Posted by There’s an is-ought argument that begs the question as to whether you should combine certain botanicals with each other. You know that a lot of people aren’t users of only kratom. In fact, it’s a common practice to take both kratom and cannabis or THC products.
It’s one thing to buy a botanical that already combines multiple active ingredients, is legal, and has known effects and side effects. It’s another to take the DIY route and add another controversial botanical to the mix, whether they’re on the same day or following one with the other.
Wonder no more: Here’s an investigation into the common practice of using kratom and marijuana, why people do it, whether it’s safe, and possible alternatives.
A Relationship Between Kratom and Cannabis Products
Some state law enforcement agencies monitor and regulate the sale of both THC products and kratom. If you’ve been following this blog or the news in general, you know that the DEA about a month ago recently announced a temporary ban on concentrated kratom alkaloid products.
What you might not know is that while the feds are raiding retail locations for those enhanced kratom products in anticipation of the ban, in states where Delta-8 and THC-A are available, they’re also raiding smoke and vape shops for carrying those products that exceed legal limits of the active ingredients.
You could say that kratom and THC products are controversial for some similar reasons: Claims of health and safety concerns, impairment, and the potential for addiction.
Not to mention that both kratom and marijuana have different strains and contain multiple compounds. They leave several possibilities for kratom and cannabis products where traditional formats meet modern technology: Kratom can range from single, dual, multi- or full-spectrum alkaloid profile extracts that go into different formats, and ground whole leaf. Cannabis can range from one or two cannabinoids and a limited amount of terpenes in various formats, to whole bud.
The Federal Level — and the Personal
Like enhanced kratom effective August 1st, marijuana is also federally classed as a Schedule I controlled substance, although some states allow medical or recreational use. There is no such recreational use permission for enhanced kratom, and as a new dietary supplement, has no recognized medical use.
But people who are fans of either know better. Both botanicals have helped people in dealing with pain, fatigue, insomnia, stress, anxiety, and low mood, as well as withdrawing from opioids. Also, they are sometimes available by the same vendor or at the same smoke or vape shop.
Chances are if you use marijuana, you’ll eventually find your way to kratom. Yes, full-spectrum kratom and mitragynine products are still legal at the federal level, and they’re milder than enhanced kratom products. But “kratom products” encompasses all of them, so even regular kratom users are familiar with the concentrated alkaloid versions wherever they are sold together.
Why People Use Both Kratom and Marijuana
It’s often the case that people don’t switch from marijuana to kratom. If they’re already even a semi-regular user of marijuana, they’re probably not willing to give it up. So the kratom is there to add variety with another option.
The question comes when someone decides to use kratom and marijuana during the same 24-hour period or even use one botanical and then the other right afterwards. Whereas kratom works on opioid receptors, marijuana acts on the endocannabinoid system.
Why do they do it? Here are a few reasons:
- To self-treat chronic pain, manage anxiety, and enhance relaxation
- To achieve stronger or more balanced effects
- To relieve stress and sleep better
It’s Called “Synergy” for a Reason…
People who use kratom and marijuana at the same time seek to intensify or balance the effects of one botanical with the other.
Whatever their reasons, they are using kratom and marijuana as a personal stack where one makes up for what the other lacks, or increases the effects of a mood boost, energy or relaxation, and focus or creativity.
Add to the experiment the question of full-spectrum kratom, high-MIT, and kratom strains and marijuana strains, and it’s easy to achieve enhancement or a complementary balance.
…But You’ll Want to Use Caution
There are always side effects to consider when using one botanical, and it’s even more important with a DIY stack like kratom and marijuana.
For one thing, feeling overwhelmed with a synergistic combination is bound to happen if you just use whatever you have at the time, or don’t research what you’re getting specifically for this stack.
One example is combining red kratom or high doses of kratom with an indica strain of cannabis. That duo is bound to make you pass out. Drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, nausea, and vomiting are nasty side effects that could come from the “wrong” dose or strain of kratom with that of marijuana.
A better combo could be red kratom with a sativa, green or white kratom with a hybrid, or full-spectrum kratom with either. This is rather uncharted territory, or rather, it’s never been compiled anywhere with people’s experiences of effects in one place.
The unpredictable effects of this stack become even more numerous when changing up the formats of the kratom and the cannabis. To play it safer, stick with a capsule or tablet of kratom and a cannabis joint, pipe, bong, or vape.
Alternatives to the Kratom + Marijuana Stack
There are more predictable, consistent ways of enhanced energy, mood, and focus, or the perfect blend between calm focus, mental energy, and social ease than reaching for the kratom and then weed (or weed and then kratom) whenever one alone won’t do.
Not least of which is the quality and formulation of the kratom products and other botanicals you choose. Consider the following products by Real Botanicals to address the motivations for seeking such stacks with scientific formulas for targeted and broad-spectrum effects:
- “Attitude Adjustment” Acend High-MIT Tablets
- “Mood Boost” Kratom and Kava Shots
- Super Kratom Capsules
- Mindless Mushrooms
Final Thoughts
Many people use both kratom and marijuana to enhance or balance effects, depending on the kratom and marijuana products they choose. This personal stack requires more caution than some other DIY combos and most public retail-available stacks. On the other hand, there are alternative products by Real Botanicals that allow the user to choose very particular experiences.
Relevant reading: Best Time to Take Kratom: Morning vs. Night and Timing by Strain and The Revised Acend Formula by Real Botanicals: A Broad-Spectrum Kratom Experience and What Is the Most Euphoric Type of Kratom?