What substance can be used to cure depression, alleviate pain, and wean people off opiate and morphine addictions? Maybe you've never heard of it, but it comes from Thailand and it's called kratom.
 

So, what is kratom? Is it a dangerous, illegal narcotic, as the Thai government decided in 1943 and as other governments have agreed? Or is it a life-saving pain reliever that also can have stimulant and anti-depressant effects? That is the question we will investigate in this book.
 

In the first chapter, we will ask what kratom is, investigating where kratom is found and what benefits and drawbacks come with it. We will answer the question of why kratom has become more popular in recent years despite having been around for thousands of years.
 

We will look at the history of kratom in the East and in the West. We will follow kratom from its origins in the distant past to its use today around the world. We will check out the science behind the effects of kratom and what makes it work the way it does. We will find out why it acts like a stimulant as well as an opiate. Then we will look at some studies that have been conducted surrounding kratom and glean information about how kratom functions (and whether or not it is dangerous) from our findings. We will then answer the question of how kratom is used and how it is sold. We will discuss what the different strains are and what effects they have. We will then move on to looking at what kratom tourism in Thailand and Southeast Asia and what that entails. We investigate the benefits and potential dangers you might face. We also will look at how the traditional use and culture of kratom has evolved in Thailand and elsewhere. We will take a fascinating look at legal issues pertaining to kratom so that you know exactly where you stand if you buy it. Finally, we will have a look at where we see kratom going in future – is it going to be hailed as a great natural remedy or will it be banned completely?
 

It will be a journey packed with information, so be prepared to learn a lot along the way.