The Kratom Guy Show

Welcome Back! Thank you so much for joining us! I am so excited to share my conversation with you that I had with Dr. Cornel Stanciu! Dr. Stanciu is an Addiction Psychiatrist who has been a part of numerous NIH-published research papers examining the potential harms and benefits of kratom. I had a really wonderful chat with Dr. Stanciu about everything from opiate addictions and recovery, to what him and his colleagues are referring to a KUD or kratom use disorder. We spoke about the various degrees and nuances surrounding KUD and those deemed suffering with it. We learn about the history of how methadone clinics and modern day addiction treatment came to be in the US. As well as how neuroplasticity plays a major role in ones addiction and recovery! PLUS much, much more! I always love to get a chance to sit down with such distinguished guests and pick their brain about everything I find interesting! It was such an honor to have Dr. Stanciu on the show, I hope you enjoy our chat! 

Dr. Stanciu is an addiction psychiatrist out of Manchester, NH. He’s involved in clinical care, research, and policy concerning services and treatments for people with addictive disorders. Throughout his career he’s developed an abiding interest in Kratom, and not only the impact it has on patients with mental health and addictive disorders, but also on the general population. This interest translated over the years in numerous studies and publications concerning all aspects of Kratom. Dr. Stanciu has presented at various national physician conferences as well as at other educational endeavors. Having served on the NH Therapeutic Cannabis Monitoring Oversight Board in NH, he’s well versed in botanicals with harm as well as therapeutic potential.

This show is a live recording! Join us every Friday at 4pm (est) only on Twitter Spaces for our weekly kratom roundtable open discussion. Anybody is free to join and participate. Last show featured consumer, advocates co-hosts Jon Griggs, Misty Brown and speaker Madalyn Sklar, amongst a few more guest speakers. Each week the live discussion is growing in audience engagement! Stop by and join us!

Full list of all Twitter Spaces:

Welcome Back! Thank you so much for joining us! I am thrilled to sharing my wonderful chat I had with Dr. Kirsten Smith with all of you! Dr. Smith is lead investigator of the new (2022) national NIDA-funded kratom study. She is also openly a former heroin addict and bank robber! We had such an amazing talk and it was really great to get her thoughts on all things addiction, recovery, brain development, and of course kratom!  It was great to get her unique perspective due to her past life as an addict as well as being a scientist and doctor. It really solidified that if you're an addict struggling, you can completely recover and become the best version of yourself - after drug addiction.

Before our segment with Dr. Smith I unknowingly had a really emotional time sharing our amazing sponsor, Your Leaf Your Life giveaway to a very well-deserved listener in need. I also briefly discuss some kratom news and current events; Rapides Parish Louisiana criminalizes the sale and use of kratom locally. Is Mississippi on track to criminalize kratom statewide? Family files wrongful death kratom lawsuit against Lubbock, Texas business. 

Dr. Kirsten Smith has been researching kratom since 2017, when she was a doctoral student at the University of Louisville. Her first-hand experience with drug use and addiction contributed to her early interest in kratom. After coming to NIDA’s Intramural Research Program in Baltimore, Maryland in 2019 as a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Smith spearheaded several online surveys and was also the lead associate investigator on a clinical trial examining the effectiveness of an experimental opioid for suppressing withdrawal. Now, Dr. Smith is the lead investigator on a national NIDA-funded kratom study utilizing ecological momentary assessment and kratom product assay. She has also recently launched a small in-person kratom clinical trial to observe kratom product effects in humans. With this pilot data she hopes to launch more human laboratory studies on kratom while continuing to assess real-world kratom use patterns. Dr. Smith will be joining the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University in August 2023 and plans to continue her kratom work for years to come.

If you would like to be involved in the local donations, in any manner, or if you would like to be a guest or sponsor of the show please contact us at kratomguyshow@gmail.com or call/ text (617) 917-5242

Thank you so much for joining us! Enjoy the show!

