Kratom is an interesting herb with a lot of mystery around it, as it is relatively new to the Western world. With its unique active ingredients, Kratom attracts a lot of positive as well as negative attention, especially in the US. When the FDA and DEA target Kratom and are trying to ban it in the US, NGOs like American Kratom Association do their best to resist such moves.
Before we look more into American Kratom Association, also known as AKA, let’s dig a little more into Kratom’s history. This will allow you to understand the bigger picture and the reasons behind the NGOs like AKA.
Kratom: From Native Southeast Asia to West
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and other neighboring countries. Even though it was a part of the native culture of these countries for centuries, it remained unknown to the West until the late 18th century.
This was when the Dutch colonized both Malaysia and Indonesia. The surprisingly rich array of plants and trees in the region attracted hundreds of European naturalists and botanists that resulting in Kratom’s discovery.
Even after that first discovery, the herb remained largely unnoticed in the Western world. It was only in the last couple of decades, with the rise of online stores, and globalization, that the herb made inroads to the Western world.
However, the rising demand also creates controversies around Kratom, as the FDA tried to ban it in the US, questioning the key active ingredients. Keep in mind, there is no conclusive evidence or scientific research against Kratom so far.
The bid to ban Kratom was blocked and resisted by the NGOs like American Kratom Association. However, Kratom is still illegal in the six states in the United States and 18 countries in the world. Other than that, Kratom is perfectly legal to sell in other parts of the world, mostly because of the efforts of NGOs like AKA all over the world.
Who Are American Kratom Association?
American Kratom Association was established in 2014 by Kratom enthusiasts in the United States in a bid to act against the FDA and DEA attempts to ban Kratom in the US. The head office is based in Virginia, but the association operates all over the US.
It is a non-profit organization, operating under a 501 c(4) clause of the law. It mostly operates on donations of the members and Kratom enthusiasts, and in return, provides legal support to people when required. The primary work so far is to fight and resist efforts against the ban of Kratom in the United States.
The association consists of several board members and, a chairman of the board, Matt Salmon. A seasoned politician and former member of Congress and House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Matt is leading the legal fight against the FDA and DEA for their lobbying to list Kratom as a schedule drug.
It was his efforts that made DEA withdraw the Federal Register Notice back in 2017.
Other notable board members include Chris Blake, a renowned advocate for alternative or non-traditional medicine in the US. The Executive Director of the NGO is Peter Candland.
The association has a presence in almost all states in the country and has thousands of members, including sellers and online vendors, legal experts, Kratom enthusiasts, and more. The association also hosts a Kratom forum on its website where people can discuss issues related to Kratom.
What Does AKA Do?
So, what exactly is the purpose of the American Kratom Association? Well, the ultimate goal is to protect the American customer’s right to make their own choices for their well-being and health. In addition, the mission of the association is also to protect customers’ access to Kratom in the United States without any legal issues.
Here is a quick list of things the American Kratom Association is doing right now.
- One of the primary tasks the American Kratom Association performs is to provide support to Kratom buyers, no matter the state they are in. The Association puts an effort to ensure that all needs of buyers are met by vendors or other business entities and government agencies.
- Next, the Association puts efforts to educate American masses, political elite, government agencies, and other entities in the country about Kratom, its products, like Kratom strains, Kratom powders, Kratom capsules, and more. For this purpose, they share all recent Kratom news related to Kratom on their website in addition to an open-to-join discussion forum.
- American Kratom Association also acts as a single platform that is visited by thousands of Kratom enthusiasts to share their concerns. This helps create a collective voice and amplify their concerns.
- AKA is also not limited to the United States, as they also try to increase global awareness.
- In addition, American Kratom Association also supports the protection of Kratom farms, and other natural resources used when preparing Kratom products. The Association sees Kratom as a precious natural resource and advocates a balance between harvesting.
Recent Activities of AKA
The above listed are what AKA stands for in principle. However, American Kratom Association is doing a lot more when it comes to practical steps. We will list some of their activities below.
Quality of Kratom Products
As Kratom is a relatively new herb in the market, there are misconceptions as well as a lack of knowledge about the herb. In the US, you can find Kratom in powders, capsules, extracts, and other forms. In addition, there are several Kratom strains and vein colors that define a final product.
This can create a lot of confusion when it comes to ensuring quality standards when you buy Kratom, as well as establishing good quality standards in the market. How will you know that Kratom you are getting is a quality product?
To answer these concerns from Kratom buyers, AKA came up with its program for maintaining quality standards, also known as Good Manufacturing Practices, or GMP. This is a very detailed program for vendors, importers, and manufacturers to ensure they’re selling good quality Kratom to their customers.
To become a GMP certified online store or seller in the US, they have to pass an audit process by AKA and follow very specific guidelines for manufacturing processes established.
Legal Fights Throughout the United States
As mentioned above, the primary goal of AKA is to keep the FDA and DEA from banning in the United States. For this, AKA is fighting legal battles against these state regulators throughout the USA.
You can also learn about the Kratom ban in the US and everything related in one of our previous blog posts.
In addition, they are also helping state governments with protection laws surrounding Kratom US. Georgia and Utah are a couple of recent examples where such laws were passed with the assistance of the American Kratom Association. They are also trying to implement the same Kratom Protection Act in several other states as well.
When it comes to their international efforts, AKA also provides their support to Indonesian farmers in a bid to keep Kratom exports legal from Indonesia. If banned, this not only can create a supply problem to the US (Indonesia being the primary exporter of Kratom to the US) but can have devastating effects for local farmers and the local economy.
Keep in mind, there are major Kratom effects, mostly positive, on the Indonesian economy after the rise of Kratom’s popularity in the Western world, both North America and Europe. Yes, Indonesia is not only popular for its Bali beaches, but also its amazing Kratom strains.
How to Contact American Kratom Association?
AKA helps and provides support to Kratom buyers, enthusiasts, vendors, importers like Buy Kratom Bulk USA, and manufacturers. If you want to contact American Kratom Association, you can visit their website.
You can also send them an email, make a phone call, or send them regular mail. The head office of the NGO is based in Haymarket, VA. Here are more details about their contact information:
- Phone: 703-608-4649
- Email: support@americankratom.org
- Mail: 5501 Merchants View Sq. #202, Haymarket, VA 20169
All in all, American Kratom Association is there to help you, no matter if you are a Kratom buyer, seller, an online vendor, or someone who wants to learn more about Kratom.
Final Words
To put it in simple words, American Kratom Association is the largest pro-Kratom NGO and association working in the US to ensure the rights of Kratom buyers, vendors, and everything in between. The Association is not only educating the masses about Kratom, but also the primary resistance against the FDA and DEA’s attempt to ban Kratom sales in the US.
Simply put, if you need any support as a buyer or a vendor, you can contact them or become part of the American Kratom Association. If you want to learn more, you can also drop us a message or visit our kratom blog section. Besides getting updates about the legality of kratom, you can find many more topics that discuss different aspects of kratom.
