Best Kratom for Anxiety and Depression

By  //  August 19, 2021

Over 56 million American adults suffer from either anxiety disorders or depression. There are several different types of anxiety and depression included in this number, and each of them are slightly different conditions. 

This means there are dozens of different pharmaceuticals on the market designed to treat these conditions. While many of these are quite effective, some people do prefer to go a completely natural route when treating their condition.

One such natural option is kratom. Known scientifically as Mitragyna Speciosa, this plant is native to Southeast Asia and has been used in cultures native to that area as part of their traditional medicine treatments for anxiety and depression.

Below we will discuss some of the best kratom strains for anxiety and depression, as well as some other conditions that each strain has also been used to treat.

Maeng Da Kratom

Maeng Da kratom is one of the more unique strains in that it is not named after the location in which it originates. All of the other strains on this list, for example, have names based on where it is grown.

Maeng Da loosely translates to “pimp grade” in English, which is a reference to its quality. For those that don’t know, alkaloids are the chemicals that give kratom its effects. The main alkaloid in kratom is mitragynine. Maeng Da kratom is known to consistently test on the higher side for alkaloid content than other strains, which means it has stronger effects.

Another thing to know about kratom if you are a first time user is that each strain can come in a variety of different “colors”. These colors refer to the color of the vein in the leaf at the time of harvest. The three main colors are red, green, and white.

There are also yellow and gold-colored strains, but those colors are created through special curing and drying processes. The first three occur naturally.

⇒ Buy the highest quality Maeng Da Kratom

The color of the leaf is influenced by the time of harvest. Red veined leaves are harvested the latest in the maturity cycle. Green veined leaves are harvested in the middle of the maturity cycle and white are harvested the earliest.

These harvest times affect the alkaloid content as well as the various levels of the different alkaloids. This is why red,green, and white maeng da kratom are technically sold as different strains.

Red maeng da tends to be better for those looking to calm themselves down from an anxious state. Green and white maeng da tends to be best for those looking for euphoria to boost them out of a depressive episode.

Maeng da is one of the most popular strains amongst new and veteran users alike.

Bali Kratom

Bali kratom gets its name because it is cultivated on the Indonesian island of Bali. It is one of the more mild strains for all of its vein colors, so it is a good strain for beginners.

Euphoria is one of the top effects produced by this strain. It is why it is a good strain for combatting symptoms of depression. The white Bali is the most mild, while the red Bali is the strongest. Even the red is more mild than most reds, though.

Malay Kratom

Malay kratom is grown in Malaysia. The most popular Malay strain is the green Malay. This strain has such a high popularity because of its combined effects. It has been reported to help with pain relief while also helping elevate mood through euphoric effects.

Due to its popularity, Malay kratom can be hard to find. It is especially important to buy from a reputable vendor who is known to consistently have quality Malay. This strain is most popular in powder form but it can also be found in crushed leaf and capsule forms. Some extracts are also made from this strain.

Borneo Kratom

Following the trend, Borneo kratom gets its name because it is cultivated on the island of Borneo. This strain is not quite as popular as something like a maeng da, but it is still a top seller for many vendors.

Red Borneo is the most popular vein color for this strain, but green and white also get the job done. Red is better for a more sedative-like effect, while white provides more of an energy boost. Green provides effects more in the middle of those two.

You can find this strain from many of the top kratom vendors. Make sure you read reviews on the specific strain before you make a purchase, though. Some companies will get much better batches of the same strain than others. It really comes down to how good of a supply chain a company has.

Now that you know which kratom strains are best for depression and anxiety, there are some things you need to learn about kratom and the kratom industry

Is Kratom Legal?

If you have been convinced that kratom can help you with your depression or anxiety, you are probably wondering if kratom is legal. The answer to this question is it depends on what state, county, and even city that you live in.

Kratom has a very complex legal history in America. When it first started getting popular in America back in the late 2000s, law enforcement didn’t have any knowledge of or issue with kratom. There was no law on the books legalizing it, but there were also no laws against it either. It basically sat in a legal gray area.