This episode is sponsored by:

Welcome Back! Dr. Uma Dhanabalan is in the house!!  Get a pen and pad to take notes! I'm so excited for this episode and to have one of my favorite people in the world, Dr. Uma back on the show! Dr. Uma is trained family physician who specializes in medical cannabis and runs her own clinic Uplifting Health and Wellness in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is also my doctor as well! This episode I learned that she treats a array of patients at her clinic, with the youngest pediatrics patient being 2ys old to her most elder patient of 98 years old. I discuss with her my experience of beating suboxone and feeling like I was stuck in prolonged recovery. As well as helping others through the process by utilizing cannabis, kratom, a healthier lifestyle and mindset. Dr. Uma goes even further and says she like to think of it as a lifestyle of legacy. I took that to mean, what examples and habits are you setting and leaving for our children and children’s children? She also emphasized the importance of developing discipline and consistency in your life. She tells us what’s the one very small step you can take to start improving your health today. We also discuss, the science of what Dr. Uma says, food is medicine, cannabis is food and medicine!

Before our talk I answer some of the many questions I've been receiving on TikTok about getting off Suboxone and conquering addiction recovery. As well as I share action steps you can take today is you feel like you're struggling.

Dr. Dhanabalan is a highly respected and educated physician known to most as Dr. Uma. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree with High Honors from Rutgers University and her Medical Degree from the University of Medicine & Dentistry in Newark, New Jersey.  She completed her Family Practice Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. She has her Master’s in Public Health and completed her Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency and Fellowship in Heavy Metals at the Harvard School of Public Health. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She is also Certified as a Diplomat by the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine as Cannabinoid Medicine Specialist and by the Medical Review Officer Certification Council as a Medical Review Officer.

She has appeared in numerous documentaries, spoken on countless expert panels, traveled the world to give presentations that help change the discussion and craft new cannabis laws. She’s received numerous awards from all over the world for her work in medicine and cannabis. Whether that’s for her research in: “Occupational & Environmental Exposure to Lead in South India”, the Educational Achievement Award, at Cannabis Business Award 2017, the Award from High Times Inaugural Female 50 and The International Cannabis Activist Award at The 10Th Anniversary Cannabis Business Awards 2022 .

Welcome Back! This week we have some really amazing and historical news coming out of Thailand! Thailand’s Kratom Plant Acts has become law! June 2022, Thailand removed kratom, hemp and cannabis from their list of scheduled drugs for medical purposes. As of now kratom is completely legal to possess, consume and cultivate in Thailand. We’ll get into the specifies of what people can and can’t do under the new law. What this could mean for the both the Thai and American people. This has the potential to open up a completely new market for US of kratom imported from Thailand. Creating thousands of new jobs and millions in increased revenue.

We’ll also be discussing the surge in crowds, tents and drugs in Boston’s Mass and Cass area (AKA: methadone mile). We feel so privileged and honored that our sponsor, Christopher’s Organic Botanicals allowed us their kratom samples to go hand out for free at Mass and Cass. We will be returning with more donations to the local area in September.

This week we’re covering the Ascension Parish council’s kratom sales ban, which did go through at their last 8/18 meeting! We look into a study that was first covered by Kratom Science regarding what researchers of Midwestern University are saying could be dangerous amounts of lead in unregulated kratom products. As well as Florida’s Drug Policy Advisory Council introduction and subsequent discussion on banning kratom.

We’ll also discuss my latest trips down to Boston’s Mass and Cass (AKA: methadone mile) where he handed out a bunch of free kratom from Christopher’s Organic Botanicals along with wellness packs to those in need. I also introduce my latest project of creating a course, as well as shifting the focus of the show to helping people who are struggling with addiction, specifically Suboxone dependence. I’m very excited about this shift! I feel I get the most reward and others get the most benefit from my work when I’m helping to guide others move quicker through the same struggles I went through. If you’re feeling stuck on Suboxone, have tried other programs and open to a more holistic approach please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Thank you so much for joining us! Enjoy the show!

This episode is sponsored by:

Christopher’s Organic Botanicals

Quality Tested Kratom

This week we’re covering the Ascension Parish abhorrent intent to criminalize kratom consumers by criminalizing not just the sale but possession of kratom in Ascension Parish! The topic of this kratom ban ordinance was introduced at their July 12 Strategic Planning Committee Meeting which we'll be unwrapping in detail.

For this episode I focus on breaking down Detective Todd Tullier’s testimony. Todd, who said he’s been an employee at the Ascension Sheriff Department for the past 27 years, 14 years of which in narcotics investigations. Todd, as well as his Daughter, Landry Tullier both testified at a meeting, which many kratom advocates say was riddled with misinformation, disinformation and flat out lies! Many of the talking points come directly from the FDA and have been completely proven false!

