Joe Rogan has dominated the headlines lately. He's one of the most famous podcasters in the world and seems to be quite opinionated on many topics – even Kratom. While Joe Rogan and Kratom are two terms you may have never thought you'd hear in the same sentence, it should come as no surprise that this colorful person hasn't been bashful about his feelings when it comes to Kratom. He brings to light some interesting thoughts on kratom legality in the United States.
Please note that this is Joe Rogan's opinion and not that of Oasis Kratom, Associates of Oasis, our parent company, or are we in any way endorsing it? We are writing a factual article about Mr. Rogan and his views on Kratom.
What Is Kratom?
If you're new to the world of Kratom, you may be wondering what Kratom even is. Kratom comes from the Mitragyna Speciosa tree, which belongs to the coffee family. It grows in different Southeast Asian regions, such as Thailand and Vietnam.
In Southeast Asia, Kratom has been a cultural cornerstone for centuries. It generally comes in three different vein colors: white, green, and red. When harvested from the tree, the age of the leaves usually indicates the vein color. White-veined strains are harvested when they're young, green-veined strains in the middle of their lifecycle, and red-veined strains when fully mature. The timing of the harvest impacts the alkaloids in the leaves.
The alkaloids in Kratom are what play a central role. The two most abundant alkaloids are 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine. These alkaloids tend to be present at different levels depending on the age of the leaves when they're harvested.
After the leaves are harvested, they are dried or fermented (depending on what type of Kratom it is) and then ground into a fine powder. The powder is primarily found in kratom products in the United States.
Read more about Kratom in our blog section.
Is Kratom Legal in the United States?
Under federal law, Kratom is legal in the United States. It is not on the list of controlled substances the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency put out, but they list it as a "drug of concern." That means they keep an eye on it but don't take steps federally to regulate or ban it. The DEA has previously considered making it a Schedule I controlled substance but has yet to do so.
Most individual states in the U.S. follow the federal guidelines concerning Kratom, and you can legally possess and buy it in many places across the country. However, some states have made Kratom illegal, including:
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
- Alabama
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
Furthermore, certain cities and counties have made it illegal, even if it's legal in the state, such as San Diego County in California. That's why it's a good idea to research before ordering or buying Kratom to understand your local laws regarding the herb.
Joe Rogan has an opinion regarding the legalization of Kratom in the U.S.! He maintains that it should not be categorized as a Schedule I substance, something the DEA has threatened to do—drugs on Schedule I are regarded as those with no medical benefit. And while more research must be done on Kratom to explore potential medical benefits, Joe argues that without proper research, how do they know if it should be classified as a Schedule I drug? It's a fair question and one the DEA has yet to answer.
The Dangers of Kratom?
Joe Rogan remains very outspoken on what he feels are the dangers of Kratom – or the lack thereof, more precisely. He has stated that those who seek to discredit Kratom do so based on information that has no scientific backing at all. He seems to be a big proponent of doing more research about Kratom so that the public can fully make choices about it with facts.
Joe seems to believe those loud kratom opponents only do so because pharmaceutical companies back them. Is that true? That has yet to be seen since the DEA declined to go any further in regulating Kratom, but it's certainly food for thought when it comes to understanding why people may not be fans of Kratom when there's still so much to learn about it if people would only invest the time.
Joe Rogan and Kratom: The Bottom Line
When it comes to Joe Rogan and Kratom, there's a lot to unpack. Joe has solid opinions and seems to like the Southeast Asian herb. He also makes some great points about investing more time and money in research to understand more about this herb that has been a part of Southeast Asian culture for centuries.
Joe Rogan can keep fighting the excellent kratom fight, and, in the meantime, you can stay involved with laws in your city or state by paying attention to legislation that may influence the rules regarding Kratom where you live. Also, only purchase Kratom from American Kratom Association-accredited vendors like Oasis Kratom so you know that your order is of the highest quality, purity, lab-tested, and safe.
Super Speciosa – The Right Stuff?
Earth Kratom: How Does It Stack Up?
