10/04/2026
Kratom isn't one thing, and that's the problem with most of the conversation around it.
Some people say kratom has helped them cut back on opioids or manage pain. That's real, and it deserves to be taken seriously. But "it helps some people" doesn't mean "it's risk-free."
The reverse is also true. Kratom showing up in a tragic overdose doesn't mean every kratom product is deadly. Traditional leaf powder, concentrated extracts, and synthetic 7-OH products are very different substances that happen to be sold under the same name.
Good policy starts by asking which products are causing harm, and then regulates those. Treating everything as equally safe or equally dangerous doesn't do that.
Clinical psychologist and addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner breaks it down on *The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast*.
If you use kratom, here's what to watch for:
⚠️ Any mention of 7-OH or 7-hydroxymitragynine on the label
⚠️ Words like "extract," "enhanced," "max strength," or "ultra," and shots, tablets, or gummies that are far more concentrated than leaf powder
⚠️ No third-party lab testing you can actually verify
⚠️ Mixing it with opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other sedatives
⚠️ Needing more to get the same effect, or feeling sick when you skip a dose, which are signs of dependence worth talking to a provider about
🎧 Full episode at the link in bio.
