Current kratom potency

[BigTipsTexas]

Is it just me or is the leaf going around pretty weak at the moment? Iv tried out purportedly potent vendors and their best strains yet the burn fails to meet my expectations. I recall last summer canopys kratom was quite fire and so was GoE before they went out of business. Or maybe I'm just not diversifying enough with new vendors. Any recomendations for straight fire??? Thanks!

[Payshince]

STH (SmileyTimeHerbals, DG Botanicals (pricier),
K-OG (Kratom OG) - one of my Favorites!
Liza’s Best Botanicals, Sacred Son, (from what ive heard), Soul aka Soultanic Greenery -(another great choice), Sosa, Herbal-RVA... etc!

Have you tried all of these vendors b4?

Who do you typically use ?
& do you rotate your strain veins?!

[jabro70]

Is it just me or is the leaf going around pretty weak at the moment? Iv tried out purportedly potent vendors and their best strains yet the burn fails to meet my expectations. I recall last summer canopys kratom was quite fire and so was GoE before they went out of business. Or maybe I'm just not diversifying enough with new vendors. Any recomendations for straight fire??? Thanks!

Most of what I’ve been purchasing lately is blowing away last year’s leaf (or at least what I was buying last year). As far as straight fire - DG’s Red Indo and Deep Jungle Red, Mitraman’s Red MD, Gold MD, Red Thai, and SoCal’s RB1 are a few. The RB1 took a little testing, but it is definitely good leaf. SoCal’s Thai Red Horn is pretty good too. I also like KTC’s Red Borneo.

[CatfatherB]

Is it just me or is the leaf going around pretty weak at the moment? Iv tried out purportedly potent vendors and their best strains yet the burn fails to meet my expectations. I recall last summer canopys kratom was quite fire and so was GoE before they went out of business. Or maybe I'm just not diversifying enough with new vendors. Any recomendations for straight fire??? Thanks!

I haven't heard of anyone saying Canopy had "fire" kratom since late '17? Maybe, was your honeymoon phase last summer, when did you start? No offense, just trying for process of elimination?

[enjoyalienation]

I feel like the kratom I've been getting lately is the most potent I've had in over a year. It's been phenomenal lately.

[WhiteAngelica]

Inlnd Botanicals has been spot on.

[Mailman]

Your Leaf Your Life /philly kratom's green Malay is some of the best I have ever had.
Also everything I have tried from Mitra man has been top-notch

[GrannyJ62]

I've tried Lizas,KOG,and Sacred Sons and every single one I've tried is Awesome I've gotta say take a look at Ballz vendor list cause theres a lot of fire your missing

[guitartodd77]

Liza's Green Nanga (fast), Red Jambu (mid to slow), White Tanjung (smooth fast), Red Batak (mid) or Green Bota (mid fast). I've spent alot of money with Liza's and for good reason.

Botanical Bunny's Red Labai (mid spec, not a slow red) or Gold 12 (batch 1906) - (fast) - both are amazing and I ended up getting larger quantities of both.

MitraMan's Gold Jongkong, Green Thai or Gold MD. All excellent. The Gold JK is slower than the Gold MD but they are both outstanding. The Green Thai is one of my favorite greens now.

Greenery Botanicals White Hulu Kapuas or Red MD. I ended up buying bulk on the WHK.

Herbaldom Red Domination (mid spec) Unique leaf. Smoothest leaf i've ever tried. Relaxing but not sedating. the euphoria keeps me wide awake.

If you try any of the above and feel they are low quality, your tolerance is probably too high. They all blew me away.

[jabro70]

Inlnd Botanicals has been spot on.

How is their current Red Bali and Red MD?
(If you’ve had those). Those 2 last fall were wonderful. I’ve still got an unopened 50 of the Red Bali - but it’s reserved for my doomsday stash.

[herbalhippie]

Inlnd Botanicals has been spot on.

How is their current Red Bali and Red MD?
(If you’ve had those). Those 2 last fall were wonderful. I’ve still got an unopened 50 of the Red Bali - but it’s reserved for my doomsday stash.

jabro, what colors are your Red Md and Bali? I've got some of both from Gina, can't remember when I picked them up, and they're both brown like bents.

[Transformato]

Lots of reputable vendors mentioned here

IF you have not considered a number of variables...
What may be different now than last year besides the product?
I feel this way- underwhelmed for a few days at a time before it changes. New product - the ones I don't like at first usually become my most prized because I experiment and re try the "bad" ones next day, week or season. All but 2 out of maybe 55 varieties or more are low value for me but some are used much more than others for my purpose. Yes, Ive had times when nothing was great.

