Is Kratom Legal in New York: [Laws, Usage & Where To Buy]

There have been debates about kratom legality in several states of the U.S. If you are a New York citizen, you’ve likely watched or listened as lawmakers fought for the kratom ban. But is Kratom legal in New York? 

Yes, it is. There are no stipulated laws against the production, distribution, sale, or possession of Kratom within the state. It’s a comfort that you are not breaking any New York laws when purchasing or using the herb.

But what exactly is Kratom? Are there benefits and side effects of consuming it? And where can you find Kratom in New York?

Read on to find these answers.

What is Kratom?

Kratom, or Mitragyna speciosa, is a tropical evergreen plant of the coffee family. It naturally grows in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. But if you’d like to, you can grow it in your yard too.

Traditionally, people would chew kratom leaves or make kratom tea. The Southeast Asian natives used the herb to boost mood, relax, relieve tension and anxiety.

Kratom leaves are known to contain abundant mitragynine and 7-hydrocymitragynine that work like opioid drugs. Today, users can ingest kratom pills, brew tea, or smoke it like tobacco or marijuana.

There are several types of kratom strains or veins, depending on when they are grafted. The most popular strains include Green Vein Kratom, Red Vein Kratom, White Vein Kratom, Yellow Vein Kratom, Bentuangie Kratom, and Maeng Da Kratom.

As a kratom tree matures, its leaves have different colors, and there is a change in chemical content. A young kratom leaf has white veins and a high concentration of mitragynine.

But as the tree continues to mature, the white veins turn green and develop more 7-hydrocymitragynine. When the tree reaches maturity, these veins become red and have the most 7-hydrocymitragynine levels.

Where do yellow-veined kratom leaves come from? This is still a mystery, but there are speculations that the color change is due to the unorthodox drying process.

Maeng Da is a popular strain that traces back to Thailand, while Bentuangie is prepared through fermentation, not drying.

All these strains have different alkaloid levels, such as 7-hydrocymitragynine, mitragynine, paynantheine, and speciogynine.

Is Kratom Legal in New York in 2021?

Kratom is currently legal in New York, but several bills wanted to ban or regulate it. Before 2017, Kratom was classified as a herb and was not regulated by the FDA.

In October 2017, Senator Pamela Helming introduced Senate Bill 6924, that prohibited sellers from selling Kratom to minors.

The bill passed the Senate but was not approved by the State Legislature’s health committee. If it had been successful, there would be a $500 fine to anyone selling Kratom to minors.

Aileen Gunther, in January 2017, introduced an assembly bill A231 that proposed a ban on Kratom. It made quarterly progression but died in 2018.

As of 2019, another assembly bill, 6104, wanted the creation of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act.  Unfortunately, it died in the agricultural committee.

It was also in 2019 when Assembly Bill 8249 and Senate Bill 5531 tried to illegalize the sale of Kratom to persons under 21 years. They, too, died in the Senate Health Committee.

It is correct to say that every municipality of New York does not have a kratom ban in 2021.

What Are the Benefits of Kratom?

Kratom has had health benefits for centuries and is still beneficial to date. Here are eight benefits.

• Pain Relief

Red vein, green vein, or white vein kratom strains are effective in pain relief. They relieve nociceptive and neuropathic pains.

When pain results from physical injury to the tissue, muscle, or tendon, it is called nociceptive pain. Neuropathic pains are those brought about by chronic illnesses like cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, etc.

Kratom contains mitragynine and 7-hydrocymitragynine, compounds that bind to pain receptors to relieve pain. In fact, 7-hydrocymitragynine is 13 times more effective than morphine.

The natural herb is regarded as an atypical opioid because it is selective when inactivating pain receptors. This is why its side effects are more tolerable than typical opioids.

• Energy Boosting

Kratom leaves have immense metabolic effects that increase energy levels. Researchers argue that the leaves induce metabolic processes, which enhance and escalate the user’s ability to generate energy.

In addition, kratom leaves increase blood circulation. With better blood circulation, body cells receive more oxygen and metabolize food substances faster to produce energy.

Kratom also has energy-boosting properties thanks to Mitragynine content. You can find high sources of mitragynine in white strains of Kratom.

• Mood-Boosting

Several researchers have found that Kratom inspires a positive state of mind and allows users to have an optimistic attitude to life.

The mitragynine compound found in the leaves binds to opioid receptors that regulate moods in the brain. It suppresses anxiety and paranoia to improve mood and relieve depression.

• Focus Improvement

When you take Kratom, it induces acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that enhances focus. Acetylcholine increases the cortical circuit’s ability to respond to stimuli, enhancing memory and focus.

In addition, Kratom triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin, which help with improved attention span and focus.

• Cognition Enhancement

Cognition enhancement is another health benefit of taking Kratom. The alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydrocymitragynine have cognition enhancement properties.

Mitragynine activates delta receptors, while 7-hydrocymitragynine activates Mu receptors. The two G-receptors are essential in the optimal cognitive performance of the brain.

Moreover, Kratom enhances cognition by minimizing impairing factors like inflammation, pain, anxiety, or depression.

