dangers’. Removing Kratom from Thailand’s Narcotics List – which happened on 27^th December 2018 – gives hope that sooner rather than later, Kratom will become readily and openly available to anyone who wants or needs it.