We all use this differently. For perspective- I use mainly to overcome depression symptoms and anxiety, secondarily- to relieve mild to severe pain and stiffness early in the day or used more during a pain flare up. Last time barely increasing the amount - but select varieties - with success. Other uses too but less often.

But something must be going on. What else? Examples from my experience...
I recently suffered a round of antibiotics. Many things are worse but I realized 1. it ruined benefits from kratom in more than one way. After I finished - all is good. The last time, I thought this might be the case. Now it is confirmed. I gave the drug the priority for good reason.

Short term disruption, but worth mentioning... Kratom is hard to beat for inflammation- but.. sudden failure in way of mood & energy which made no sense to me at all- often occurred the day before a minor respiratory illness or infection became apparent due to symptoms. Now I figure it's an early detection benefit.

How is nutrition? (or eating enough << or taxing energy by eating too much) As a user of several supplements that I alternate based on need- they make a difference - some very soon, most.. gradually. Stopping one used daily- changes things within a few days, every time, and that's just multivitamins. Amino precursors are fast acting. Some start to cause imbalance though if not used alongside it's counterpart. This is never mentioned on labels and seldom discussed anywhere. Balancing may seem not worth it- hard to get right and a pain in the ass but it fixes adrenal fatigue for me, see below. AF will Fup your relationship with the tree.

Circulation / physical activity- Over winter, I became less active. I don't get the same verve as I used to. I get the subduing comfort and contentment. Good but not as good as what I got when I was walking 2+ miles every day- fast. Having to kick start my self. I know that will make a difference.

Adrenal fatige typically includes low dopamine output or availability - can be (sometmes immediately) impacted with targeted nutrition- amino precursors. Better to not push limits but here's the bridge if that gap is an issue:

Known causes are stress, stimulant over use, nutritional imbalance, or other something going on that cause a chain reaction- like an energy budget. Hormonal balance, glandular function are all potentials but normally, I think activity, nutrition and Hydration << may be enough to turn this around.

When we do it to oursselves.. Ex: desperate coffee binge on junk food, OR.. If prone to extreme, temporary fixes for attention deficit as I am,.. then supplementing with N-Acetyl L Tyrosine alongside 5HTP prior to next days kratom dose - is your grace (found less than recommended dose works without causing another problem- for myself anyway) It will replenish what is most sorely lacking. Been trying DL-pheynelalinine as an alternative(spelling?). Works fast. Improves mood & clarity within minutes but it's "colder" feeling than NALT. It might reduce the "feel goods" a bit is what I found. L Tyrosine has a different drawback. It can lead to excessive anger after daily use, if prompted- 5HTP must be used along side or you'll find out what I mean after continued use- with near certainty if you are human. If you get skin moles easily, NALT might not be ideal. Few reports of increased moles- a stop sign for sure but not typical.

A break? - might do it. Need not be difficult unless depending on kratom for chronic pain relief. Start with cutting just one dose out day 1, cut dose by 1/3 day 2, cut another dose day 3.... like that until you realize a hushed secret- that common sense is a deception- that doses crept up too high perhaps, or always have been excessive and that less became more somehow. OR- if not- follow through taking a break.

I haven't taken a full break in 3 years. Reduced my regular dosing twice- for improvement during taper, so I skipped the breaks and I use less. Why not? I did not ask anyone else it it was possible or question what happened. I knew. Did not dangle it out there to attract dispute. It challenges the fringe of a collective belief so it's lonely. Just let them be more stupid. Possibility comes if there's room for it. Other ppl use your space for their junk if you share their junk- and other such wisdom.

How low is too low? When it worked once but it's hit or miss now- or more than 1 in 4 times. Obvious but ppl still ask. The right dose is rather consistent but won't bog you down- fall flat, make you irritable or fatigued.

Most wont bother with this idea. One factor among many possibilities helps me get what I expect - very often. You may end up with that rare - extra strong batch. If it borders on "too much" or too tired, use alternate conversion, like 15% less needed / .85 in lieu of a gram used with most varieties. Using the same amt with something that is clearly stronger, will tempt - peak and valley resistance which might have noticeable impact if you use those often enough. That or I'm a lunatiic. Fair chance.