Detective Todd Tullier when talking about kratom said, “It’s synthetic, it’s basically a synthetic heroin.”

His daughter Landry Tullier, said that she went to detox for her kratom habit that had her spending $400 per day on kratom. Yet, she testified that on her initial intake drug test she tested positive for fentanyl!

Councilwoman Terry Casso, who at the end of the meeting proposed the kratom ordinance criminalizing both the sale and use said, “I hate to criminalize the usage. I really do but it's in order to save these folks from themselves we’re going to have to.”

This episode is sponsored by:

Welcome back! We're so glad to have Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow on Public Policy of The American Kratom Association join us today for an extensive national legislative update!UPCOMING COLORADO PUBLIC HEARING 4/27! I ran into Mac and the AKA gang at the recent KCPA public hearing in Rhode Island! Had a brief follow up I had with Troylana. Announcements of whats to come this summer, KGS private Discord community server as well as supporters only recovery group and mastermind. PLUS MORE!

This episode is sponsored by:

Organa Kratom

Organic. Raw. Natural

Life hasn’t been the same for Troylana and her family since April 26th when they lost her son Aaron, who was only 26 years old. Aaron was pursuing his last year of college to receive his bachelor's degree in business when he unexpectedly died at their family home of a multi-drug overdose. The coroner reported Aaron died from a mixed drug toxicity of cocaine, hydromorphone (opioid; brand name Dilaudid), antihistamine, and prescribed anti-anxiety medication Escitalopram (SSRI; brand name Lexapro) and kratom (mitragynine speciosa) overdose. The coroner reported that the levels of mitragynine(MG) were “extreme and fatal.” Also the coroner reported the MG levels were so high that alone without the other substances would have caused an overdose, and the levels were those "associated with fatalities".

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down to have a great conversation with Troylana. I believe this was a very difficult conversation for both of us to have, while at the same time such a pleasure and a relief. The more I spoke with Troylana, a mom on a mission, I got to experience her true nature and kind hearted soul. Troylana opened up so much only to be relieved that she and I were more similar and wanted many of the same things than I ever could have imagined.

We covered a lot in our conversation from learning about Aaron, his pursuits and strengths, along with his struggles with addiction, recovery and anxiety. Her thoughts on harm reduction vs. abstinence. What they know happened along with speculations on that dreadful morning. We go in depth about the coroner's findings along with what modern science says about kratom toxicity and lethal overdoses. We also get into why even after what happened to Aaron Troylana does not want to see a ban on kratom, but rather regulations. As well as why she feels that harm reduction is such a viable way forward and how legalizing all drugs with a safe supply is so important and will ultimately save lives. We get into all of that and more!

This episode is sponsored by:

Organa Kratom

Organic. Raw. Natural

Happy holidays and a happy new years to you and yours!

What was going to be a quick happy holidays from Helen (Mrs. Kratom Guy) and I turned into an emotional and heartfelt message from us. Helen shares a recent text I received from a listener who is doing amazing in her recovery and I open up about why these messages mean so much to me. 

I am so glad that I am able to use this show to give back and help others. This last year has been tough on us all. If you are struggling or new in your recovery I want you to know there is hope, you can do it and we're here if you ever want to chat. 

Thank you so much for listening, we love you guys!

Happy Holidays 

-Mike & Helen

Welcome back! Thank you so much for joining us for episode 18! Catching up on all of the biggest stories from Aug/ Sep. I start with some business and personal updates then go right into a full show of the latest kratom world news!

Great news! As of Aug 24th kratom has been removed from their list of Thailand’s controlled substances! 8,000 kratom cases and convictions overturned, and over 1,000 prisoners set free! There’s even a new Thai study being conducted on kratom extract to see if it can be used to ease withdrawal symptoms of people addicted to opioids like heroin and morphine. The latest from the AKA in response to the rogue FDA requesting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expert Committee on Drug Dependence recommend that kratom be globally scheduled.

In Pennsylvania two ground shattering cases are on the way; Caleb Sturgis case is moving forward with a judge denying summary judgement to Socal. Clearing the way for the Sturgis family to take this case to jury trial in the wrongful death case of Caleb Sturgis. Joshua Fulton, owner of Coastline Kratom, Kratom Crazy, Best Kratom, who was targeted by the FDA for a seizure of over $10 MIL, has pleaded guilty in Pittsburgh to conspiracy to defraud the FDA. PLUS MORE!

