Exotic Plants, Deadly Consequences: The Feel Free Story
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- Chances are that you have never heard of Feel Free before. It comes in a shiny blue bottle sold at convenience stores across the country as a social lubricant and substitute for alcohol. It proudly proclaims that it’s primarily kava-a south east asian tree root that has lots of traditional uses. But until recently, it was less forthright about its other, much more powerful ingredient: kratom.
A few years ago I started seeing signs for kratom at my local head shop and figured that it was some sort of cheap marijuana substitute, but I didn’t give it another thought.
What I didn’t know is that since 2016 the FDA has been trying ineffectively to get the addictive opioid-esque leaf off the streets, while a powerful drug lobby has used a familiar playbook to keep it legal(ish).
The kratom industry is worth approximately $1.5 billion today.
In an amazing investigative series, the Tampa Bay Times tracked Kratom production from farms and ports in Malaysia and Thailand through shipping routes to Oakland and then overland to processing and distribution centers in Colorado, Georgia and Florida. They uncovered documents attributing kratom, at least in part, to more than 500 deaths in Florida alone. Back of the envelope math suggests the national total would be in the thousands.
And while kratom is having its heyday in the press, the various health elixirs based off of it are getting a lot less attention.
I only became aware of Feel Free once people started sliding into my DMs from a reddit board called / quittingfeelfree While scientists are already hard at work researching the nuances of kratom addiction, posters told me Feel Free was somehow much worse than they could have ever imagined.
Because whatever the issues people were having with kratom, Feel Free was somehow different. People who had been using kratom on its own for years without a problem said that this blue bottle tipped them over the edge into dependency.
One woman whose daughter died with blue bottles all around her called it “Evil Incarnate.”
Botanic Tonics, the company that makes Feel Free uses a proprietary blend of ingredients that synergies into a concoction that users tell me feels almost tailor made to foster addiction.
It was only after I started looking into the founder’s background that things started to click. . .
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You should do a deep dive on the Kratom market. It’s INCREDIBLY dangerous and pretty much sold at most gas stations. It causes seizures, which I’ve personally had and didn’t realize that’s what was causing it. Doctors hadn’t heard anything about. I had to dig on Reddit and found out about a MLM woman whose husband tried to take his life (Dre McCray scary horrifying story). Then I really found out the dangerous in talking to others online.
great show... red bull makes me feel HIGH... i always wondered what it does
broooo, sick ravenloft book in the background :D
Nice drug war propaganda video. Kratom is suich a weak opioid agonist that it can barely be categorized as an "opioid". Besides, even opioids made from papaver somniferum are nowhere near as toxic on the body & brain as alcohol & many other legal substances. A person could use diacetylmorphine their entire lives, every day & never end up with the brain or organ damage that a long term alcohol user would have. Yet alcohol is completely legal, socially acceptable & available on every corner, while opioids are criminalized & the people who benefit from them end up suffering & have a low quality of life. Corporations get away with poisoning our bodies, food, water & the planet with no consequences yet it's a "crime" to put what you want into your own body, even if it's less toxic than a million already legal substances & products. Yet here you are, spreading fear mongering about some weak kratom. Anyone educated enough with pharmacology & who has lengthy drug experience knows this video is just fear mongering. We're living in a society where you can drink yourself to death with a toxin like alcohol but using opioids to enhance your life quality makes you a "criminal" who "needs help". People need to WAKE THE F UP. I've been on opioids for 20 years in some form or another, including diacetylmorphine & I have never once overdosed or had any problems besides the occasional constipation & withdrawal. Constipation can be treated & withdrawal wouldn't be an issue if adults could access opioids legally & safely.
Its a shame more people haven't seen this
Kratom can be lifesaving, but the Extracts and concentrates are definitely much more problematic. Kratom has helped me manage my chronic pain without worrying about relapsing and using hard drugs. I know many other people with similar stories. Unfortunately the pharma industry is heavily against it and there are some unethical businesses out there putting out dangerous products. Kratom should have a legal place in society, but it should be regulated.
I agree completely
Plain powder can ruin lives too.
As someone who went to rehab for Kratom, I agree with you
It certainly can but obviously a more concentrated dose that’s more expensive is more likely to really harm lives than plain leaf
Exactly
FDA-“ 36 people died from kratom…it’s bad for you!” 80,000 people die a year from opioid overdoses but we get our cut so it’s ok.
@@SirLeDoux you think the FDA is paid by opiod producers? That nuts.
Alcohol kills way more every year and nobody cares
also most of those were combinations of Kratom and something else.
Dr.'s aren't prescribing opiates like they used to, though. Most of the deaths are from illegal fentanyl.
This is misleading. Many, many more have died. Please do a little more research before parrot statistics from RUclips videos.
I used kratom daily for nearly 3 years for pain management. In the beginning, I used 2 or 3 grams a few times a day. It was life changing. I was like, Superman! No, better than that, I was my young, beautiful self with enhancements. It enhanced my cognition and creativity to what felt like new levels. My strength was slightly enhanced, and stamina was not even a thing anymore. To keep the same levels of pain relief, I had to increase the dosage levels to more and more. Within 2 years, I was consuming 50 grams a day. If I went longer than 4 hours without a dose, I would start experiencing withdrawals. I would have to wake up at night to dose, or I would have withdrawals on waking from a full night's sleep. I was miserable. I quit cold turkey around 2 months ago. I'm still not right, and I still have cravings every day, but I'm doing better every day. If I can do it, you can too. Just keep telling yourself that it will pass and that you will feel better soon.
@@SuperiorDave congratulations!!! I have a similar story. I have endometriosis and I had a vicodin prescription for it. Didn't like the idea of taking pain killers. Didn't take them every day. But still. I learned about kratom and found that it didn't give me the same negative side affects that pain killers did. Because of my lack of education, I felt like it was ok to take recreationally too. Boom. Pandemic and working remote. Found myself taking it every day. Soon it was twice a day. Then it was re-upping on a dose. Got up to 30g a day. Talked about quitting for about 3 years. The withdrawal was so much worse than I thought it would be. So, I'm proud of you for pushing through! It's only up from here I believe. If you find yourself still struggling mentally, I recommend getting a blood panel done and seeing if you're deficient in any vitamins. Kratom inhibits the absorption of vitamins, so you might be lacking. Regardless it never hurts to have a quality multi-vitamin, magnesium, and vitamin d. I wish you the best!
😆 50g a day!? Bro, you’re the problem. I have 3 shattered vertebrae and was on high doses of prescribed opiates and when I switched to kratom, I’ve never taken more than 10g a day, and I’ve been using it for a decade. I suffer from severe pain and have an extremely high opioid tolerance, you are just weak and have no self-control.
@BikingVikingHH maybe so. I'm not the only one. Most people don't. This is why it should be studied more in a controlled lab setting.
@@BikingVikingHH 'just weak and have no self-control' lol he quit it cold turkey, that takes hard core discipline, you should know that. if you browse kratom addiction forums you'd know that habits of 50 gram per day and above are not even rare.
@@internaught1227 just because it isn’t rare doesn’t mean anything besides there are a lot of people who are mindlessly indulgent and have no self-control.
I used Kratom to stop withdrawals from the Hydromorphone the doctors prescribed me for over 20 years. If I didn't Kratom I would still be on it.
Exactly, I got off opiates I was on for over 10 yrs. They failed to tell me HOW ADDICTIVE OPIATES WERE!!! I have a permanent broken pelvis and if it weren't for KRATOM, I would still be in HELL!!!
Thank God, we survived. Opiates are deadly. I used it to come off many other addictive prescriptions too. This is why BP is doing this.
Kratom helped me get off percocets I was prescribed for chronic pain. Kratom saved my life. Yes it’s addictive but it’s life saving
Kratom is a God send
I've tried Kratos for withdrawal and it does nothing
People who cant use in moderation will ruin it for us kratom users. People have chronic pain and need to work.
I have used Kratom with good experience, but I don't use concentrated forms. Be responsible for your actions.
The industry needs regulation and independent science.
