Posted by If you listen to the internet, you might be under the impression people only realized the power of kratom in the early 2000s. To be fair, this is when kratom began to grow more popular in the US. However, as is often the case with botanicals, Mitragyna speciosa has been on the wellness radar for centuries. Native to the lush rainforests of Southeast Asia, kratom leaves have been revered for centuries as a natural remedy for pain and fatigue. More recently, people are also turning to kratom to assist with opioid withdrawal too.
But if you’re wondering when exactly kratom was discovered–and who was the pioneer who first brought it to the world’s attention…well, that’s a longer story. A more provocative question to ask might be: if indigenous peoples had already been using kratom for centuries, why do we speak of a “discovery”? Because the truth is, there’s no single “eureka” moment for unveiling kratom’s medicinal powers. Instead, it’s more like a tapestry woven from ancient indigenous wisdom and colonial-era botanical exploration.
Kratom’s Indigenous Medicinal Origins
In the pre-colonial cultures of southeast Asia. Kratom wasn’t “invented” or stumbled upon by accident— it was a cornerstone of daily life for indigenous communities for arguably over a millennium. Historical records suggest that the plant’s use dates back to at least the 13th century, but oral traditions and archaeological hints from ancient manuscripts could push the date back even earlier.
In the dense jungles of Borneo (now part of Malaysia and Indonesia), the Dayak people chewed fresh kratom leaves to combat exhaustion during long hunting treks. Ethnobotanists today point to Thai folklore from the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351–1767 CE) as evidence of kratom’s deeply entrenched cultural role. Ancient texts describe “jungle vines” with healing properties, likely referring to kratom’s vine-like growth and medicinal virtues. In Malaysia, the Iban and other groups incorporated it into shamanic rituals, believing it bridged the physical and spiritual worlds.
Ergo, when we consider kratom’s full history of indigenous use, the term “discovery” is more or less a Eurocentric lens to pinpoint the moment when Western science documented and classified the plant–even if it was already well-known to locals since time eternal.
Kratom and Colonial Contact
As a disclaimer, this is a condensed version of a very rich history involving the Dutch East India Company. By the early 1800s, European empires were carving up slices of Southeast Asia, eager to amass resources and establish colonies. People most often associate the British Empire with this time period; however, when it comes to kratom, it was actually a Dutch botanist by the name Pieter Willem Korthals who “discovered” kratom for Europeans. Employed by the East India Company, Korthals was sent to Indonesia with the task of classifying the region’s flora for trade. Around 1835 in the middle of Borneo’s rainforests, Korthals encountered kratom trees–towering up to 16 meters tall with glossy oval leaves.
Fascinated by their bishop’s-mitre-shaped stigmata, he named the genus *Mitragyna*. In 1839, his *Herbarium van het eiland Java* described *Mitragyna speciosa*, noting natives’ use for stamina and pain relief. His detailed specimens, preserved in Leiden’s National Herbarium, endure today. If you’re interested in diving deeper into the 19th century “discovery” of kratom; we’d recommend Kratom and Other Mitragynas: The Chemistry and Pharmacology of Opioids from a Non-Opium Source, Edited by Robert B. Raffauf (1996, CRC Press) for an in-depth look through Korthals’s 1839 field notes. Suffice it to say, Korthals’ sketches and definitive classification ignited European interest in kratom. By the 1860s, British pharmacologists like Thomas Christison had begun to test kratom extracts, calling it a “safer opium alternative” (where have we heard that before?!)
Unfortunately, this discovery has a dark side. Colonial planters in British Malaya started pushing kratom on indentured workers to boost rubber and quinine output—essentially abusing kratom’s powers as a stimulant to exploit more grueling labor. By the later part of the 19th century, addiction became a topic of conversation, and missionaries and officials duly condemned kratom use. Thailand banned kratom in 1868 over absenteeism, which, of course led to smuggling and a black market. In the Philippines, 1898 American ethnographies labeled kratom as a “native vice” – nevermind the fact that colonial exploitation is what created the “vice” in the first place.
On a more positive note though, the legacy of Korthals’s work did help to advance scientific interest. German chemist Albert Weisgerber isolated kratom’s primary alkaloid mitragynine in 1907, which helped pave the way for modern research.
From Obscurity To Legal Controversy
Kratom began trickling into the US via returning GIs during the Vietnam War (1955–1975) who encountered it in Thailand. It was introduced stateside, often as a fatigue fighter or mild euphoric. By the 1970s, amid the heroin epidemic, kratom found a home in the counterculture movement as an opioid alternative…which, unsurprisingly, ignited controversy anew. However, movements to regulate or ban kratom began much earlier: Malaysia actually prohibited kratom in 1951 under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, targeting its use among plantation workers.
A half century later, Australia followed this precedent and classified kratom as a Schedule 9 poison in 2001; New Zealand did the same in 2009. These restrictions were aimed at curbing perceived addiction risks–even though evidence was anecdotal. In the U.S., the FDA issued its first import alert in 2012, flagging contamination concerns, while states like Alabama banned it outright in 2016. 2016 was a huge year for kratom anyway because the DEA tried to place kratom as a Schedule I alongside heroin. Weeks later after over 23,000 public comments from users praising kratom’s therapeutic powers, the motion was withdrawn–but the controversy of course continues.
While kratom remains unregulated by the DEA and thus not illegal on the national level, it is nevertheless now illegal in several states. Other states have passed laws for regulatory purposes, citing consumer safety. As kratom’s legality continues to evolve in the US, we encourage all consumers to check your local laws and exercise caution if traveling into a state where kratom is banned.
All told, kratom has a storied past, and a rather dynamic, but promising present. As more research emerges–and the demand for chronic pain management or addiction resources shows no signs of slowing down–we imagine kratom will have a colorful and complicated future indeed.