• Improving Sleep

Persons with insomnia or sleep disorders can take Kratom to improve their sleep. Red-veined strain is the best for improving sleep.

This soothing strain offers relief from physical discomfort, stress, and anxiety. It gives users a sense of calm and relaxation.

To choose the best kratom strain, people suffering from sleep troubles should find a sedative strain. On the other hand, users having trouble staying awake should look for energy-boosting strains.

• Inflammation Suppressant

Kratom has two inflammatory compounds known as Rhynchophylline and Epicatechin. Epicatechin is an antiviral, antimutagenic, and antioxidant, while Rhynchophylline is antihypertensive and anthelmintic.

Both compounds reduce inflammation and pain.

• Opioid Withdrawal

Kratom features opioid-like effects without the intense side effects. Even though it offers a similar sensation to opioids, it does not trigger long-term dependency.

It does, however, treat nausea, vomiting, mood swings, sleeplessness, and anxiety from opioid withdrawal.

What are the Side Effects of Kratom?

As much as Kratom has health benefits, it also has known short-term and long-term side effects.

• Short-Term Effects

Users may experience these effects within 5-10 minutes of taking Kratom, and they may last for 2-5 hours.

The effects include dry mouth, nausea, constipation, loss of appetite, itching, sweating, increased urination, and diarrhea.

Other effects are drowsiness, racing heartbeat, hallucinations, loss of muscle coordination, and feeling irritable or agitated.

• Long-Term Effects

Users who take Kratom over a long period suffer from weight loss, appetite loss, dry mouth, constipation, nausea, hyperpigmentation, fatigue, tremors, seizures, and psychosis.

Like other opioids, regular use of Kratom leads to dependency and addiction. Users experience withdrawal symptoms like fever, muscle spasms, diarrhea, mood swings, and appetite loss.

If Kratom is consumed in high doses, it can result in acute liver failure, acute kidney injury, acute lung injury, acute brain injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, seizure, and coma.

Pure Kratom is not fatal. In fact, all kratom-related deaths have resulted from using Kratom and other drugs, but more research is underway.

Where to Buy Best Kratom Products in New York

If you are satisfied with the answer of the question – is Kratom legal in New York in 2021 and you want to buy Kratom in New York, you can find the product at smoke shops, bodegas, or gas stations.

However, it would be best to buy Kratom online and from vendors approved by American Kratom Association (AKA). Here, you are guaranteed to get top-quality Kratom at competitive prices since New York is yet to pass Kratom Consumer Protection Act.

If you are looking to buy the best Kratom products in New York, here are a few great suggestions.

• Red Vietnam Kratom

Red Vietnam Kratom is a must-have strain for kratom users. It comes from the rainforests in Vietnam and has different alkaloid composition from other red strains.

Since it is available in powder form, you can add it directly into water or pour it into your mouth, then wash it down with water or juice.

It is also safe to cook with Red Vietnam kratom or brew it like tea. Or, if you are into tinctures, use the herb as one of the ingredients.

First-time users should consume 1.5 to 2 grams of the powder. Then you can gradually increase the amount to mild, moderate, or strong dosage.

• Yellow Thai Kratom Capsules

Yellow Thai Kratom Capsules are a rare kratom strain. They are harvested as white-veined leaves but undergo a unique drying -process.

These capsules contain mitragynine, 7-hydrocymitragynine, and several other alkaloids. These active alkaloids are beneficial, a reason why most people consider the strain potent and a must-have.

• Dragon Horn Kratom Powder

The Dragon Horn Kratom Powder has become popular and versatile among Americans.

This originally grown kratom powder is great for making kratom tea. Did you know that warm kratom tea offers efficient effects by maximizing the alkaloids? Why not give it a try?

 Alternatively, you can toss and wash Dragon Horn Powder for a quick hit. Just pour the powder into the mouth, drink some water or juice to swill the powder, and swallow. It’s that simple!

• Yellow Borneo Kratom Powder

Yellow Borneo Kratom Powder is another great product that comes from white-veined leaves. The powder is among the most potent Kratom products.

It is not dried using traditional methods. Instead, farmers use unorthodox methods to dry the Yellow Borneo powder, which enriches the alkaloids.

The powder contains Mitragynine, Mitraphylline, 7-Hydrocymitragynine, and 9-Hydrosycorynantheidine for potency.

Conclusion

Production, sale, shipping, and possession of Kratom are legal in New York. Despite the efforts by lawmakers to ban and regulate it, New Yorkers can enjoy taking Kratom.

This natural herb provides similar effects to opioids. It alleviates pain, improves focus and sleep, boosts energy, and helps with opioid withdrawal. But it is not without its short and long-term side effects.

To stay safe, use Kratom in moderation. Remember, high doses of Kratom can lead to adverse health issues.Now that you have all the answers regarding the question – is Kratom legal in New York?

You can go ahead and purchase Kratom from AKA-approved vendors such as KratomKrush. Local head shops care about making a profit and may sell you low-quality Kratom with impurities.