For Andy, kratom produces a similar effect to the opioids he was once addicted to, giving him enough energy to get through the day and reducing some of the pain he feels from working in physically demanding jobs in fast food and factories. Kratom, a plant from Southeast Asia with stimulant and opioid-like effects that is commercially available across most of the U.S., also helped him stop drinking and quit opioids. Yet Andy is now completely dependent on kratom instead.
“It’s been kind of a blessing and a curse for me,” Andy, who requested using only his first name for privacy, told Salon in a phone interview. “I was able to quit alcohol and I don’t do opiates anymore, but I do take quite a bit of kratom now and I am addicted to kratom.”