@sgcarney I 100% agree as a kratom user for the past 5 years
It needs then to be viewed as medication!!
DMSO
Incarvillea Sinensis
Magnesium Oil
LLLT
Kratom saved me from benzodiazepine addiction, I had a seizure at my brothers graduation, fell broke and dislocated my shoulder and seized up from benzo withdrawals, if it wasn’t for kratom I would most likely still be fighting that addiction. It’s all about moderation, but I don’t use extracts that’s when things get shaky with kratom I feel like.
Just out if curiosity, what were you taking and how much?
I'm currently prescribed alprazolam 1mg four times daily and want to be taken off of them and switched to something longer acting.
I've taken Kratom plenty of times when coming off prescription painkillers and it was definitely helpful for that.
Glad you're recovering ❤
@@Dead_Again1313 I am prescribed clonazepam 1mg 2 to 3 times a day, I started using them recreationally and shot up to 5-10mg a day depending on what type of day it was. I started to run out early every month for about six months or so, no warning signs , I passed out at my brothers graduation party, split my head open, and broke/dislocated my shoulder, on top of that had a gnarly seizure. But I thank God for kratom! Doing better now. Kratom also helped the broken shoulder pain. Thanks so much for the positive words! Almost a month off of them. Hope nothing but the best for ya!
@@Dead_Again1313 be careful when coming off them. Taper off. That’s why I had a seizure because I was stopping cold turkey every month.
@@AlreadyLifted??? You didn't answer their one main question lol did you just choose to not read it?
@@dhdixjrnedndjd9672 my B klonopin anywhere from 1- 10mg on a bad day I think
I deleted my first answer on accident
I was addicted to FDA approved pain pills, benzos and muscle relaxers for 11 years straight.
I got fired from chronic pain management in April 2019. After that, I went to the streets and started doing cocaine while I was searching for a new pain management doctor.
In June 2019, whilst in cocaine withdrawal, I watched that documentary “A Leaf of Faith.” My journey with Kratom began the very next day.
Kratom shut that “I need one more snort, one more pill, one more escape” noise off in my brain. It allowed me to work on my whys of addiction. I have not been back to pain management in 5 years.
I am a functioning member of society again. I am a thriving mother again. I am no longer a burden to my kids. I will be forever grateful and thankful that I accidentally found Kratom.
I now pass on my journey, wisdom and science to help those struggling with addiction, chronic pain, anxiety and depression.
Yours truly, Kratom advocate/activist from Colorado est. 2019.
I'm so glad you found it! ❤
I was in the same boat until Kratom turned on me and I found myself fully addicted and spending as much money and energy on it as I did on pills. I know everyone had their own experience.
@@theproducermicro on extracts?
Kratom scratched the itch and shut up that voice for me too, because it was feeding my addiction the whole time. It finally turned on me and the the kratom addiction screamed louder and louder to be fed until my body just couldn’t take it anymore and I had 3 seizures. That was my final wake up call. I am so glad to be free from the 7 years of physical bondage and hell that was my kratom addiction and dependency. My heart goes out to chronic pain sufferers, but for most addicts, kratom is a dangerous and slippery slope.
@@decimadavis5065 extracts?
I was extremely addicted to these. As a kratom user of 4 years I didn’t think it would be much different but I was very wrong. You start out with one a week or maybe a day until you are taking more and more. I lost tons of weight, my skin started peeling off, my eyes started watering. These were things I never experienced in my 4 years of taking kratom. It was all I thought about throughout the day. I’m a big advocate for kava and kratom but I do believe something else is being put in these. I have been off of them for 6 days now and next I will withdraw from kratom. These things are very dangerous.
Good luck man... the beginning is always the worst. I'm 2 years clean from Fentanyl myself.... the first couple days of withdrawls from that still males me want to cry just thinking about it... rolling around on the floor, sweating, freezing cold, up, down, whimpering on the floor ... agony... but its worth it. Just get through it.
mabey you should shower and eat properly and perhaps have used common sense
You don’t want to consume a lot of wood alcohol (DMSO)
@@sitindogmas Congratulations, you solved addiction! 🙄
its impossible for it to have had anything else in it, in the video you're commenting on they proved that, a GCMS test is the strongest test you can do to determine what is in a Pill/liquid/powder & it only contains what it claims to, Kava acts like a benzo & Kratom like an opioid any Poly-addict can tell you the minute they started mixing opiates & benzos that it becomes 10x harder to quit the same applies to feelfree its essentially the herbal version of poly-addiction in a bottle, it is by no means necessarily designed to get you addicted its designed to produce the most synergistic effect between one herb that acts like a benzo (kava) and another herb that quite literally contains an opioid known as mitragynine (kratom) it also contains a more potent form of mitragynine known as 7-hydroxy-mitryginine at a 0.5% level which is even more potent and happens as a result of kratom metabolization.
He precisely described the feeling of alcohol. At least that's how alcohol makes me feel. I've never tried Kratom but I do think it's hilarious how alcohol is sold on every corner in America but people are worried about Kratom.
@@jaycarneygiants try one and come back here and let us know if you still think it’s like alcohol
look you can't concentrate alcohol further than pure alcohol. the concentrations of the active ingredients from kratom can be super high.
with leaves you'll be puking before being really effed up, generally.
I am in recovery from alcohol and actual good quality kratom is not like alcohol. I’ve been sober almost 9 years and I had used kratom prior to that and also after being sober and I think kratom can be beneficial. Ive never taken kratom and not felt fully in control physically and mentally, as u might with alcohol. What I’m getting at as someone who has regularly drank both, in my opinion, alcohol is 10000x more dangerous than kratom. That being said, I would never drink these feel free bottles. I do not believe they are just kratom extract or whatever, I just don’t buy it based on my experience and the stories I’ve heard. Kratom at this point is not like alcohol or weed where you can just buy it from anywhere and know what ur getting. You have to get it from a seller who sources directly, has facilities that are all up to code or whatever and doesn’t mix in random shit.
@Regnbeans
I don't support jw.
But you can read the articles. The FDA confiscated 3.5 million of their kratom. They found nothing wrong with it.
The issue is the kratom gets fermented from the pineapple.
@@Regnbeans yes good quality by good companies is amazing. I see a lot of people on Kratom doing amazing and it helps.
I have used kratom for nearly a decade but I've never used any type of kratom concentrate. I really hope people like this don't ruin it for the people that are helped by this wonderful leaf.
For the record I have only ever used powdered leaf and crushed leaf.
@@Ampz55 it’s the nanny state that ruin it. If we aren’t free to put anything we want into our own bodies (even deadly substances like bleach or sugar) then we aren’t free and we don’t own our bodies. The state does. Land of the free to do what you are told by the authorities.
Same!!
@@Regnbeans Me also, and for pain it’s better than opioids, no down feeling,only less pain!
Feel Free is not pure leaf. Pure cGMP leaf is available. Big difference. A few grams in a tea isn't going to turn someone into a raging addict. It helps immensely. Found it in 2011. Life is wonderful. I am in the best health of my life at 51 years old. #KeepKratomLegal but regulate!
What's cGMP? Normally that stands for current good manufacturing processes...
Clean for 6+ years from opiates and I have to give a lot of the credit to my daily use of Kratom.
@@stevengill1736 something that follows all the rules the FDA enforces.
I agree.
By regulate, I hope you mean keep BP out. Look at what they are doing to cannabis? Dispensary weed is NOT the same, or what nature intended, at all.
Vinaka sara (thank you) Scott for this work. For those of us of Pacific ancestry, our concern is that Jerry Dale Cash (aka J.W Ross, 'Mr Feel Free') is mixing addictive kratom with our safe (non-addictive) cultural keystone species kava. This is feeding misinformation and maligning safe kava and threatening the livelihoods of Pacific small-holder kava farmers and our export industry.
I wondered when I first heard about kratkom why it wasn't a thing everywhere. It was only a matter of time before some psychopath with means found it 😭
Yeah it’s unfortunate that kava is getting lumped in with Kratom in this way.
@@theproducermicroIt's sad that Kratom is being lumped in with SYNTHETIC garbage (feel free).