A pretty good success rate I'd say with a bad patch on occasion. What else... I blend and rotate more strains than I can count, try to keep 6hrs between them with some success, not perfection- noting what I use in blends and discovering what works best together & what amounts. That becomes useful after some time after data is collected. Obsession as well as interest in nutritional support has paid off. taking with a full mug of water- not T&W with a swig of coffee only. Haste makes what?

p.s. Chai tea makes it better. Kratom tastes good- It does in Chai tea and milk- sweet cream is incredible. Good enough to pay for at a cafe. Just milk works too. What bitter? The benefits come through more reliably using chai. I expect it is the peperine / black pepper used in real (not flavored) chai tea blends. Maybe even more so used prior to dose but works great mixed together. Pour with liquid already in the bottom so it doesn't burn / "bruise" the herb. Better still- add some powdered raw & pure cacao too- sure, Hersheys powdered baking cacao is good enough- another non patented drug- call it "edge off, with heart" . THEN, 1 cup of coffee, also with a full Tbsp or more cacao. If this doesn't work for (any common use for kratom), nothing will. The coffee / pain magic is real. I swear the cacao plays a role too. Lunatic.

[guitartodd77]

Sage advice, Transformato

[CatfatherB]

Lots of reputable vendors mentioned here

IF you have not considered a number of variables...
What may be different now than last year besides the product?
I feel this way- underwhelmed for a few days at a time before it changes. New product - the ones I don't like at first usually become my most prized because I experiment and re try the "bad" ones next day, week or season. All but 2 out of maybe 55 varieties or more are low value for me but some are used much more than others for my purpose. Yes, Ive had times when nothing was great.

We all use this differently. For perspective- I use mainly to overcome depression symptoms and anxiety, secondarily- to relieve mild to severe pain and stiffness early in the day or used more during a pain flare up. Last time barely increasing the amount - but select varieties - with success. Other uses too but less often.

But something must be going on. What else? Examples from my experience...
I recently suffered a round of antibiotics. Many things are worse but I realized 1. it ruined benefits from kratom in more than one way. After I finished - all is good. The last time, I thought this might be the case. Now it is confirmed. I gave the drug the priority for good reason.

Short term disruption, but worth mentioninmoog... Kratom is hard to beat for inflammation- but.. sudden failure in way of mood & energy which made no sense to me at all- often occurred the day before a minor respiratory illness or infection became apparent due to symptoms. Now I figure it's an early detection benefit.

How is nutrition? (or eating enough << or taxing energy by eating too much) As a user of several supplements that I alternate based on need- they make a difference - some very soon, most.. gradually. Stopping one used daily- changes things within a few days, every time, and that's just multivitamins. Amino precursors are fast acting. Some start to cause imbalance though if not used alongside it's counterpart. This is never mentioned on labels and seldom discussed anywhere. Balancing may seem not worth it- hard to get right and a pain in the ass but it fixes adrenal fatigue for me, see below. AF will Fup your relationship with the tree.

Circulation / physical activity- Over winter, I became less active. I don't get the same verve as I used to. I get the subduing comfort and contentment. Good but not as good as what I got when I was walking 2+ miles every day- fast. Having to kick start my self. I know that will make a difference.

Adrenal fatige typically includes low dopamine output or availability - can be (sometmes immediately) impacted with targeted nutrition- amino precursors. Better to not push limits but here's the bridge if that gap is an issue:

Known causes are stress, stimulant over use, nutritional imbalance, or other something going on that cause a chain reaction- like an energy budget. Hormonal balance, glandular function are all potentials but normally, I think activity, nutrition and Hydration << may be enough to turn this around.

When we do it to oursselves.. Ex: desperate coffee binge on junk food, OR.. If prone to extreme, temporary fixes for attention deficit as I am,.. then supplementing with N-Acetyl L Tyrosine alongside 5HTP prior to next days kratom dose - is your grace (found less than recommended dose works without causing another problem- for myself anyway) It will replenish what is most sorely lacking. Been trying DL-pheynelalinine as an alternative(spelling?). Works fast. Improves mood & clarity within minutes but it's "colder" feeling than NALT. It might reduce the "feel goods" a bit is what I found. L Tyrosine has a different drawback. It can lead to excessive anger after daily use, if prompted- 5HTP must be used along side or you'll find out what I mean after continued use- with near certainty if you are human. If you get skin moles easily, NALT might not be ideal. Few reports of increased moles- a stop sign for sure but not typical.

A break? - might do it. Need not be difficult unless depending on kratom for chronic pain relief. Start with cutting just one dose out day 1, cut dose by 1/3 day 2, cut another dose day 3.... like that until you realize a hushed secret- that common sense is a deception- that doses crept up too high perhaps, or always have been excessive and that less became more somehow. OR- if not- follow through taking a break.

I haven't taken a full break in 3 years. Reduced my regular dosing twice- for improvement during taper, so I skipped the breaks and I use less. Why not? I did not ask anyone else it it was possible or question what happened. I knew. Did not dangle it out there to attract dispute. It challenges the fringe of a collective belief so it's lonely. Just let them be more stupid. Possibility comes if there's room for it. Other ppl use your space for their junk if you share their junk- and other such wisdom.

