Is Kratom still a thing? Is it worth bringing it into a business as a product line?

[FrancisK]

Not asking for myself necessarily, I run the e-commerce for my cousins smoke shop distributor wholesale we're partners in it. I run/own multiple e-commerce businesses that's what I do. My cousin is looking to spend a massive amount of money bringing in kratom brands and even develop our own brand as a new product line, an easy enough thing to do actually just a matter of money.

He usually comes to me for market research type stuff because the online retail sales are normally a good gauge of the overall market as it encompasses multiple markets. I figured maybe I should ask here as I see Kratom talked about a lot in the past but not so much lately and to be honest I don't know shit about it besides the possible margins.

You guys buy this stuff locally? Online? Are a lot of people you know into it and use it? Is it easy to get? Do brands matter or is it pretty much all the same as long as the brand isn't just scamming with garbage product?

I'm not sure how viable it is for me to be selling it online as part of the e-commerce business, I know it can be done but it's grey area for sure. But regardless the primary focus is to wholesale it locally so still interested.

Thanks fellas!

 

[control]

I wouldn't touch it personally, and I don't know anyone who uses it. I know Guy Cisternino has his own kratom product that he's selling now. I don't know what the liability is with something like that. Smoke shops got away with selling drugs as "herbal incense" or "bath salts" because they weren’t intended for human use. I don't know about kratom.

 

[FrancisK]

I should also point out that we're not going to be doing anything outside the law, I am not 100% versed on the regulations that is more my cousins realm but all of our local competition for the most part sells kratom. We are a fully legit business and not interested in anything which would put our business at risk, all of our local competition sells these products legally as do the businesses we cater to. We just never messed with it previously but it's to the point where we carry everything else might as well carry this too.


I'm not talking about someone brewing some crap in his basement and selling it through Venmo.

 

[SouthernMuscle]

I use it and really like it for a boost prior to training.

However, general population wise, I think there’s just too much that’s not understood and there is a learning curve to find out what dose will get you where you want.

Too much is puke city, not enough and you don’t get anything out of it.

Also now that delta 8 and other cannabinoids like HHC are otc and legal, kratom is kind of “old hat”

Just based on spending a lot of money to bring it into your shop I’d say no.

 

[buck]

I have used it for some time but keep it very low dosed. I am not trying to get wasted like some are. Just like alcohol 1-2 drinks is fine for me. I quit needing to escape life some time ago. For business reason i would only feel i could do OK long term in those states that have passed laws guaranteeing the sale of kratom to be legal. many states/localities have passed laws going the other way. U don't see it hyped near as much as it was. Things go in trends. Can't see it taking off after all this time. Those that want to use it probably already are.

 

[FrancisK]

I use it and really like it for a boost prior to training.

However, general population wise, I think there’s just too much that’s not understood and there is a learning curve to find out what dose will get you where you want.

Too much is puke city, not enough and you don’t get anything out of it.

Also now that delta 8 and other cannabinoids like HHC are otc and legal, kratom is kind of “old hat”

Just based on spending a lot of money to bring it into your shop I’d say no.

Yep we deal with all that grey area legal shit, I can't sell any of it online or at the least not without doing a bunch of half shady shit I don't want to do but we wholesale it to our distro and shop customers. Honestly don't know shit about shit for any of this stuff, I just sell it....or at least what I can sell of it. Could say the same for my cousin who handles the wholesale side, it's just a business.

 

[cage99]

Seems like EVERY smoke shop around me here carries kratom? It’s definitely popular from what I can see… I’d just worry about the legalities of it all. Meaning it’s legal now, but next month it’s being targeted as some horrendous drug that ruins lives…. Other than that it’s most likely a money maker.

Cage

 

[jstrong20]

If priced well it will sell. A smoke shop I get it from sells out regularly. It's a good tool but like anything take it too often and it can mess your life up. I could type out a bunch about Kratom but your question is will it sell. My opinion is yes it will sell well if prices right.

 

[Love_to_Bodybuild]

It's legal most places. Check local laws

Use two or three maybe four grams here or there. Guy Cis and Nick Walker promoted it for contest prep for appetite suppression. Haven't really tried it but could be better than stims, esp if having low dopamine issues. All dose dependent.

Two or three days max is recommended per week. Contest prep maybe can replace it last weeks, instead of stims, or could use ot first few weeks then stims last few weeks...cant recommend it bc never done this. If you do this get off it ASAP bc have heard addicted potential.

 

[Muay Thai]

bro i just started it as of last 4+ months, I tried it when it first surfaced along with sarms in our community @ 2014 wasn't impressed

1.5g is plenty for me, I buy the krave brand everyone talks shit about, its 9.99$ for 75caps at local headshop, it definitely HELPS and is NOTICABLE, tiny buzz and some tiny pain disassociation

I do m-fri and take weekends off

 

[Muay Thai]

Seems like EVERY smoke shop around me here carries kratom? It’s definitely popular from what I can see… I’d just worry about the legalities of it all. Meaning it’s legal now, but next month it’s being targeted as some horrendous drug that ruins lives…. Other than that it’s most likely a money maker.