@@keipas6074 I personally only used powered Kratom and was addicted to it just the same as people taking the feel free.
Generally the best information is from native people. You have a more honest connection to our past we have been lied to across the board, imo
Kratom is weaker than codeine, but it would help people immensely to stay legal. People are seriously infatuated with not allowing literally anything useful for anything more than a small headache. Even codeine should be legal, but idiot lawmakers would never go for that, at least soon, anyway. People deserve to be pain free without needing to consult a $400 doctor/visit who's 99% of the time going to prescribe you another worthless NSAID that costs another $50
GIVE US PAIN MEDS!!!
There should be no illegal drug. The idea is insane. I think “my body, my choice” applies here.
100%
"Evidence suggests that 7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine) is more potent than both mitragynine and morphine."
@@FinUgShiet yeah codeine is legal in my country I've used a lot of it. I'd say kratom is at least as strong as codeine, it gave me a worse rattle I can tell you that. I'd say it's as strong as dihydrocodeine. This is powdered kratom which you can only take too much of due to the antagonists in the powder. The extracts don't have the antagonists so they are much stronger. Never had the extracts myself. Personally I found kratom trash for opioid WD because the powder had these antagonists in it ended up making me worse. Much easier to wean off using DHC.
People need to understand that this stuff works on your opiate receptors and withdrawal is very serious. You don’t want to get carried away with this stuff.
🎯
Does it help with opiate withdrawal
@@davideluciano7761 kinda yeah but if used for too long you start to experience physical withdrawal.
There are NO withdrawel symptoms from pure kratom powder (I have used daily for years, and have had several breaks, some lasting weeks without it and no withdrawel symptoms whatsoever.) Yes don't get carried away or even use Feel Free as we don't know wtf it contains now do we...
@@davideluciano7761 it can.
Kratom saves lives . It saved me and continues to every day. People need to stay away from all those extracts, though . I only use raw powder from Gmp certified businesses.
even can make your own extractions. I wanna learn, kratom powder can be bad for your liver. Currently trying to quit, or keep it once a week use
@@paulgavian90 on the solstice i broke my two year daily bonds with kratom completely. you can quit bro, best of luck and be well.
Can you send link to a great site to get premium kratom?
This sounds like an add lol
@@Dead_Again1313 kinda does lol, but people do use it to get off of dope very successfully and that's a benefit that shouldn't be overlooked.
I think the biggest issues with this are:
1. Lack of transparency and informed consent/deliberate obfuscation of potential addiction and risks
2. The FDA supplement (non)regulation issue
3. The sketchy formulation (seemingly) designed for maximum addictive properties
As a former kratom addict, I say regulate, not criminalize
Agreed
How did you get addicted to kratom? I have a very addictive personality and used kratom to help from withdrawals from opiods I was prescribed for years to help with my Lupus issues. Once we got my symptoms under control, I had hell getting off the opiods without the kratom but never had any issues getting off the kratom nor did I ever get any "good" feelings from it. I'm not trying to say you didn't get addicted, just wondering what it was about the kratom that got you hooked?
A
Definitely there needs to be more information about dependence forming.
That way people casually trying it would but warned but those that have been dependent would understand immediately
@@bradblumhof6917I guess everyone's different. When I was addicted to 300 grams of hydrocodone when I was out of dope and sick id look up when the next FedEx delivery would be (I bought from Florida online pharmacies, this was in the mid 00s) and when I heard that damn truck pull up I was sooooo happy. But I was forced to either quit or steal and get heroin so I spent the summer of 2006 on my couch unable to eat or sleep. With kratom, I few times I got that same feeling when I was out and the delivery driver showed up. I do believe I'm addicted to kratom but I use way less now than years ago and I consider it a safeR alternative for me, a person who doesn't like pot or coffee and also hates feeling empty and feels like he needs some sort of stimulant. When I was a little kid I used to shake my head to music to get myself dizzy. I can't believe I've never tried coke, heroin or meth. I'm too much of a wimp I suppose. Also wish me luck, I haven't had a cigarette in 29 hours.
You don't choose your cellmate, but a former prisoner CEO isn't a great look
There's ways to get out of sharing a cell with someone
Also, why would his "sharing a cell with a Nazi" be relevant to anything?
You don't exactly choose your cellmate.
That’s fair.
I was looking for this comment! 💯
They shouldn’t conceal or be deceptive about its addictive qualities
see that's the thing- as someone who has used it heavily and gone on and off it just for fun recreationally multiple times when i was younger, i would have no problem taking it in large amounts, daily, for months and then just getting a whim and stopping. not quitting, not even being that intentional. just walking away with no physical or mental issues what so ever. i actually have a large amount of it in my house- but i haven't taken it in 3 plus years now. haven't even been tempted. tempted is not even the right word. its not a "temptation" to take kratom. for me- the only reason i even walked away from it or got a whim is i am a fairly masculine dude, and it makes me feel like it lowers my test and increases my E. this is purly anicdotal, but i have enough on again and off again experience from the year i would say 18- 26 that i am pretty confident it plays with my hormones. that is literally it.... i only even really got into it when i saw people with sever health problems literally pile kratom into themselves for years with no real consequences. also- good kratom is really good for your gut.
basically the conversation that its " addictive" or "non addictive" or "harm reducing" has shown to be a red herring and is more of a finger wag at the real problem of us lacking a vocabulary for these things that isnt imperial or binary. addiction to something so complex as kratom cannot be so easily defined as addiction to something like a cigarette. its totally different- you would have to sample a much much larger group of cigarette users to find people that can casually start and stop smoking large amounts of cigarettes' with no addiction or ill effect. you can talk to literally 5 people who have used kratom heavily for years even and 2 of them will tell you they start and stop taking it with no problems it doesnt effect their sleep, their mood or their sex life. one will tell you its just as addictive as heroin and needs to be illegal, and 2 of them will tell you some version of it "it sort of worked, it sort of didn't, i didn't like this side effect i did like this other effect, but it wasn't for me, or i would like to try it again some time.
Kratom saved me from heroin and methadone detox several times during active addiction and its almost never fatal in overdose, though it does not mix well with some things. I am not mad it is legal.
WOW - THANK YOU for bringing attention to this. I almost gave everything to this drink. Two and a half years of my life and 10's of thousands of dollars. I take full accountability for my actions and the choices I made, and I believe there is nowhere near enough awareness around the danger of FF.
Lots of addicts use kratom to not die during fentanyl withdrawal. Also, many people who suffer from chronic pain use kratom instead of much more addictive and expensive opiates/opioids. I personally think kratom should be regulated but not made illegal on the federal level. I agree with you, selling it at corner stores as a “health tonic” is not cool at all. It’s powerful and the body can become somewhat dependent. That said, it’s much much easier to ween off of than opiates.
i like this perspective tysm for the harm reduction attitude
I agree about how fast and loose people are selling this stuff.
fent withdrawal cant kill ya bud??/
@@filthforce I don’t have personal experience with this but I’ve seen several documentaries where people are dying from fentanyl withdrawal.
It was news to me too ..
@@wolverwolf108 oh... maybe there are some kind of weird additives that can be put in fentanyl that maybe have a dangerous withdrawal, but not fentanyl. i know that uh.... xylazine, tranq, that stuff makes withdrawal much more painful.... there definitely could be some kind of additives whose withdrawal might be dangerous. maybe even tranq, i'm not so sure, since that's never been a drug meant for human consumption they maybe dont fully know
I worked at a head shop that started selling Kratom about 8 years ago. After a year i refused tp sell the shit anymore because i watched almost half of my regular customers devolve into Kratom zombies. Shits fucked up
One person died? Wow. Really? And how many thousands have been murdered by alcoholics and died from alcohol.... you name it.
Exactly
The issue is money, not people. Big pharma doesn't like it. No profit for them and it steals their customers. Rockefeller medicine needs to go by wayside and we need to bring back natural healing.
Yeah same issue but cigarettes. This video is ridiculously ill in thought.
