Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Chapter 2: What is kratom and where does it come from?
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Emily Kwong here with Rachel Carlson, one of our show's producers.
Hey, Rachel. Hey, Emily. So I am here today to talk to you about something becoming more popular. It's called kratom or kratom. People pronounce it both ways, but a lot of the sources I talked to said kratom. So I think that's what we'll stick with for this episode.
Well, where does kratom come from exactly?
Kratom is derived from tree leaves. It's been used for centuries in Southeast Asia, mostly Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. for energy and to treat pain. But in the U.S., it's sort of an umbrella term that includes a bunch of different products like teas, pills, extracts, synthetic goods that all vary in strength depending on how they're made.
It's kind of like when someone says cannabis products, that could mean whole leaf or extracts from the leaves or synthetic products. Okay, so the term kratom could actually mean a bunch of different things? Yeah, I've heard it referred to as a drug, as a supplement, as an ingredient.
So I asked the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, and they told me in an email statement, it depends on the specific product.
Okay, complicated.
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