Can You Smoke Kratom? | Kratom Monkey

Technically, yes, you can smoke kratom. But I wouldn't recommend doing so. At best, smoking is an inefficient way of taking the herb; and at worst, smoking kratom could seriously harm your health. Despite the drawbacks, a small percentage of kratom users choose the smoking route.

In this article, I will give you the lowdown on all things related to smoking kratom, from a look at how to smoke it to an analysis of the risks. I will cover everything - the good and the bad!

There is plenty to discuss, so let's get to it!

Smoking is a rare method of kratom consumption. The herb is native to Southeast Asia, where people have used it for hundreds of years. But even the history books suggest that smoking is an unusual way of taking kratom. However, that does not mean it is impossible!

A few brands sell pre-rolled kratom cigarettes, which are often marketed as kratomettes. These products show it can be done, although buying pre-rolled smokes would quickly become expensive.

Kratom is rarely sold in whole-leaf form in the United States, but leaves are the most suitable product for smoking. Kratom powder is too dense and could likely only work if you sprinkle some in a cigarette or joint. However, you would get so little mitragynine it probably wouldn’t be worth the effort.

So, to smoke kratom from scratch, you will need kratom leaves, cigarette papers, and filters.

Just crush the leaves and roll a cigarette in the normal way! You could roll a pure kratom cig or mix the crushed leaves with tobacco. But adding tobacco means exposing yourself to addictive nicotine. 

Let’s start with the advantages of smoking kratom. Admittedly, there are not many. But smoking might appeal if you want fast-acting effects or a more tolerable kratom flavor.

In theory, smoking kratom is the quickest way to get the herb’s alkaloids into your system. Even ‘tossing and washing’ kratom powder or sublingually administering a tincture under your tongue cannot compete with inhaling kratom smoke for speed of effect.

When smoked, mitragynine and other kratom alkaloids absorb into your bloodstream via the lungs. This gets kratom into your system within a few seconds rather than several minutes.

Furthermore, mitragynine consumed via kratom smoke hits all at once, resulting in more intense but shorter-lived effects. However, if you want a kratom product that works rapidly, the shorter duration is an acceptable trade-off for speedier benefits. And you can always smoke more as needed. 

Many kratom users complain about the herb’s sharp, bitter, and unpleasant taste. Some products (e.g., kratom powder and kratom tea bags) subject you more to that flavor than others. And it is possible that smoking kratom is more acceptable to the taste buds.

When smoking, you are not consuming raw plant material, just inhaling the smoke. Therefore, while a herby kratom flavor may still be detectable, it should not be anywhere near as potent.

Now for the downsides. Smoking kratom is uncommon for several reasons. Just because something is possible doesn't mean you should do it!

Smoking kratom is unnecessarily harmful to your health and an inefficient and pricey way of consuming the herb.

Smoking kratom involves burning the plant material, a process that causes some of the alkaloids to be destroyed before your body gets a chance to absorb them. Therefore, unlike when taking kratom powder, you lose a percentage of your dosage when smoking.

And if your body isn’t getting a full allocation of alkaloids, your kratom usage becomes more expensive than it should be. Ultimately, smoking kratom is more hassle than other methods and yields less of an effect.

Smoking any substance is harmful, and kratom is no exception. Smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including dozens of cancer-causing carcinogens. Smoking can also cause debilitating conditions, such as chronic pulmonary obstruction disease (COPD).

Smoking kratom is also addictive. Mitragynine and other kratom alkaloids may be less addictive than nicotine, but you can still get hooked. And the risk is even higher if you blend tobacco into your kratom cigarettes.

Since smoking kratom has hardly any benefits, I cannot justify subjecting myself to such risks. 

Decided that smoking kratom is not such a good idea after all? The good news is that there are several safer ways of consuming the herb. Let’s take a look at three of the most popular. 

The ‘toss and wash’ method works well when you need fast-acting kratom effects. All you need is water or fruit juice and some kratom powder. I recommend fruit juice if you don’t like kratom’s flavor, but you could add sweetener to water instead.

1. Prepare your kratom powder dosage with a measuring scoop
2. Scoop the powder into your mouth (not too much at once!) and gulp a glass of water
3. Swill the powder and water around in your mouth for a few seconds
4. Swallow
5. Repeat until you have consumed your desired dosage

Brewing kratom tea is a traditional consumption method that is still popular today. While brewing tea with kratom leaves is the old-school way, you can make tea with powder just as well.

Firstly, decide how you want to brew kratom tea. Some people prefer disposable kratom tea bags. These are mess-free and more convenient but arguably not as potent. Making kratom tea this way is no different from brewing any type of tea.

However, you may prefer brewing kratom tea in a saucepan on a stove. While more time-consuming, this method gives you more control over the potency of your kratom tea. Here’s how I do it:

1. Bring a small or medium-sized saucepan of water to a simmer
2. Add citrus juice (e.g., lemon juice)
3. Measure your kratom powder dosage and add it to the mix
4. Stir the mixture to ensure the kratom powder does not clump
5. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently
6. Strain your kratom-infused tea into a mug with a coffee filter or cheesecloth
7. Optional: repeat the process to remove more plant material
8. Consider sweetening your kratom tea to enhance the flavor
9. Enjoy! 

Hate the taste of kratom? Then you will probably prefer swallowing kratom capsules to tossing and washing powder or brewing kratom tea. Caps have zero taste, come with precise kratom servings, and are among the most travel-friendly kratom products on the market.

But it is not all plain sailing with kratom capsules. Many users require several grams of kratom per serving, which means swallowing plenty of bulky, hard-shell caps. Some people find this hard, even when taking them with water.

A few kratom brands now manufacture softgel kratom capsules to address the swallowing issue. High-potency kratom extract capsules are also popular since you can get your dosage from one or two caps rather than potentially six or seven.

Yes, you can smoke kratom - that is the simple answer to this article’s primary question! But whether you should is another matter.

Smoking kratom comes with several major downsides and only a few minor upsides. When weighing up the options, most decide it isn’t worth the hassle or risk.