Right? Fentanyl kills people n my city every day. The DEA tried to ban kratom in 2016 but we all banded together and fought it and they gave up but it's not about safety it's about them losing money to kratom basically.
Doesn't mean this isn't a problem but your smooth brain probably can't understand
American Gas Stations are like underground pharmacies. You can't get anything like this at my local Circle K
You can in the alley
Not all of them. I knew a nice gas station owner as a kid. He let me sell my tonic (natural earthworms picked fresh daily) to the fishermen who probably needed a relaxing day fishing and a nice fish dinner for their family.😊
Franchise only. Commercial chain won't push it liability is way too high
Oh yes Buddee
@@stuartewoldt1513 lol, You too funny buddee 🤣
These things and Kratom ruined my life for 3 years. I am now over 6 months clean, and we have folks coming to our subreddit and whatsapp every single day who can not quit these things. Thanks for shedding a light
Glad you made it out brother
Yeah they ruined mine to , I am still picking up the pieces
Yall are the ones taking Multiple extracts a day along with 10 grams at a time doses with 30+ grams a day. No duh it had a negative effect on you guys. A little bit of self control goes a long way.
I’ve been on kratom for over 10 years now. I’m grateful that it helped me stop using opiates before the fentanyl boom came. At first I could kick the kratom and it was just a few days of pretty bad discomfort, but now when I try and stop the withdrawal is worse and more drawn out that oxy and heroin withdrawal ever was. I’m unable to do it on my own at home and have been unable to find a detox center that will take insurance for kratom detox. It’s bad that I’ve considered using opiates for the first time in a decade just so I could get into a damn detox center. I’m not anti kratom but I’m very against the false information that it’s “community” pushes. It should be legal for adults to buy but with much warning. Kava is amazing and non addictive. Feel free are douchebags for bottling kava extract with kratom extract and making people believe it’s anything like fresh squeezed kava root.
@@nigelgeiger6020doesn't seem that hard... lie and say you're detoxing from opiates
Feel Free is so much more addictive than normal kratom imo. The kava really synergizes with the kratom it feels like a totally different drug.
I was addicted to this for a year. These little drinks are evil. The withdrawal was terrible and the health effects were messed up as well. Withdrawal, health issues, and $10k later. Happy to say I’m 10 months today.
Well, you took more than was recommended! That’s your problem, I’m sick of people with no self control trying to blame others
My comment is for people who struggle with addiction. This could help them think twice about trying FF.
All it takes is one drink to get hooked.
@@missmorena1049 must be lonely up there on your high horse
@BullonyTony-lm1hr yes exactly same situation here with these things it only took one for me to get hooked dealing with loss of alot of money lost career n left w tons of health issues still...I know alot rn who have had np previous addictions and went downward spiral ugh it's marketing is so deceptive period
@@BullonyTony-lm1hr what were u taking probably wasn't kratom
Interesting story! I did an in-house presentation on Kratom in residency around 2015 at a Naval Medical Center; Kratom use is significant in the military community as it’s a way for opiate addicts to not pop positive on UDS.
I’ve seen first hand several patients go through full blown opiate withdrawals from Kratom use. No one should use it without understanding that it DOES affect endogenous receptors very similarly to opiates.
I definitely think there should be warnings on the bottles but people should also be weary of anything where it doesn't show an exact amount of a specific plant based substance and should do their research on those substances before consuming them. Some of these are fine in small doses, but in large amounts it's definitely unsafe for people, and from looking at their label it just shows 2600mg of kava/kratom together. Not knowing the exact amounts of these substances is extremely dangerous. And kratom is something that can be pretty strong if you dont know how to take it correctly, as these substances usually take a bit to start working. However, I have found comfort in both of these plants for treating different conditions I have, but I would never feel safe not knowing how much of what I'm taking. Kratom can be a good substitute for narcotics if you don't tolerate them well but have chronic pain. Kava can be great for anxiety without making you feel super drowsy. Both can be used medicinally and in safe ways, but the fact they are throwing kratom into something without labeling it as such on the front of the bottle and also not warning of the side effects on top of that is wild to me. Especially with it already being illegal in certain states. But people will do anything to make money 🤷♀️😩
Very well said!
@kratombutterfly9959 I just hate that kratom gets such a bad rap. I was an opiate addict for 4 years and it almost killed me so many times, but after becoming clean and doing my research on things, I decided to give it at try. Unfortunately, the store I bought it from advised me to take 3.5g as a starting dose and it made me really sick. I was weary of it and stayed away for a while but decided to give it a try later on at a much smaller dose, I started off with just .5g and it worked fine for me and small doses. I just know not to take too much too often.
I definitely think there needs to be SOME regulation of it, because without any regulations or general guidance and knowledge, people do things like this or like the guy at the first store I bought it from advising a high dose for a very small person. It sucks that people don't look into things before consuming them, then blame the product for being "bad" just because they may not have taken the right dose for their size or taking it with something else that could have negative interactions. There are many people (like I used to be) that will take whatever without thinking about side effects... and for something that has that powerful of an effect at high doses, there should be warnings, a list of side effects and doses on the container. Unfortunately, I've bought from multiple companies and have seen some with little to no warnings or dosing info, luckily I already knew how to safely take it.
I do hate the idea of the government getting into every aspect of everything, but at the same time without any regulations crazy things like this will continue to happen, cause huge problems and then eventually it becomes illegal federally, just because of stupid companies like this that don't leave any warnings on the bottle...
It is truly helpful to so many people who would rather choose to take a natural plant over a pharmaceutical pill. I just really hope they choose to regulate because if something got this big and bad already that's already a red flag for the government to try to make it illegal. I saw this and literally 🤦♀️ I just can't believe something this crazy has happened pertaining to kratom, it makes me fear what will happen in the future 😩
Yes. Only thing I'd add is that kava can be pretty hard on the liver - it'd be contraindicated if one had hepatitis or other liver illnesses.
It's funny to see lion's mane in there - it's more commonly used as a nootropic.... I'd guess it's more of an attention getter than anything else....
And these greedy people take advantage of those of us who are suffering!! It’s beyond reprehensible!!
@stevengill1736 it does seem like some corporate big wig just gathered up some quick info on about what are the most trending natural substances to take then just threw a random amount of them together snd got a ton of people to endorse it? Like.... the insanity of this just blows my mind 😩
I think there needs to be a hefty investigation into this stuff because both kratom and kava alone, while psychoactive and possibly addictive do not at all sound like what these people are describing.
Kratom powder saved my life! From alcohol... I would not be here today if it wasn't for Kratom. Now after about 9 years of Kratom use I found FF and let me tell you that FF is something different and it needs to be banned! After a year of using FF I finally got off of it and went back to my Powder and got my life back. Keep Kratom legal but not the extract stuff..
How u not get addicted so it doesn’t work anymore? I have reached that stage after the 1st 2 years
@@mrfunnynames1742 Hi, I take tolerance breaks, just start lowering your dose a little everyday. I purchase stem and vein online and brew tea. It's not as strong as the powder, I will do that for a week or two then go back to my Powder and it's like using it for the first time again. My Doctor wanted to put me on Adderall and a couple other medications. I know that with any med you take you build a tolerance too and need to take breaks or just take less for a while. I figured Kratom is the lesser evil. It is all natural and helps me with alcohol cravings including my ADHD depression and anxiety. One plant versus three chemically made meds that all have potential for abuse and withdrawal including tolerance build up. I mean you can not die from Kratom withdrawal. But you sure can croke from a Benzodiazepine withdrawal... No thanks! That is the reason why the government and pharmaceutical companies want to banned it.. It helps, and has been used for centuries for many different things.. I just don't touch the extract stuff anymore. Its highly addictive and will build up your tolerance in just one week of use. But out of all the extracts I used FF was by far the most addictive it doesn't feel anything like the Kratom extracts. Its more like getting hammered on vodka. I believe they fermented the Kratom in it. Also it's not on the ingredients but I am pretty darn sure it has some fermented California poppy in it too. At least that is what it feels like. Hope this helps
I was in a similar situarion with alcohol as you, been taking kratom for like 2ish years now and my alcohol consumption/withdrawls symptoms have reduced dramatically. But im starting to feel like krarom is starting to become a problem. Not in the since that i feel the need to take them, but the withdrawal symptoms suck majorly. Restless leg syndrome, depression/ other mental issies. Do you not worrt about long term side effects of kratom? Do you think you could drop ot wothout going back to alcohol?
