Kratom to be taken off Thailand’s list of narcotics

Jack ConnorPublished: 16:47, 28 May 2021| Updated: 20:19, 19 May 2023

171 1 minute read

Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Kratom will be removed from Thailand’s Narcotics Act. The updated list was published in the Royal Gazette earlier this week, making it official. It will take effect on August 24. Officials warn that cultivation of the plant is still restricted.

A new so-called “Kratom Law” will flesh out how the plant is allowed to be consumed, according to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin. The proposed legislation has been approved by the Council of State and is waiting for the Justice Ministry to forward a proposal to the Cabinet.

The ministry has been working with the FDA to discuss the legality of kratom. The office of the Narcotics Control Board is looking into criminal cases that involved kratom.

The plant is known for its use in traditional medicine as well as its use as a recreational stimulant. It is known as an ingredient in the homemade cocktail 4×100 which is made with kratom leaves, coke, cough syrup and ice.