Buying kratom directly from kratom farmers in Indonesia or any kratom where kratom is indigenous to may have crossed your mind. Especially if you’ve had negative experiences with kratom vendors in your home country, be it America or a different country you may live in. But how do you go about it? And most importantly – should you?
We recently received a comment from a person asking for recommendations of how to find best kratom farmers in countries where kratom is legal. When responding to it, we decided to address this in greater detail a blog post so that more people could benefit from it.
We’ll focus specifically on kratom farmers in Indonesia since that’s what most of the kratom products come from. However, the same will apply to any country where kratom is indigenous to such as Malaysia and Thailand.
Keep in mind that our goal with this blog is to provide reliable and trustworthy information on kratom, clear out the misinformation, and help keep kratom legal. We also aim to empower kratom lovers with valuable information to ensure that they make wise and informed buying choices.
However, our answer to whether you should look for local kratom farmers Indonesia to buy your kratom supply from may seem counterintuitive.
Don’t.
Yes, you could technically establish a relationship with a kratom farmer in Indonesia and get fresh and potent kratom powder for cheaper. Yet, the risk involved a far greater than the benefits of taking this route.
Trust us on this. We have your best interests in mind and buying kratom directly from the source isn’t actually the best choice. And we have some pretty solid reasons for why you should not do it.
Let’s take a look at them.
Reasons NOT to Buy Directly from Kratom Farmers in Indonesia
1. Kratom Legality Is a Grey Area in Indonesia
You may be surprised to find out that kratom isn’t actually legal in Indonesia. Not really. Indonesia is a member of the ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. There is a blanket regulation that forbids kratom in all ASEAN countries.
Considering the fact that most of the kratom comes from Indonesia, this may not make much sense to you. Well, that’s our point.
In Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, kratom is illegal for domestic consumption. But, it is legal to grow it and sell it in unprocessed form. So, you can absolutely grow kratom in Indonesia and cash in on its popularity, yet not take it yourself.
Indonesians knew very well about the opioid crisis in the United States and the growing popularity of kratom. Which means an excellent opportunity to cash in on it. As a matter of fact, about 90% of all exports from West Kalimantan those of kratom to the US. Data from 2016 shows that total exports of kratom were approximately $130 million.
Considering that Indonesia ranks the 121st according to the projected GDP as opposed to the US which is the 8th, that’s a lot of money for Indonesians. This brings us to our next point which is…
2. There Are Plenty Dishonest Kratom Farmers in Indonesia
Indonesians can be wonderful and friendly people and many travelers point that out. However, things can be different when money is involved.
So, basically, the scamming game is strong in Indonesia. And the kratom industry is no exception to it. Here’s some proof, some more, some more, and some more. Yes, sure, there are also legitimate and trustworthy farmers out there. But do you really want to deal with the headache of finding out which one you’re dealing with?
Kratom vendors in the US aren’t foreign to scams either. Even those who sell from the source have experienced issues with vendors in the past.
3. Indonesia Has Poor Sanitary Regulations
From our own experience traveling in Southeast Asia, we can tell that things there don’t work in the exact same way as they do in the West. When it comes to sanitary regulations, they are poor. You will notice that people do not wash or change their clothes as often as your average American would and places like restaurants would not pass a basic US-standard sanitary expectation.
Unicef also states that access to a safe and sanitary environment in Indonesia is extremely low.
What does it mean for kratom? It’s unregulated. Which means that there are no rules or regulations which would require kratom to be clean.
In addition to that, most farmers in Indonesia aren’t wealthy. As a matter of fact, a while ago there was a video online of kratom farmers in Indonesia begging the US not to ban kratom as it would mean going out of business and losing out on a lot of profit. (The original video has been taken down, but if you get a hold of it elsewhere, please let us know.)
Because these farmers are, for the lack of a better word, poor, you can’t expect them to be able to comply with US sanitary regulations and standards.
4. Your Risk of Getting Contaminated, Fake or Adulterated Kratom Increases
That is, of course, if you get your kratom, to begin with. There is a risk that the Indonesian or your local customs may seize your package. In certain countries, you may even need to cover importing fees which can be higher than the cost of what you’re importing.
Reputable and trusted kratom vendors lab test their kratom for purity and quality. Ideally, they send a batch of each shipment of each strain they receive to an independent 3rd party laboratory.
These kratom lab testing results are actually rather detailed. They can not only detect contaminants, any foreign substances, but also the concentration of alkaloids and even tell if the stain is actually the one that the label claims it to be.
If any products test as contaminated, adulterated or otherwise unsafe or inadequate, kratom vendors should be discarding them.
Lat tests are a reliable way of telling whether the kratom you buy is safe to consume. So, you could technically do it by yourself. The problem is that these tests aren’t cheap. The prices aren’t a huge deal if you import and lab test kratom in bulk. For individual shipments though, this isn’t the most optimal approach price-wise.
5. Many Kratom Vendors Are Inexperienced
Imagine if you were a potato farmer all your life, and suddenly you decide to switch to growing tomatoes because they yield more profits. While growing both of them would qualify you as a farmer, you cannot apply the same knowledge and experience to produce both.
This also translates to the kratom industry. The increased demand for kratom has resulted in many farmers abandoning other traditional industries such as growing rubber trees and harvesting palm oil and switching to kratom. While that could indeed mean a greater kratom supply, many of the new kratom farmers in Indonesia aren’t actually experienced with kratom.
6. You Risk Putting Your Health and the Future of Kratom in Danger
Kratom is regulated neither in Indonesia nor the US. This means that you most definitely can end up with fake or unsafe kratom and put yourself at risk.
In addition to that, you risk negatively affecting kratom legality. If you take fake, contaminated or adulterated kratom and up in a hospital, your records would inevitably indicate that there is kratom in your system.
Then, how it’s going to be interpreted is up to whosever hands this data reaches. We know very well that the FDA wants kratom banned, and despite the fact that most CDC kratom deaths were likely not caused by kratom, it’s still spreading negative fame about kratom.
What Should You Do Instead?
To save yourself the headache and to minimize the risks, it’s best to go for US-based trusted kratom vendors.
That’s because trusted and reputable vendors will have already done all the hard work for you. They have already done the vetting and found farmers who can be trusted and provide a consistent supply.
They also lab test their products to ensure their purity and quality. In addition to that, it’s much easier for you to locate authentic reviews and determine whether you can trust them or not.
Of course, you still need to choose carefully and you still have the risk of choosing a bad vendor, however, your risks are much lower with US-based vendors than with kratom farmers in Indonesia. Especially because individual states are becoming more open to passing the Kratom Consumer Protection Act and regulating kratom statewide.
Basically, the saying “better the devil you know than the one you don’t” applies to this situation perfectly.
What are your thoughts? Vendors in the US or kratom farmers in Indonesia? We’d love to hear your take on it.
If you are looking for tips on how to choose a vendor, you can check out our post on common beginner buying mistakes, whether cheap kratom is worth buying, as well download or FREE e-book on how to buy kratom.
Tawang herbs com ripped me off with money. Never sent my Kratom.
We’re sorry to hear that! However, thanks for sharing your experience and letting others know.