@@caltron919 it's a psychological thing if you think kratom is the crutch or a problem or a medicine or none of the previous. do you take it like an alcie drinking beers to maintain - or do you have a schedule- x amount at 12, and another at 6? the latter helps a lot in keeping it as a 'medicine'. that kind of schedule strictness is very important with pain medication and such too instead of popping them as felt necessary as popping it as felt is what makes it into something else than a medicine on a schedule and it makes it a 'choice' if you want to be higher or not.
You will pop for mdma drinking FF....I know
WOW, I was surprised to hear about this. I've used Feel Free and it never even occurred to me that it could be a problem product. The strong taste alone kept me from drinking it straight up so on the occasion I do use it, I only add about 1/4 bottle or less into a smoothie or other beverage blend, and I am no more effected than having any caffeinated beverage. We don't need government regulating more of our choices so I am happy this falls under the protection of the supplement industry. People have all kinds of addictions to things that are legal; alcohol, sugar, cigarettes, gambling, porn to name a few. If a company has unethical business practices, by all means investigate that - but don't give a leg up to the Pharmaceutical companies who tirelessly try to get natural remedies regulated since it messes with their bottom line.
I disagree. Shi1ts a nightmare to get off of. Not just this product but all kratom. This stuff gives you physical withdrawal.
Now I'm on suboxone with is way less bad compared to some of the kratom extract products. I was addicted to one that started giving me full blown withdrawal. This stuff needs to be outlawed or else kids are going to be the ones who pay for not.
Heroin is "natural" 😅, now look at Portland OR and see how it went when they let people choose what to do with addictive substances. Just because you don't misuse it doesn't mean it's not a problem. Millions of kids misuse ADHD meds, and that's prescribed. Imagine if they could go buy as much as they liked at a gas station with zero regulation.
@@AFRoSHEENT3ARCMICHAEL69just because you have a problem and can't control yourself doesn't mean everyone does. Not everyone needs the government to babysit them
Scott, you are a true journalist and a class act. Mad respect to you every time I see your videos. Thanks for what you do.
OMG BAN STUFF.
So sick of people wanting to ruin something for everything because they can't be a responsible adult.
If you knew how much Heavy Metals and Pesticides were in that junk...... 😂💀🤮🤢🗿
@@Karl_Kampfwagen if you would do your research you can find companies that lab test their products for heavy metal and residual Solvents. Not all Kratom companies do this but a handful do. It all comes down to buying from reputable companies that have lab tested products and being a responsible user. ALCOHOL is 1000 times more dangerous than Kratom
Exactly
@@Karl_Kampfwagen there are reputable brands that 3rd party lab test their products. They are more expensive but at least you can see the results of metals and Solvents. If you're gonna use something like this you should do your research first. Be responsible
TO THE MODS ON THIS CHANNEL STOP DELETING MY COMMENT. IF YOU'RE GONNA REMOVE MY COMMENT THEN REMOVE THE COMMENT ABOUT HEAVY METAL AND PESTICIDES TOO
I am a cocaine user in recovery for 13 months now!
Also I drink tea made of dried kratom leaves with ordinary black lemon tea filters, just to numb the horrible taste of kratom. I am from the EU. I just got a nice warm buzz feelling from it about 3 tea cups / day at the evening. I think that kratom has medical value. In the form of ingestion I mentioned. But it can backfire in really high concentrations like “Feel Free” and so. Hugs from the EU
not so sure you're in recovery while actively using...?
Kratom isn’t deadly by itself
Moderation is key to ALL.
I wish this dude knew more about our kratom and how all the deaths had shit like heroin and fet in the toxicology.
The issue here is ff. Kratom 4 years, ff 1 year. Ff is an abomination. Kratom itself has NEVER uprooted my life like this garbage. It's insane
@@dhdixjrnedndjd9672 right the rare times i do get sick if i take kratom i them feel better that day and next day. and i have a nateral high tolerance.
yeah this is pretty ridiculous lol
We'd find 80% of any of these deaths can easily be attributed to
brb' 24/7 alcoholic
brb' daily, heavy drug usage
brb' choosing to not sleep, or eat
*dies* with fent, alcohol, xanax, amphetimine in system.....herp, it must be the kratom
Reminds me of the 'dies of covid' vs 'dies with covid'...yeah, there's a big difference there.
@@dhdixjrnedndjd9672 Yeah it's in general not a good idea to mix 2 downers, of which both Kava and Kratom, are.
Holy crud! I thought this was just a Kava shot. Concentrated doses of Kratom is a no no. That being said, Kratom is keeping me from ever going on narcotics for my chronic pain of having a mitochondrial disease (form of muscular dystrophy). Sometimes, I don't need it at all, but I know for sure when I'll need it in order to sleep and/or daytime muscle pain. I get by on low doses.
@@Nobluffbuff why isnt kratom seen as a narcotic since it binds to mu opiate receptors? partial agonist i know but still! people have a hell of a time coming off suboxone to wich is also a partial agonist
Kratom has helped me get off of a heroin and fentanyl addiction. It saved my life
Just broke my multi month kratom addiction. Withdrawals were no joke.
The stories are horrible.
@@sgcarney it was. Honestly had no idea what I was putting into my body and found out through the withdrawal process. There was a Kava/Kratom bar near my work and I’d buy a drink instead of a coffee.
Went through the same thing, but used for much longer. Sleeping was almost impossible when quitting. Restless arms and legs made me crazy.
Thanks for this Scott!
I love how no one talks about alcohol like this. If you get addicted to this product that’s your fault. It clearly says on the bottle it can be habit forming. If anyone uses a product without doing research prior that’s on the user, not feel free.
Exactly. I would never get my supplements from a gas station or head shop.
it's not on every bottle though, that's one of the major issues. but Kratom advocates have been calling for better labeling for years
@@DrugWarPost The older bottles don’t have the warnings but hey what can yah do.
@@edie4321 I’d get my stuff from anywhere as long as I know the brand is legit, reliable and safe. Sadly most gas stations sell the worst brands of anything and don’t care about the quality 80-90% of the time.
Great point my friend!
I used Kratom for 3 years. After 3 years I cold turkey and the pain kept me up for days. I also had issues with my digestive system and lost 50 pounds in 4 month. I was starving but afraid to eat because I thought I would die.
That's your fault for going cold turkey. Anyone knows you should ween yourself down on any substance if you're addicted to it. You put yourself through that for nothing 😂
Professional brewer here. It’s entirely feasible to use a beer fermenter to make a concentrated leaf infusion (which this product sounds like it is). In this case it would be used to separate solid ground up plant matter from the desired product.
BEER IS GOOD!
Let's keep in perspective that anti anxiety prescriptions can kill you if you stop them. And the last dozen mass shooters weren't drinking kava for years😉
This product is not true kratom. It has been tampered with to make it dangerous. Big Pharma wants to slander it, as they can't patent nature. So they alter it and ruin it like they did with opiates, weed, and all they touch.
Yeah, that's why we have doctors telling you that, not a gas station kid just handing them out like candy.
@@bloopbleepnothinghere 😂 an off shore "Dr ." Don't worry though, panush will write you a script to cover the last scripts side effects 😂 Amazon will deliver it too 😂 man I'm just glad people like you are easy to spot in person
@@bloopbleepnothinghere, My doctor, and many more do hand them out like candy. My doctor had me on deadly and addictive combinations. I found kratom, but not at the gas station. That stuff is from the FDA to discredit nature. "Plant based" means tampered with nature. They had to make the miracle called kratom, look really bad. This is not kratom.
@@Raskolnikovsburden ??? You use offshore shonky doctors for medical advice and then order prescription drugs on Amazon without a consult from a pharmacy?? I don't think that's how it's supposed to work. You know you can also just go to a dealer if you are determined to not consult a doctor and take whatever you want.