Cage

this is happening right now with tianeptine aka "gas station heroin" , sucks because I really wanted to try it, few places still carry it, its about to be ban city very soon

 

[UsmcOldSchoolMuscle]

I still use Kratom in small amounts. I had a page on this some years ago.
Kratom seems to be good revenue for the local smoke shops and there are plenty of testimonials of which Kratom helped addicts come off of opioids. Imo Kratom does far more good than it does harm.
With that being said there are obvious drawbacks that users should be aware of, and there are plenty of threads on that topic.

 

[lesserevil665]

Yes, it’s very much still a “thing”. I’ve not seen a smoke shop that doesn’t carry it.

Despite it being ill advised health wise, concentrates and “shots” with extremely high alkaloid content are what sells. Kratom leaf itself is relatively harmless, the concentrates have a decidedly more potent opioid affect.

It would be leaving a lot of money on the table to not carry Kratom.

 

[LK3]

honestly its something i keep around.
i would use it more if i didnt have to choke down so many spoon fulls of that powder. its not terrible but kinda gross especially since if i take it its like 5-10g.

i havent tried any extracts as i doubt there quality and or potency.
if you could figure out high potency extract in a better delivery system maybe it would be better.

i had samples of some but gave them to my mom to use as she has troubles with powders.
if i had a source with sucha thing i might be interested in bulk as it doesnt exist in the country im in or anywhere near.

 

[Love_to_Bodybuild]

Still using straightupkratom, I think is the brand from years ago. exceptional quality

Would think most companies would do their testing but do research and make sure it's quality. Krave brand sounds good .

Two g's seems to work well.

Bought in bulk a few years ago, white, green yellow, red. $70 or less for it all. Haven't used half of it, barely use it.

Monday 2 g's helped with a headache, and felt elated. If owned a local shop, would carry it. See it everywhere here, gas stations, vape ,cannabis shops.

 

[AlexDavis43]

Not commenting on ethics but for business decisions, didn't Nick Walker make a video about kratom recently?

 

[stackdizzy]

I have used it in the past and liked it. Be careful about.what strains you sell so you don't get stuck with a bunch of product that doesn't turnover. I personally don't know much about what sells and not. I usually bought it from paylesskratom.com but found out what I liked through a local store, they just ran out of what I liked so I just hit the internet and found it way cheaper. I included the site name so you can get a feel for the margins/competition.

 

[KillerStack]

I suspect that some stick extra synthetics in there like mitragynine itself or some analogue or whatever.

 

[Swifto]

Not asking for myself necessarily, I run the e-commerce for my cousins smoke shop distributor wholesale we're partners in it. I run/own multiple e-commerce businesses that's what I do. My cousin is looking to spend a massive amount of money bringing in kratom brands and even develop our own brand as a new product line, an easy enough thing to do actually just a matter of money.

He usually comes to me for market research type stuff because the online retail sales are normally a good gauge of the overall market as it encompasses multiple markets. I figured maybe I should ask here as I see Kratom talked about a lot in the past but not so much lately and to be honest I don't know shit about it besides the possible margins.

You guys buy this stuff locally? Online? Are a lot of people you know into it and use it? Is it easy to get? Do brands matter or is it pretty much all the same as long as the brand isn't just scamming with garbage product?

I'm not sure how viable it is for me to be selling it online as part of the e-commerce business, I know it can be done but it's grey area for sure. But regardless the primary focus is to wholesale it locally so still interested.

Thanks fellas!

What ecom business categories are you in?

 

[Muay Thai]

Not asking for myself necessarily, I run the e-commerce for my cousins smoke shop distributor wholesale we're partners in it. I run/own multiple e-commerce businesses that's what I do. My cousin is looking to spend a massive amount of money bringing in kratom brands and even develop our own brand as a new product line, an easy enough thing to do actually just a matter of money.

He usually comes to me for market research type stuff because the online retail sales are normally a good gauge of the overall market as it encompasses multiple markets. I figured maybe I should ask here as I see Kratom talked about a lot in the past but not so much lately and to be honest I don't know shit about it besides the possible margins.

You guys buy this stuff locally? Online? Are a lot of people you know into it and use it? Is it easy to get? Do brands matter or is it pretty much all the same as long as the brand isn't just scamming with garbage product?

I'm not sure how viable it is for me to be selling it online as part of the e-commerce business, I know it can be done but it's grey area for sure. But regardless the primary focus is to wholesale it locally so still interested.

Thanks fellas!

marketing, walk into local businesses suited and booted with an IPAD and samples and explain how you can improve the ergonomics of their workplace, how your product can skyrocket individual and team performance and morale. ask to talk to manager or owner always. this is what has worked for me often with biz owners, doctors and UFC fighters and influencers.