Things changed when it essentially became too popular. Too many people were using it as a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals, which ultimately made kratom a threat to big pharma. This is the suspected reasoning behind the DEA and FDA’s aggression towards the kratom industry, which started in the mid-2010’s.

Firstly, the FDA refuses to officially recognize kratom as safe for human consumption. This keeps it from being federally regulated, which would legitimize its legality.

The reality is kratom has been consumed by traditional cultures in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. It is something that of course must be consumed in moderation with strict dosage control. But that doesn’t make it unsafe for human consumption.

Secondly, the DEA mistakenly assigned some drug deaths to kratom when in reality, there was at least one other drug in the person’s body for every case. Kratom in and of itself has never been the sole contributor to an overdose death.

The reason the DEA feels so strongly against kratom is that mitragynine affects the same receptors in the brain as opioids. It is important to note that kratom is NOT an opioid.

In fact, one of the most popular anecdotal uses for kratom is for getting those addicted to opioids off of those harmful substances. Of course, due to the DEA smear campaign, kratom cannot officially be advertised by vendors as a cure for any health condition or addiction.

In 2016, the DEA and FDA led a coordinated campaign to get kratom classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Substances that are in this class are considered to have no medical value and carry the harshest penalties for possession.

The kratom industry was ready for them, though. Thanks to a campaign spearheaded by the American Kratom Association, hundreds upon hundreds gave written and verbal testimonials during the open calling of the scheduling hearing.

So many people spoke about how kratom helped them with so many different issues in their lives. These efforts eventually paid off and kratom was never scheduled, which would have effectively banned its use federally.

What are the Current Kratom Laws in 2021?

There is still no federal kratom legislation one way or the other as of 2021. The federal government has essentially left the issue of kratom legality up to individual states and municipalities.

Some states have a complete kratom ban. That includes states like Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. It is not legal to purchase or possess kratom products anywhere in these states. It is illegal for vendors to ship to these states, and they can get into huge trouble if they do so.

In a handful of states, kratom is legal on the state level but illegal in some counties or cities. These states include California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and Mississippi. If you live in one of these states, then make sure to check your current local laws to see if you are in a county or city where kratom is banned.

There are four states that have passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. Getting this passed in all 50 states, as well as on the federal level, is the ultimate goal of kratom advocacy groups like the American Kratom Association. These states are Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Utah.

In these states there are regulations vendors must follow when it comes to who they can sell to, product testing, and marketing verbiage. The purpose of the KCPA is to keep kratom consumers from getting scammed by vendors with impure products and impure intentions.

All of the remaining states have no official kratom laws on the books. While this does mean kratom is technically legal in these states, it also means that it is much easier for the opposition to mount campaigns to get kratom banned in these states. If you live in any of these remaining states, you need to keep current on the ever-changing kratom legality landscape in your state.

What is the American Kratom Association?

The American Kratom Association is the premier advocacy organization in the kratom industry. This organization was founded in 2014 and operates under five goals. The first goal is to always support consumers. They believe there should be legislation on the books that protects kratom consumers from impure products and shady business practices. The second goal is to educate both consumers and regulators on the kratom plant.

They have the best scientists, botanists, and researchers on their team who have spent several years studying the kratom plant. They are constantly putting together informational presentations and giving seminars around the country to help combat the misinformation campaign.

The third goal is to amplify the stories of the thousands of kratom users who say their lives have literally been saved by this plant. Real stories from real people are what influences decisions most.

The fourth goal is to provide a framework for legalization that other countries around the globe can follow. Since 95 percent of commercial kratom comes from Indonesia, the AKA is very invested in making sure kratom stays legal there and in other countries around Southeast Asia.

The fifth and final goal is to protect natural resources. They see kratom as a natural resource that must be sustainably and ethically harvested. They want to protect the lands of farmers so they can use it to build wealth for generations.

The mechanism through which the American Kratom Association is pursuing those goals is the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. Their goal is to get kratom legalized and regulated for human consumption.

The KCPA makes it illegal for vendors to sell to anyone under the age of 21. It also requires all packaging to contain a usage warning, as well as proof that it has been tested for heavy metals and bacteria. Vendors are also restricted in what they can claim in their marketing materials.