Lost 50 pounds and was on the brink of death. Two weeks of acute withdrawals and many months to recover. They used to be much more potent than they are now. Detox and withdrawal will still be an uncomfortable experience.
Glad you made it out ❤
What were you taking & how much? Curious. I’m worried about the withdrawal process & how bad it would get.
@@nataliemosesian7973 I took 3 grams 3 times a day for 6 months after breaking my back in two places it sucked for about a week weening off it moody diarrhea insomnia lack of appetite cold sweats wasn't as bad as if I would of took the oxycoton they wanted to send me home with
@@theproducermicrothank you. It was absolute hell.
how much did you allow yourself to drink, bud? did your momma know you were doing this?
Just so it be known, coffee is also a psychoactive and addictive substance. Those big words make Kratom sound a lot worse than what it actually is.
@@jmb8507 know anybody that’s been to rehab for coffee?
Most people don't understand alcohol and coffee is a drug good luck making them understand
People also die from caffeine, rarely, but they do. But I don't see a "ban coffee" cry from the wilderness
Add sugar to that drug list.
Many things are drugs. Many things are psychoactive and addictive. All at varying levels too. I stop drinking coffee, and I get a bad headache and cloudy mind all day. Which is not comparable to Kratoms withdrawals, which are very similar to opioid withdrawals. Some of the worst and strongest withdrawals you can get.
RUclips won’t let me post what I would like to say. I’ll try again. If this relieves pain, I’m all for it. No one has the right to dictate what someone can or cannot do with their own health. No one should get involved in someone else’s health if not asked to. Just my opinion.😊
Want? Or won't let you post.
@@brianteague840 won’t LOL come on man.
✌️💚🍉
Lol I too get banned
For emojis once.
Just 1 day but...
😆👌
This is my third reply.
😆👌
I don't understand how people could take this without being curious enough to look into what's in it.
I bought it because I was in an unfamiliar place without my methadone, and I went to a medical Kratom store in Dayton, Ohio
From the coffee family. Pure euphoria? Omg.
You must be really boring at parties
Desperation
Exactly. I read ingredients to any food, drink or drug I put into my body, and usually research more looking into personal testimonies etc... it never stops my dumbass from doing it though. Dangerous? Addicting? Sign me up 😂
I was addicted to opiates and kratom ended it. First I got clean. Then I slowly used Kratom recreationally. I soon stopped. I tried to use it only to help with DOMS a kind of muscle recovery pain you get from work and exercise. My use during for that purpose is very limited. I use about 160gram a year. Use is very infrequent. Raw plant powder only. I can see how it can be abused but I would argue it’s not more harmful than legal substances that people already abuse.
@@quintrapnell3605 have u tried beta-alanine?
Hold up now, I took kratom for just over a year to get myself off of fentanyl. Took it daily then just decided to stop with little to no withdrawal symptoms. But then again I was used to opiate withdrawals.
@williambowen4092 I've been taking kratom for pain daily for three years. I switch to ibuprofen for a month or so each year, I get a little tired for two or three days and I feel no cravings at all.
Dealing drugs is the best buisnis in the world. The only reason why drug laws exist is because pharmaceutical companies hate competition...especially because their products usually dont work
100% Truth in this comment.
@@Dead_Again1313 Exactly. Weed being schedule 1 is absurd. It has been proven to work medically so over half the states issue medical prescriptions. Guess the bureaucrats in DC are either total imbeciles or paid by big pharma. Actually this was more of a trick question(both).
This is interesting. I love that you tried it. Ive never taken kratom extract but i do take kratom leaf every day and it changed my life. Im no longer a shell of a person, absolutely no anxiety.
Kava, when concentrated, is stronger than most people think, research kava Vanuatu.
been drinking kratom tea daily for over 15+ years its slightly addictive but at around 70$ a kilo I don't think it's a problem it's not a habit that will break the bank
Not the brightest comment I've seen...... certainly not the best advice.....
Got off kratom last year after 17 years. I feel so glad to be waking up and be in a stable mood throughout the day now. Horrible addiction for me.
Its cheaper then methedone r heroine but gar weaker@@reneeklein3048
@@reneeklein3048 Neither is yours.
@@Kristoffceyssens Congrats man. Sorry you were the odd one out. Not likely to cause addiction but it can happen.
This sound pretty dangerous. The easy availability, 'friendly' presentation, and addictive potential.
The perfect recipe for big profit, which is the only thing that scumbag Jerry Cash cares about.
They don't even put a warning on alcohol or Coca Cola, people should beware. Do you know any soda addicts? Sugar? Starbucks? I'm grateful to not have those addictions.
Kratom was key in my journey to stop drinking - but I knew what I was getting into.
Good to hear.
I was paralyzed from spine injuries, and I had been on opiates for over 20 years from the excruciating pain from the injuries and repairs, Kratom allowed me to stop using opiates without any negative side effects, then stopped the Kratom with absolutely no problems or issues,
The FDA is primarily behind corporations and not interested in actually helping people!
"Feel Unfree"
Exactly. Very ironic.
It has Kava Kava which alkaloids are GABA inhibitors. This is how alcohol, benzos, librium and GHB (remember that one at GNC?) work. The addictive properties are from GABA inhibition and your brain is "kindled" to grow more and more GHB receptors, ergo needing more of the drug to feel normal.
Kratom has Mitragynine which works on mu-opioid receptors.
So basically this puts together the elements of alcoholism and heroin addiction in one package.
they got GABA gummies at walmart and 18packs of redbull
Kava is not addictive at least not in a physical way like benzos. I’ve drank kava every day for a month then just stopped for a month without any issues and I’m a very addictive person. There are many herbs that work with gaba and are not addictive.
Mitragynine doesnt work on mu-opiod receptors. 7-OH-Mitragynine does.
Mitrgynine is a cns stimulant. So you can consider adderall ontop of your chemicle analouges to compare to kratom
@@jameshicks7125 SO much dangerous misinformation in a single comment...congrats! And the fear mongering all around the lies... you're really going for gold, eh?
The way you're saying "kratom" is making me want to scratch my eyes out.
That being said, as a recovered addict I know first hand how important this video and conversation in general is.
Unfortunately, people hear "legal, over the counter, all natural, health supplement, etc" and they think they are safe. How could something sold so widely be bad for anyone, right?
People don't read labels, they don't research ingredients, they don't read reports of experiences, or take any preemptive harm reduction. Anyone selling you something as an alternative for addictive substances, does not care about your well being. They are banking on people not being able to stop, and since it's "legal and safe" people don't even realize they have a full blown addiction. Look at OxyContin ffs.
I used the kratom powder for 3 years. 12 grams once a day for two and a half years and then 8 grams for half a year. I quit cold turkey, and it was hell, but not as bad as I would imagine, Heron. It was back. Did not sleep for 3 days. Had sweats, diarrhea, and felt like I had to be moving my arms and legs constantly, or I would crawl out of my skin. The worst was over in 3 days, and after a week, I felt fine. Have not taken any since then. I have no craving for it at all.
Every time I go to a store that sells these I'll ask about how many people are buying them and how popular they are. Almost every time somebody tells me that they have one customer who will come in and get four or five at a time everyday
I’m going through this with kratom. First day today quitting. I’m taking back control
One day at a time
Good luck
I wish you the very best, I started suboxone a month ago & I think things are going well so far.
@@KenjiSummers absolutely! On day 3 today
@@xjennicyde thank you 🙏
I have a mixed feeling, after using it for a year, it got me off alcohol which i am thankful of. but what i realized was i traded one addiction for another. a year into using Feel Free I started to get swollen ankles after using the product. It took swollen ankles to scare me to stop. All I can say is everything serves a purpose, either learn moderation or just dont do it.
Do you have any evidence that your ankles had anything to do with kratom? I've researched kratom since 2016 and never heard of this. You should see a Dr. because that type of inflamation is being caused by something much more serious.
Blows my mind when I see people just go on and on and be so proud of the just awful and vile things they do to other people. It just keeps happening more and more. People are wild...
