Sold as elixir, kratom popularity surges in ‘Wild West’ of legality

EVERETT — The signs have exploded across Snohomish County.

“KRATOM” in big letters, plastered on store windows, lit up in neon. Roadside “Kratom sold here” arrows point across strip mall parking lots.

Dozens of smokeshops and gas stations along Highway 99 and Evergreen Way compete to reel in kratom buyers. “$79 kilos” is the special at a wellness store stocked with kratom, sold here to anyone 18 and older. It’s also easy to buy online, packaged with brands such as Happy Hippo Herbals, Golden Monk and Craving Kratom.

Kratom (pronounced cray-tum), a psychoactive herb from Southeast Asia, is the new drug on the block. It is used for energy, anxiety, pain and opioid withdrawals, yet not FDA-approved for any use.

Health officials warn kratom is addictive and basically unregulated, with serious potential for abuse by people seeking an over-the-counter legal high.

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