How low is too low? When it worked once but it's hit or miss now- or more than 1 in 4 times. Obvious but ppl still ask. The right dose is rather consistent but won't bog you down- fall flat, make you irritable or fatigued.

Most wont bother with this idea. One factor among many possibilities helps me get what I expect - very often. You may end up with that rare - extra strong batch. If it borders on "too much" or too tired, use alternate conversion, like 15% less needed / .85 in lieu of a gram used with most varieties. Using the same amt with something that is clearly stronger, will tempt - peak and valley resistance which might have noticeable impact if you use those often enough. That or I'm a lunatiic. Fair chance.

A pretty good success rate I'd say with a bad patch on occasion. What else... I blend and rotate more strains than I can count, try to keep 6hrs between them with some success, not perfection- noting what I use in blends and discovering what works best together & what amounts. That becomes useful after some time after data is collected. Obsession as well as interest in nutritional support has paid off. taking with a full mug of water- not T&W with a swig of coffee only. Haste makes what?

p.s. Chai tea makes it better. Kratom tastes good- It does in Chai tea and milk- sweet cream is incredible. Good enough to pay for at a cafe. Just milk works too. What bitter? The benefits come through more reliably using chai. I expect it is the peperine / black pepper used in real (not flavored) chai tea blends. Maybe even more so used prior to dose but works great mixed together. Pour with liquid already in the bottom so it doesn't burn / "bruise" the herb. Better still- add some powdered raw & pure cacao too- sure, Hersheys powdered baking cacao is good enough- another non patented drug- call it "edge off, with heart" . THEN, 1 cup of coffee, also with a full Tbsp or more cacao. If this doesn't work for (any common use for kratom), nothing will. The coffee / pain magic is real. I swear the cacao plays a role too. Lunatic.

I can't believe I just read all that!! I need a break something fierce? When my kratom don't work, I always substitute it with lots of coffee and 5 hour energy or ephedra capsules, all of that doesn't seem to do anything but give me the jitters? I need to cut back on stimulants all together!?!

Thanks for all this advice!! Hope it helps O.P. as well

[jabro70]

jabro, what colors are your Red Md and Bali? I've got some of both from Gina, can't remember when I picked them up, and they're both brown like bents.

The Red Bali is a reddish brown- yes I’d call it “benty”. I don’t remember how the Red MD looked (I only got a sample of it and it’s all gone). I remember that I got these right before I made my first order from Liza’s. After trying Liza’s Nugroz, Banjo, Red Md, and Happy-Go-Lucky (at a much-reduced price-point), she got my next several orders - and I kinda forgot about Inland (Inland’s Bali was OOS at that time too).

[beathappening]

Too much caffeine seems to diminish kratom's effect in my experience. A cup of coffee is alright, but if you drink more than that, or energy drinks, it overtakes the kratom, the same way too much alcohol does. I can only imagine other, stronger stimulants would be even worse. In general, kratom just doesn't seem to pair very well with other substances, unless it's in very minute amounts.

[guitartodd77]

Too much caffeine seems to diminish kratom's effect in my experience. A cup of coffee is alright, but if you drink more than that, or energy drinks, it overtakes the kratom, the same way too much alcohol does. I can only imagine other, stronger stimulants would be even worse. In general, kratom just doesn't seem to pair very well with other substances, unless it's in very minute amounts.

In my opinion, stimulants may change it slightly but, in my experience, it can enhance it depending on the strain and what you may be seeking from the leaf.

I take 20mg of Addreall IR two to three times a day during the work week and it does wonders to boost a slow green or mid/fast Red at work. In my experience, the slower greens and Reds tend to be more euphoric. So that may have something to do with it.

I don't drink alcohol so I cant comment there.
.

[beathappening]

I suppose I should also mention, I am somewhat sensitive to stimulants in general though. I can handle coffee ok, but the other ones ive tried (there have been quite a few)....the side effects outweigh the benefits. Adderall is nice for about an hour, but I end up getting anxiety and other negative side effects. And it seems to take forever to come down. I've never taken it on a regular basis though, maybe that would be different if I became used to it.

I'm the same way with benzos too, I enjoy them but the kratom just feels like a waste on them. I get a little burst of energy and I can tell I'm not withdrawing, but that's it.

It's tough for me to judge potency...some days it works great, the next week I try the same exact strain/batch and it's a total miss. I personally can't tell much of a difference between the dry and rainy seasons.