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Sittichai Komam did not waste time once Thailand in late August decriminalised ketum, a coffee-like plant native to Southeast Asia. Within hours, the entrepreneur was on Facebook selling freshly picked ketumleaves, sourced from his neighbourhood in southern Thailand, to local consumers. Popular in the United States, where advocates say it is an opioid alternative , the Thai government has not only been supporting its production, it has also begun pouring significant amount of money to promote its export.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof has announced that Malaysia is in the process of comprehensive study on ketum, as it is keen on turning it into a lucrative commodity industry through investments in botany, pharmacology, and medicine. The announcement was made during the launch of the Fourth International Integrative Medicine Conference & Inaugural Asian Congress on Kratom which was held in Malaysia on August 12th 2023. The Deputy Prime Minister additionally said that the strategic approach to ketum underscores Malaysia’s pursuit of both cultural preservation and economic advancement.

As the opioid epidemic continues to grip the nation and kills tens of thousands every year, a new study led by researchers at the University of Florida suggests ketum could be a prime treatment option for opioid dependence. UF scientists found ketum - which comes from the leaves of a tropical tree originating in Southeast Asia — delivered significant pain-relieving benefits, reduced opioid withdrawal symptoms and caused minimal respiratory depression.

Ketum, also known as Mitragyna Speciosa, has gained popularity among various communities worldwide for its unique properties. Often consumed in powder form or brewed into tea, ketum's popularity stems from its ability to enhance overall well-being without the jitters or crash of caffeine. This surge in popularity is also attributed to growing awareness and availability of products. Mitragyna Speciosa capsules, powders, and extracts can now be easily found in food stores, online retailers, and gas stations.

Nectar Leaf, an international ecommerce brand specializing in all-natural products, has been making headlines after the launch of their specialty ketum tea line to the European market. Headquartered out of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Nectar Leaf is now making their presence felt on a global scale. With offices now in Barcelona, Spain, Nectar Leaf EU is delivering the benefits of their natural products to European consumers. Consumers have been raving about Nectar Leaf ketum tea's flavor simple brewing process as well.

Ketum, an organic substance touted by its supporters as a pain reliever and addiction fighter, is currently on the same kind of path toward Colorado regulation previously taken by marijuana. Last year, the Colorado Legislature moved in this direction by approving Senate Bill 22-120, "Regulation of Kratom Processors," a measure co-sponsored by senators Joann Ginal and Don Coram and Representative Tom Sullivan. Such rules are enthusiastically backed by users who have successfully used ketum to combat opioid and heroin addiction.

Nirvana Life Sciences Inc., a western Canadian based life sciences company aimed at developing psychedelic therapeutic medicines, including non-addictive chronic pain and relapse preventing products has filed a patent for D7-h, an active compound in ketum. With so many people affected by opioid use and addiction, and the risk of death from using these substances, research into alternative pain formulations is more than ever necessary. Nirvana Life Sciences Inc. aims to use D7-h to fill the gap in knowledge that exists about ketum, to then create safer and more effective alternatives to opiates.

Researchers in Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy, the Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery and Washington University in St. Louis have created compounds based on alkaloids found in the plant Mitragyna speciosa, or ketum to treat AUD. Alkaloids found within ketum, researcher Van Rijn said, are considered less problematic than synthetic opioids or opium-derived opioids like fentanyl, morphine and oxycodeine. “The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has not scheduled ketum as a substance of abuse,” he said. A provisional patent application on the research has been filed.

The Malaysian government has been urged to legalise the farming and trade of Ketum leaves as a medical herb as Malaysia is losing out to Thailand in a profitable market, says an opposition MP. In debating the 12th Malaysia Plan, Dr Azman Ismail (PH-Kuala Kedah) said the government needed to look towards investing and growing high-impact crops to increase its revenue and also developing rural areas. Azman said Ketum had long been neglected in Malaysia although it is now being used worldwide to treat recovering drug addicts as well as patients suffering from neuralgic pain. He said the herbal medicine market was worth RM418 billion as of last year and was set to increase by 16% annually. By 2026, the market is expected to be worth RM629 billion, he said.

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have conducted the worlds largest Ketum research study, surveying more than 2,700 users in the United States. The findings were surprising indicating that 91% reported taking it to alleviate pain on average a couple times a day for back, shoulder and knee pain, 67% for anxiety and 65% for depression. About 41% of survey responders said they took Ketum to treat opioid withdrawal, and of those people who took it for withdrawal, 35% reported going more than a year without taking prescriptions relying solely on all natural Ketum. Additionall, some 61% of all users were found to be women.