Look I get it if you can't use in moderation you're ruining it for the rest of the kratom users. I understand that but they market these towards people that already have depression and those addictive tendencies. I used regular kratom for a couple years and it was awesome. But right as I touched feel free I was hooked, it's a completely different feeling. I'm off of everything now but I've gotten a few friends hooked just by them seeing that I used to drink the stuff. Something is different about this Feel Free tonic so I'm really glad this video is out. Good stuff man!
The dose is very important with any plant extract or medication - it sounds like this "Feel Free"contains huge doses. Also kava can be hepatotoxic in certain instances.
Fermenting kratom can be converting the mitragynine (the active principle of kratom) into 7-hydroxymitragynine, which is more potent than mitragynine.
The important thing to remember about kratom is that it doesn't cause respiratory depression like opioids, so overdoses are unlikely. Nevertheless mixing it with other CNS probably isn't a good idea....
The people who have died mostly had seizures from what I understand from several sources.
Traditional Kava is not hepa toxic. The liver thing only comes from extracts.
Hell, brother, this nearly unbelievable. I know you're a really professional journalist, otherwise I'd think you're just being paid for doing bad publicity on those miracle herbs.
Thank you, Scott.
I'm pretty sure you're really saving lives with this work.
Thanks for being here.
We don't need regulations, we need people with self control
Lawsuits suck
That's easy for you to to say until you realize that there are already hundreds of people who are addicted that weren't fully educated enough on the substance beforehand because it was legal, so maybe stop seeing things so black-and-white?
Also, you may not have an addictive personality, but there are actually plenty of people who are born with a tendency to develop an addictive personality (people on the spectrum/neurodivergents) or have had awful shit happen to them in their life; trauma can significantly alter your decision-making skills.
In case you didn't notice, human beings aren't exactly pillars of perfection. Not everybody has the same levels of self-control. Sometimes lawsuits are necessary.
Regulation would help bro. It's not a violation of our rights to take drugs for things to 100% be safe and exactly what you're buying and tested
I use Kratom for chronic pain..it's been used for near 1500 years. These are helpful if used correctly and much better alternative...I would use it in a much more regulated form like in capsules or just in powder and mix into a drink not in some unknown gas station tonic
Thank you for shedding light on this topic. I’m personally in recovery form opiates and alcohol and Kratom got me worse than either of the other two as far as withdrawals. I know everyone had their own experience but mine was horrible. Ten years of addiction to the sludge.
So glad you are on this side! Kratom addiction is no joke!
I know. I've been on kratom for about 10 years and I've lost so much weight. It started off ok but as I continued to take it my endocrine system got jacked up. Now I'm trying to gain my weight back but it's hard. Especially since I am still taking kratom. I'm trying to lower the dose until I wean myself off.
I hope you are doing well! Good luck to you!
Don’t start using kratom if you havent used it before. Its very addictive just like any other opioid.
Thank you so much for all your hard work in investigating this. You are doing God's work.
Saw some in a gas station for the first time today, was curious and thought about trying it, but then I remembered that I watched this video about how horribly addictive it is and realize that I am far too addictive of a person to risk trying it. Thank you for this video
"These drinks are pure evil". I could not agree more with that statement.
Wonderful piece, thank you for speaking up!
Why does this channel only have 50k subs and we have idiots who do nothing but antagonise people and play dangerous pranks have millions of subscribers ? This world is already doomed when good people who fight for what is right are basically relegated to the sidelines and people who do nothing to better their environment are the main players.
It frustrates me too. That said I gained 8000 followers in the last few weeks.
I’ve been using kratom for almost a decade now. It is addictive but nothing like opioids. The withdrawal symptoms are so much more mild and don’t take as long to go away. That is partially due to the inability to take large doses without getting extremely nauseous. You dont ever get accustomed to large amounts no matter how long you take it for. The only real issue it’s causing a decrease in opioid sales. That’s only an issue to certain people and they have strong lobbying power do they make 36 people dying seem like a much larger issue than the 500 annual deaths caused by the tylenol they sell.
You did an awesome job on this, really good job on explaining that ends and outs without getting caught up in preconceptions. When you are ready to do a deeper dive into kratom, I would love to talk to you. We lost our 20 year-old son in October, he died in his sleep, a perfectly healthy young man with so much life ahead of him. We knew he was not using illicit drugs, so we were absolutely stunned when the chaplain showed up at our door to tell us the news. It took almost 6 months to get the autopsy report proving that he died from kratom toxicity. Like you said in your video, I don’t know of any person in our culture today who doesn’t understand the dangers of morphine, fentanyl, heroin, etc., but if you look at the propaganda coming out of the AKA It is easy to see how people are encouraged into using a substance which rapidly takes over your entire life.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Hopefully the education and awareness with keep more people from losing their loved ones.
What did the kratom do to the body that caused his death? Was it cardiac arrest? Or a stroke or seizure? Sorry that happened to your family
@@jarettmeyer4929 it was respiratory arrest in his sleep. We knew he’d been taking it for anxiety and energy and we didn’t like it but we had no reason to be alarmed. However, after a while he began taking more and more and he didn’t tell us, he knew we’d be concerned and try to help him get off, and he obviously really liked it. With kratom, it is essentially a slow poisoning not a one time overdose. Our bodies don’t metabolize mitragynine and so it builds up to the point that it slows your breathing down to nothing. Some people have seizures and other warning signs, but our son did not. I don’t think Kratom is deadly for everyone, but if you find yourself using more than you used to, try quitting for a week and if you find that process is terrible (and it will be if you take it in any high quantities), check in with a doctor and rehab center and get help before it’s too late.
Ins and outs homie
Stopping alcohol will reduce your stress/anxiety. No need for Snake Oil or worst, another addictive substance.
I agree
Exactly
Kratom got me off alcohol when nothing else did. It saved my life like it has MILLIONS. Extract is what needs to go
@@beatcat1265 regulation is key.
Hate drinking, currently trying to quit
I remember a sales representative coming into the smoke shop I worked at trying to pitch this product. I dont think we ever carried it but we already sold Kratom.
I’ve never felt addicted to kratom. I’ve taken it for years and never feel like I have to take it. I take it when I’m overly tired or pull a muscle. I’ve never had withdrawals or any negative side effects. This guy is completely clueless on chemical compounds. Nobody has ever died from only kratom. Anybody who has died from it was addicted to other substances too and would mix drugs.
do people really don't read the ingrediant list until weeks months after using
I mean.. . . there are dedicated reading rooms in grocery stores and gas stations for a reason.
People aren’t intelligent
@@sgcarney Reading rooms in gas stations and grocery stores mister? Been to some pretty high-end gas stations and grocery stores but have never seen a "reading room" per se. Your point is taken though that people should read ingredients list.
Thank goodness I got off this garbage!!!!! The last time I used it I was awake for almost days completely hallucinating, I was desperate for sleep . It also just stops working after a while on pain....
The feel free or straight kratom?
I immediately thought "kratom" when i saw this video, and boy, have i had my episodes with that stuff. Originally i used it as a substitute for other opiates and thought it would be a life saver, but over the years i realized how addictive it was on its own. I've since relapsed and now take methadone as a maintenance medication. I highly recommend that those without any physical addictions seriously avoid anything with kratom in it.
I was heavily addicted to kratom, and I used kava to potentiate the effects of kratom when I could afford to. This surprises me, because the feel free drinks only felt like a mild kava buzz to me. I would need to drink 2 to 3 bottles to even feel anything. I always felt like the kratom they added was basically a placebo amount, but that was 2 years ago. perhaps they have increased the kratom dosage in recent years. I'm grateful to be off of both of these substances, my mental and GI health were both in critical condition for a while there.
Users shouldn't be consuming powerful Kratom or Kava extracts every day (i.e. Feel Free). That's the issue.
Stick to plain leaf Kratom, like 100,000s of us use and has been used for centuries. Plain leaf is way safer with WAY lower dependency potential.
These stories never make the distinction between enormously powerful extracts and the plain leaf that countless people use safely.
