Kratom kraze: Leaf lovers hurry new narcotic drinks to market in Thailand

While reefer madness sweeps Thailand, another decriminalized narcotic forgotten in the cannabis haze is poised to go mainstream and wash across the land.

A year after kratom became legal, recent legislation now allows its use in products such as drinks, candies, and more. Beverage entrepreneurs are gearing up to loose the juice, meaning fans of the big, veiny leaf and its alkaloid high have more to look forward to than slurping bitter homebrew.

“This is great. This means I can get it FDA approved, and I can sell it on retail shelves,” said Jake Coyner, who for the past year has been brewing the leaves into a carbonated beverage called OG Kratom. 

In that time, Coyner’s gone from homebrewing dozens of bottles to producing 2,400 bottles a month at an OEM bottling facility. 

Starting today, psychoactive folk remedy ‘kratom’ is legal to grow, sell