Can You Smoke Kratom? Side Effects and Alternatives

Long story short, yes you can smoke kratom. However, it is not recommended due to various health concerns. 

When you smoke kratom, its smoke directly travels to your lungs and is absorbed through the capillary network around the alveoli. Absorption through capillaries provides it a route of entry into the bloodstream. 

Then it directly moves to the central nervous system and crosses the blood-brain barrier. 

Finally, the active kratom components hit the receptive sites. 

How Smoking Changes Kratom’s Effects

Smoking can change kratom’s effects by:

• Accelerating the delivery of kratom into your bloodstream
• Making it difficult to monitor kratom dosage accurately 

How Kratom Smoking Affects Your Body

Smoking kratom has numerous downsides as it affects the human body in many ways.

Short-Term Side Effects of Kratom Smoking

When you smoke kratom, you can experience some of its side effects spontaneously. These side effects are usually short-lived and don’t last for long. 

• Infrequent bowel movements
• Loss of appetite 
• Hallucinations
• Lack of sleep

Long-Term Side Effects of Kratom Smoking

Smoking kratom can also have a long-lasting impact on human health. Some of these long-term side effects include:

• Respiratory issues 
• Liver damage
• Seizures

Better Ways to Consume Kratom

So, smoking kratom is undeniably an unsafe consumption method.

Then, what are the other methods of consumption with little to no side effects? Well, here are a few options that you can consider as an alternative to kratom smoking. 

Kratom Powder

Kratom is easily available in powder form and it is one of the best alternatives to smoking kratom. You can simply take a spoonful of kratom powder and wash it down with water. The only disadvantage of this method is the unpleasant aftertaste. 

Kratom Tea

Many users prefer taking kratom as a hot beverage. For this, you need to add kratom leaves or powder to boiling water. Wait for 10 minutes and your kratom tea will be ready. You can add a sweetener of your choice to enhance its taste further. 

Also, don’t forget to add lemon juice to your kratom tea as it helps with alkaloid extraction.

Kratom Capsules

Another effective method of kratom consumption is in the form of capsules. The cellulose or gelatin capsules have pre-measured quantities of kratom powder. 

Many people prefer kratom capsules because of their ability to mask the unpleasant kratom powder flavor.

Note: Irrespective of your kratom source, be mindful that you aren’t exceeding your maximum consumption limit.