Clinical Trial Finds Minimal Withdrawal Signs From Dried Kratom Leaf Powder in Healthy Adults

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial published in Drug Testing and Analysis found that dried kratom leaf powder produced modest, dose-related subjective effects and minimal signs of opioid withdrawal in healthy adults who had never used kratom before. Researchers gave 116 participants either a single dose or 15 consecutive daily doses of Mitra-Leaf kratom capsules, ranging from 500 to 4,000 milligrams of dried leaf powder, or a placebo. Using standardized opioid-withdrawal scales, the study found that no participant met the threshold for clinically meaningful withdrawal, and adverse events were generally mild, with no serious adverse events or deaths reported. The trial was conducted under Good Clinical Practice guidelines and reviewed by an independent ethics committee and Health Canada. The authors said the findings support further research into kratom’s safety profile and potential therapeutic uses.