Shownotes
Once upon a time, I published a meta-analysis video about Kratom and, funnily enough, it made the internet more angry at me than anything else I’ve published. The enraged comments flooded into my comments section when I called it an Opioid, a non-Nootropic performance enhancer, and criticized it for a lack of human clinical trials.
Then in 2016, I was actually Donald Trump representative in a 90-minute televised debate. And I offhandedly made the libertarian case for the legality and harm reduction potential of Kratom, which my debate opponent didn’t like. I feel politically vindicated on that one because the Trump administration has generally moved public health in a more libertarian direction, and Kratom remained legal, giving millions the herb they need for chronic pain management or to resist succumbing to more harmful Opioids.
Since then, there have been human clinical trials of Kratom. That’s the good news. But there’s plenty of bad news. Namely, the sordid state of the industry, which is largely unconcerned with the well-being of its customers. Fly-by-night vendors abound, and chemists create ultra-addictive forms of the herb which marketers slap silly labels on and then sell at gas stations. And really, the only thing you should be buying at gas stations is gas!
This brings me to an important and pragmatic red pill. In a more libertarian world, there are fewer persnickety rules barring greedy corporations from preying on consumers. That’s the big trade-off, but those corporations still need us to click the buy button. A serious responsibility falls on you to make smarter choices about what you buy or put in your body--especially when it comes to things like Kratom.
Today, I’m joined by Brandon Hayes of Tribe Botanics based in New Jersey. Which I think stands out because of their transparency and quality standards: every batch is third-party lab tested, and full COAs and exact mitragynine % are published on each product page. That’s what we look for as Biohackers! In this interview, we get into the promise and perils of Kratom along with the recent science.
Mentioned in this interview
My meta-analysis -- Kratom: An opioid-based non-nootropic performance enhancer with a dark side
Recent Kratom science: 4 clinical trials
AVOID 7-OH Kratom
HRV trackers - use these to determine how things affect you
History of coffee--explained in the documentary series Black Coffee
The Social Anxiety Protocol for Biohacking Confidence
Phenibut: The Socially Lubricating Anti-Anxiety Smart Drug Cosmonauts Used
Kava: A mood enhancer
Alternative chronic pain treatments: Kratom, red light therapy, emotional freedom techniques
Withstand Kratom Withdrawal - with the peptide Selank
Adaptogen herbs: Rhodiola, Horny Goat Weed, Ashwagandha
Nicotine - My favorite addictive Smart Drug
My novel about Biohacking and philosophy, Hourglass
Try Tribe Botanics’ Kratom
Our mission is to deliver a high-quality, lab-tested, consistent product to every customer, and we hold that…
Website: jonathanroseland.substack.com
