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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...ioid-alternative-drives-boom-in-borneo-jungle
Indonesia is the main supplier of kratom, a popular painkiller.
Deep in the lush jungles of Indonesian Borneo is the remote region of Kapuas Hulu, a dizzying 12-hour drive along narrow, twisting roads from the nearest city. Until recently, most villagers eked out a living working at nearby rubber plantations or gold mines.
Now, thanks to the opioid epidemic in the U.S., one of the hottest local commodities is a controversial plant called kratom that fans call a natural alternative to synthetic painkillers but U.S. regulators say isn’t safe. Demand from the U.S. has turned Kapuas Hulu into a boom town: Newly affluent residents have built additions to their houses and workers drive the latest model Honda motorcycles.
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Even though the active principles in kratom (mitragynine & a hydroxylated derivative) are not related to the opium poppy's alkaloids like morphine, they act at the same opioid receptors as heroin, morphine & codeine. Kratom can be very addictive & difficult to quit, with strong withdrawal symptoms. It is freely available via the Internet.
Indonesia is the main supplier of kratom, a popular painkiller.
Deep in the lush jungles of Indonesian Borneo is the remote region of Kapuas Hulu, a dizzying 12-hour drive along narrow, twisting roads from the nearest city. Until recently, most villagers eked out a living working at nearby rubber plantations or gold mines.
Now, thanks to the opioid epidemic in the U.S., one of the hottest local commodities is a controversial plant called kratom that fans call a natural alternative to synthetic painkillers but U.S. regulators say isn’t safe. Demand from the U.S. has turned Kapuas Hulu into a boom town: Newly affluent residents have built additions to their houses and workers drive the latest model Honda motorcycles.
=======================================
Even though the active principles in kratom (mitragynine & a hydroxylated derivative) are not related to the opium poppy's alkaloids like morphine, they act at the same opioid receptors as heroin, morphine & codeine. Kratom can be very addictive & difficult to quit, with strong withdrawal symptoms. It is freely available via the Internet.