Will Kratom Make You Fail a Drug Test?

Kratom has become increasingly popular in the United States over the last several years. However, there are a lot of legalities surrounding kratom and some users are worried that this herb may cause them to fail a drug screen. We get asked all the time, “Will kratom make you fail a drug test?” This is a question that certainly warrants exploration.

Understanding Kratom

We are sure you know what kratom is if you are wondering about this herb popping up on a drug screen. However, let’s do a quick review so we can get some background information on kratom.

Kratom is native to Southeast Asia. It is closely related to the coffee plant. Kratom is an herb that grows along the river banks and in the forest of Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Kratom is most often characterized by its vein color and where it originates from. Kratom is named to help users easily identify with the various strains. Red Borneo would come from red vein kratom that originated from the Borneo islands.

This herb may be purchased locally in states where it is legal. You may find it in vape shops, smoke shops, or specialty shops. You can also opt to purchase kratom through an online vendor.

Kratom is not controlled by the federal government, so each state must decide how they will handle kratom. Kratom is legal in most states. It has been banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

In addition, kratom is illegal in the following areas:

In California, kratom is legal except in San Diego County.
In Florida, kratom is legal except in Sarasota County.
In Illinois, kratom is legal but with an age restriction.
In New York, kratom is legal but with an age restriction.

In 2016, the DEA tried to classify kratom as a Schedule I Substance. However, kratom users rallied together and were able to get the DEA to withdraw their recommendation. Since this time there have been no other attempts to ban kratom on a nationwide level.

Standardized Drug Testing

Drug testing is most often used when someone is applying for a job, employee randomized drug testing, or if you are on parole. These are the most common reasons why you may be subject to a drug test.

Most employers will go with standardized drug testing. While they could go for more advanced testing you have to consider the cost. Each addition to a drug test will cause the test to cost more. So, most companies will go with a 5-panel drug screen. You will learn more about the different types of drug screens in the next section.

Kratom will not show up on a standardized drug test. These types of tests are looking for specific things and kratom is not one of them.

Types Of Drug Screens

As we mentioned above the 5-panel drug screen is the most popular choice among employers. Other options include 7-panel, 10-panel, and 12-panel. It is always recommended that if you are worried about something showing up on a drug screen you should avoid it.

Here is the various drug test that are available and what they screen for:

5-Panel Drug Test – THC, Opiates, PCP, Cocaine, and Amphetamines.
6-Panel Drug Test – THC, opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and benzodiazepines.
7-Panel Drug Test – THC, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates.
8-Panel Drug Test – THC, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates.
9-Panel Drug Test – THC, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and methadone.
10-Panel Drug Test – THC, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methadone, methaqualone, and propoxyphene.
12-Panel Drug Test – THC, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methadone, methaqualone, propoxyphene, ecstasy, and oxycodone. The most comprehensive test, as it can test for extended opiates and the misuse of prescription painkillers

So, you can see that none of these tests are specifically looking for kratom. However, you should note that kratom may be detected if your employer or parole officer adds kratom to the list of things to test for.

Will Kratom Make You Fail A Drug Test?

In general, standardized testing is not set up to detect kratom. However, drug tests can be customized to suit the needs of your employer. So, if your employer detects that you may be abusing a specific drug, they can opt to have it added to their drug testing panel.

The best policy is to avoid a substance if you are worried about it showing up on your drug test. You should be ok when it comes to kratom showing up on drug tests, but there’s always a chance that it will show trace amounts.

Kratom should not cause you to fail a drug test. However, we do not know all the things that your employer is testing for. So, it would be hard to give you a yes or no answer. The truth is, that kratom may or may not show up on your drug test. It will all highly depend on your employer and what they are testing for.