Not everyone uses leaf Kratom safely. I was hooked on the powder personally. I was an advocate for years until I tried to quit and had horrible withdrawals. Everyone has a different experience and I’m glad you are able to use safely without negative experiences and withdrawals.
Kratom powder is highly addictive.
I was super addicted to the power and it made me very sick.
@@theproducermicrookay then. the harms of overconsumption is the price they pay for over consuming. nobody is forcing them to ingest kilos of nasty tasting powder. seriously.
@@dontgiveupplzno it’s not “highly addictive” it’s no more addictive then opioids. you have a addictive personality and a self control issue and that’s your way of covering it up.
Thank you for bringing light to this insidious product
I was off of opiotes for 8 years. I was given this about a year and a half ago back then there was nothing on the bottle.
Dressed it up as a wellness shot.
I thought I was drinking something healthy.
And then I didn't buy one the next day and started getting restless legs.
Which I know exactly from having already gone through opiate withdrawal what that was.
I've been drinking up to 10 a day.
This will ruin your whole entire life.
Even if you don't have an addictive personality, you will be addicted to this.
It's more powerful than anything I've ever seen
I have no idea what that concoction contains because I take kratom leaf for arthritis pain daily and I don’t feel any of the things you describe people taking that tonic feel. I have been taking the same dose daily and I have $60 a year. It doesn’t even take the whole pain away but it makes easier to do my job. Who knows what else they are putting in that juice.
We need stricter regulations. We've been asking the FDA to regulate kratom for years. Maybe extracts need to be banned in and of themselves. They seem to be what's causing most of the issues with regard to kratom. I'm an Army veteran who has been consuming plain leaf lab tested kratom for a little over 7 years. I have not had any issues with powder (non-extract) kratom. Now there are products which only contain 7-hydroxymitragynine. These products are not kratom.
Same here, I stick to lab tested powders and I have had zero issues. There needs to be more research into it as well, we don't even know all the chemistry behind this plant.
I’m happy to see people who don’t have an issue with Kratom still recognizing that there is an issue here. Personally I was a powder k user but I still got super hooked on it. I know all experiences are different so thank you for sharing.
Thank you! 🙌
I completely agree. It needs regulations because otherwise companies will misuse it and it will continue to cause these massive problems until the government finally decides it should be illegal. So crazy to me. It shouldn't be that difficult for them to make a simple regulation about the quality of the product as well as advisories, side effects and warnings. I mean they could literally be lazy and just look up the information themselves off legitimate sources on the internet and use that information. I just don't understand why it's so difficult of a thing for them to do. It's almost like they want it to get so bad to the point they can make it illegal. The whole thing, especially now that this has happened, has just blown my mind... I've been using it since 2018 and have been doing great with it. I've had so many doctors offer narcotics for my chronic pain and I'd just much rather take a leaf, thank you. 🤷♀️
@@theproducermicro Same. Powder is equally extremely addictive. The only difference is usually there is indeed a ceiling effect to how out of control you can force yourself in terms of dosage. Cause it's hard to gulp down 50g of plant matter a day. Although plenty have went that deep and further. In the end the point is kratom is an opioid that's comparable to any moderate opiate and the only difference is you won't overdose and stop breathing. With that in mind... choose your decisions wisely, ie for chronic pain trade-off or something.
It has little to do with the kratom. People need to be wary of this "plant based" business. The chemicals being used ARE the problem. Why would you want the government Big Pharma in charge of what nature gives us? You're asking for trouble.
Also, as someone who has used Kratom.... you start throwing it up, LONG before you reach respiratory depression territory.
Also.... the 12-step idea of "an addict" is nothing more than a harmful myth. I once beliebed I was one.... and all throughout that time, I never improved. However, when I rejected it, I started to process my trauma, and gradually the pain I was numbing, went away. This left me with nothing to numb... and saw my recovery blossom.
Feel free is kratom and kava combined.
You sound Troubled and Unhinged. 😮 12 steps, Works! Its a Simple Program for Complicated People. Im Healing and No One Has Failed That Has Surrendered😅❤
@@sgcarney yeah, the only thing I take issue with, is the dishonesty. I'm definitely with you on that. However, I'm an anti-prohinition warrior. I'm one of Barry Cooper's NGB400. Prohibition leads to unregulated black markets. Drugs are already easy enough to find for those looking, so it's not like legalizing them is gonna see everyone start using them... but it certainly makes it WAY more dangerous, for those who do. I just wanna stop seeing so many people die.
For instance, there's a drug that interrupts addiction in 85% of patients, in a single use. It's called Ibogaine.... but we can't have that, because it was prematurely thrown into the "no medical use" category, before it was even experimented with.
Psilocybin got rid of my need for Lexapro.
A THC pen, got me off my Klonopin.
MDMA therapy is CURING PTSD!!!
ALL of these substances are deemed "of no medical value".... yet my first hand experience says otherwise. People need to learn to control themselves.... some won't, and they will likely die, and while it might seem insensitive, that's evolution at work. Interfering with it, is breeding a weak nation. You can try all you want, but you'll never succeed in protecting everyone from themselves. That makes for misery, which people will then seek to numb, whether it's legal or not.
The only true protection we could feasibly provide, is proper regulatory measures... and that can't be done, so long as schedule 1 exists. As long as it does, "regulation" is left up to sociopathic cartel bosses, and they CLEARLY cannot be trusted.
But if they repealed the CSA, then who would we fill all those private prisons with? And what of the jobs of the people that go around ruining lives over a medical issue??? We couldn't put them out of business.
I promise if you continue to use this supplement you will absolutely get major withdrawals and almost certainly spend $1000 upon thousands on this then on a recovery protocol. This should not be available at any gas stations.
I was on pain pills for 25 years, wanted to quit, no rehab, kraptom saved my life, no pills for 4 years, no kraptom for 3 years! It was my only help, I am sad that Joe Rogan did what he did, and what you're doing! Guess I gotta be thankful I was helped before y'all $hit on a good thing.
I was a fentanyl addict and got clean . While in treatment I was prescribed buprenorphine. I became dependent on it and when I would stop, I'd have bad withdrawal symptoms. I used kratom to stop taking it but am addicted to kratom. When I try to stop I suffer withdraw symptoms in the same way as when I stopped fentanyl and buprenorphine just not as severe . Kratom can help people but is just another addictive substance. If you have problems with addiction, you will more than likely have issues with kratom . I see people who talk about how it is so amazing and they take it everyday but wouldn't consider themselves addicted . They are in fact addicted . most are in denial about it as are many addicts especially if your a functioning addict and carry out your day to day tasks .
In its NATURAL form, Kratom is not harmful, and it’s actually very helpful to older patients with chronic pain, BUT the problem with “Feel Free” is that it’s HIGHLY CONCENTRATED, which is NOT natural. In the jungles of Indonesia, they chew the Kratom leaves, but the feeling is not that strong, and the addiction potential is very mild. But it’s totally ridiculous to say that natural Kratom can “kill” & is “dangerous” - that is nonsense- as long as it’s in its NATURAL form, NOT concentrated nor fermented! Alcohol is WAY more dangerous than Kratom, and alcohol has killed more people than any other drug, and alcohol is legal! Maybe they shouldn’t sell the concentrated extract, but they should NEVER ban natural Kratom leaves, because so many chronic pain patients would then have go back to taking prescription painkillers, which are far more dangerous than Kratom, because prescription opiates can stop you from breathing, yet Kratom does not contain the specific component that stops breathing. In other words, Kratom is medically safer than prescription opiates.
Did you know people fatally overdose on Tylenol, intentionally or not, all the time?
450 people a year is not "all the time"
@@ReiRidingSolo Agree to disagree then, sounds like a lot to me, 100x more than any kratom fatality numbers I've seen.
@@ReiRidingSolo Florida claims 46 people died from kratom overdoses over *ten years*. That makes 4500 over the same period look like a lot to me. I'll stand by "all the time". If it were kratom, critics would say "people are dying every day", which actually sounds like more than "all the time", in my opinion.
@@ReiRidingSolo over one a day seems pretty frequent