It has passed in only four states so far, but the AKA is working tirelessly in many states to get it passed in more.

Finally, the AKA has a good manufacturing process standards program. This is a voluntary regulatory program kratom vendors can participate in.

The idea behind it was to create an auditing process that mimicked what an auditing process from the FDA would look like. That way, should the FDA ever change their tune, members would theoretically be able to transition into full legality rather seamlessly.

The audit is over 8 pages long and must be done by an independent third party. The meat of the audit revolves around batch testing every lot of kratom for alkaloid content, heavy metal content, and bacterial content, and then making this information easily available to consumers.

The next most important part of the audit is making sure all marketing materials are free from outrageous medical claims. Kratom is not approved by the FDA as a treatment for any medical condition.

This means that anecdotal evidence from stories of users can be shared when it comes to their reported uses, but no official scientific claims can be made regarding its efficacy. This is the same boat many naturopathic herbs you’d find in a homeopathic store fall in.

The AKA makes sure members keep their websites free of any medical claims. The audit includes many other things, such as packaging requirements and a documentation of all of the companies processes for each step of the supply chain.

Due to these strict requirements, only a small percentage of kratom vendors are approved by the American Kratom Association.

Tips for Finding a Reputable Kratom Vendor

We have covered some great strains of kratom that are used for depression and anxiety, as well as kratom legality and the role the American Kratom Association has played in that battle. You are probably pretty close to ready to make a purchase. This process can be overwhelming for a beginner.

First of all, there are different types of stores that sell kratom. The worst place to buy it from is a gas station simply because you do not know what the quality of the brand that they sell is. These stores are strictly focused on margins, so they probably got the cheapest kratom they could find and most likely charge more than other types of stores.

Smoke shops are a little better than gas stations because there is typically a little more variety and the employees are usually a little bit more knowledgeable. The best smoke shops will get their kratom white label from a reputable online kratom vendor. This means they just put their own branding on the same product.

The best place to buy kratom is online. We will talk about that more in a bit. Below are some tips for becoming a pro at buying kratom.

Learn as much about kratom as possible

You need to be a sponge when it comes to any information about kratom. Study the history of the plant in southeast asian cultures and understand why it was such an important part of their lives. Learn everything you can about how it is grown, harvested, and dried for consumption.

Much of what you learn about the differences between strains will be a matter of trial and error. Keep a notebook that is strictly for your feelings on each strain that you try, as well as each vendor. It will help you learn what you like by looking for patterns in your positive reviews. Choosing a strain ultimately comes down to preference.

Look for an online vendor with variety and fair pricing

When you look for kratom vendors online, you will find that there are literally hundreds of vendors to choose from. The vendor that you choose will have a huge effect on your kratom experience.

You will find that the pricing and variety vary wildly between vendors. Some will sell kilograms at almost 3 times the price as vendors who have access to a better supply chain.

Make sure the vendor has at least a dozen or so strains for you to try so that you can rotate through them. This will help you avoid any tolerance issues and will also make you more familiar with the world of kratom.

Read as many user reviews as you can

One good way to decide between vendors is to read as many reviews as you can. While reviews on a company’s website can be useful, these are also the easiest reviews to fake. The best place to check is Reddit. If there is anything sketchy about a vendor it has most likely been discussed by the thriving kratom community on Reddit.

Another great source of reviews is TrustPilot, although not many kratom companies have active accounts on the platform. This is a third-party review site trusted throughout a wide variety of industries.

Check if the Vendor is approved by the AKA

Finally, you want to make sure you choose a vendor that is approved by the American Kratom Association. You can easily find which vendors are current members in good standing by going to the AKA website.

As we mentioned above, the process for being approved by the AKA is extremely difficult to go through. That means the list is pretty small compared to the hundreds of vendors out there. The best move is to start from this list and then use the tactics mentioned above to choose the right vendor for you.

Things like shipping time, shipping costs, and return policies may also factor into your decision.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the best kratom strains  for depression and anxiety are:

  • Maeng da
  • Bali
  • Malay
  • Borneo

Now that you have read this article, you have the information you need to find the best vendor possible. Remember to be diligent and patient in your vendor search and you are sure to have a good kratom experience.