Posted by Drug testing for the legal grey area of botanicals, more specifically, new dietary ingredients, is not black-and-white. Just consider kratom by itself: With the variety of formats, concentrations, and formulas, it’s easy to wonder whether the kratom product you choose can make you fail a drug test.
With a variety of formats that involve kratom concentrate, the confusion is real. These offer broad-spectrum, full-spectrum, targeted, and high-MIT options that come from some concentration of one or more kratom alkaloids.
Even the occasional user will want to know if they need to abstain before a drug test. Especially with the pending DEA ban on 7-OH and other concentrated kratom alkaloid products, it makes any kratom products that don’t come from the raw whole leaf suspect.
Wonder no more. Once you read this guide to drug screening for kratom, you’ll be able to know exactly where you stand.
Kratom’s Legal Status
The announcement of the upcoming federal ban on 7-OH, Pseudo, MGM15, and MGM16 is about scheduling these concentrated kratom alkaloid isolates as Schedule I controlled substances due to their opioid-like effects. This also applies to “blends” in which the formula contains one or more of the alkaloids.
However, kratom products themselves are legal at the federal level, but with some slight changes pending the delayed ban.
Will there be a legal limit or threshold of acceptable trace amounts of concentrated kratom alkaloids?
7-hydroxymitragynine will only be allowed in its natural trace amounts present in raw, whole-leaf kratom products, including leaf, powder, and capsules. Any lab-created products which rely on extracting kratom isolate – like shots and tablets – can no longer contain 7-hydroxymitragynine if they are not full-spectrum, which contains up to 40 alkaloids. Broad-spectrum kratom products cannot contain 7-OH either but mitragynine, speciocillatine, speciogynine, and paynantheine.
Are kratom concentrate products legal everywhere?
No. There are:
- States with complete bans on all kratom products;
- States which allow leaf but ban concentrates; and
- Local city and county bans
Also, some employers will test specifically for kratom.
Types of Drug Tests
Standard Tiered Testing
- 5-panel: CDL, aviation, and federal positions, which screen for the 5 most commonly abused drugs.
- 10-panel: The standard and private corporation choice that includes central nervous system depressants.
- 12-panel: Probation departments, family courts, and high-liability medical and executive teams and includes synthetic compounds, club drugs, and high-potency semi-synthetic opioids.
Drug Tests That Screen Specifically for Kratom
Neither of the standard tiered tests screen for kratom. Instead, employers must request a custom expanded or add-on panel. It tests for mitragynine, the dominant and primary alkaloid in kratom.
False positives
Occasionally, a drug test can fail because of kratom for one of two reasons. It can be confused for methadone because of similar metabolites or opioids because of cross-reactivity due to the presence of 7-hydroxymitragynine. If the product was adulterated, undisclosed and illicit ingredients can trigger a true positive result; that’s why it’s important to carefully choose the vendor for your kratom products.
Employers That Screen for Kratom
Kratom being legal at the federal level does not mean there are not certain job positions that screen specifically for kratom. It’s about the nature of the job position and duties that cause employers to have concerns regarding possible impairment, behavioral changes, and drops in productivity, especially at moderate-to-high doses. These jobs are highly regulated and safety-sensitive and so must be zero-tolerance.
- Healthcare facilities and medical systems
- Non-DOT private transportation and logistics
- Law enforcement, public safety, and government agencies
- Heavy manufacturing, construction, and warehouse work
Detection windows for kratom
- Urine (most common): 2 to 5 days
- Blood: 24 to 48 hours
- Saliva: 24 to 48 hours
- Hair: Up to 90 days
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for kratom to leave the body?
For many users, it takes 5 to 9 days for kratom to completely leave the body. But for daily heavy or chronic users who re-dose, it can take up to 14 days. 7 to 9 or even up to 14 days is likely if you take kratom concentrate products. However, most employers use urine for drug tests and it tests for up to 5 days, so you don’t need to wait for a full detox.
What should I do if I get a false positive?
State the situation where you got a false positive and didn’t take the substance in question. You must formally request confirmatory testing through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry or Liquid Chromatography-Spectrometry to examine the distinct molecular structure. You’ll also want to disclose all medications and supplements that could confuse drug tests.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been taking a kratom product and are anticipating a drug test, there are certain situations that could make you fail. One is where the kratom makes it falsely positive for methadone or opioids and another is specific job positions that screen specifically for kratom, which is rare. Adulteration is never an issue with a premium vendor like Real Botanicals, so your kratom products are always clean and give you predictable results.
You might also enjoy: The DEA Ban on Concentrated Kratom Alkaloid Products: Not Yet in Effect and Kratom Processing Methods: Why They Matter