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://bit.ly/E18-show-notes

This episode is sponsored by:

Organa Kratom

Organic. Raw. Natural 

Today on the show we welcome a very special guest back to the show, Brian Gallgher from Kratom Science! Brian is a writer from Pittsburgh PA who was hired to write for KratomScience.com in 2018. There he's written hundreds of blog posts and created the Kratom Science Podcast. On the KS podcast he has interviewed some of the most prominent doctors, kratom researchers and advocates from around the world. Brian also does freelance comedy writing and creates content for small businesses.

In the past Brian co-owned a small produce and chicken farm in North Carolina, played guitar in a touring punk rock band, and worked as a research assistant at University of North Carolina in both the public health and nursing schools.

We start off the show like always, by going over business and personal updates. Massherbalmaket.com will be back open this following week to liquidate our stock in preparation of switching to all 3rd party vendors! Our new sponsor, Organa Kratom is giving away $100 gift card and I’ll let you know how to enter that giveaway! I go over some recent news stories, the FDA pushing the WHO for a global kratom ban! The FDA has asked that the WHO add kratom to their list of possible substances to ban internationally and is now accepting public comments. The AKA has the latest on that and how you can add your comment. Mass lawmakers discuss bill to create psychedelics legalization task force, more alleged kratom deaths in the news, Austin based labs Santé labs has developed the first ever full panel test for kratom, and much more!

Welcome back! It's been a few months and I'm thrilled to announce that I'm back as a new dad! For this episode I had the pleasure of sitting down to have a wonderful talk with kratom advocate/ activist rockstar, Melody Woolf! (Catch Melody’s interview is in 2nd half of the show.) If you ever wanted to get more involved in the kratom community, definitely tune in!

Melody devotes kratom to saving her life, and she is doing everything in her power to keep kratom legal! I start the show with a few business & personal updates, like what it’s like becoming a new dad! Then we go over a slew of important news stories from the last few months like the recent FDA/ US Marshals seizure of $1.3 million in kratom products, the status of various KCPA bills, psychedelic decriminalization in MA, and much more! We finish up the show with the great chat I had with Melody! Topics range from her life prior to kratom, being bedridden or wheelchair bound in agonizing debilitating pain, to her current active lifestyle. Melody also breaks down her processing for advocating and what you can do to start today!

Melody is a kratom activist, advocate and proud kratom consumer. I see Melody everywhere on social media standing up for kratom, fighting back against the misinformation and anti-kratom propaganda. She always comes prepared with facts and is ready to push back and stand up for what we all know is right!

I had a great conversation with Melody about her debilitating life prior to finding kratom to who she is today. She is very active, biking or walking several miles a day. She takes NO medications. Goes camping and has even been rock climbing recently! Things I didn’t know about Melody is that she is a retired librarian in her 50’s, has three adult children in their 20’s, a grandkid on the way and has been married for 32 years!

Melody says that she has been successfully consuming kratom for the past 6 years and that her life prior to consuming kratom was completely  different. Kratom relieves around 75% of her pain from fibromyalgia, arthritis, spinal stenosis, a frayed meniscus, shoulder tendonitis and sciatica. She WAS prescribed 11 different medications including being prescribed dilaudid & fentanyl! She rarely left the house, was bedridden, could only get around by using a wheelchair or a walker.

She contributes kratom along with an active lifestyle to helping her regain control over her own life. *ROCKSTAR!* 

Welcome back! It’s been a little while and I’m so excited to be back with such an awesome guest! This episode is all about the most recent in kratom news and current events. We start the show going into a quick update, as far as what we have going on personally and the latest Mass Herbal business updates. Then I am joined with Wade to discuss the wrongful death lawsuit in Washington in depth and related topics. We go through the court filing and discuss the mistakes Kratom Divine made in their marketing, and what both vendors and consumers can do to ensure safe access.

I then finish the second half of current events on my own covering topics ranging from the latest studies supporting kratom for relieving opioid dependence to the Mississippi legislative actions both for and against kratom, and much much more!

Wade Harman is the host of The Botanical Resistance podcast. Wade has been drinking Kratom tea for 18 years and is passionate about educating people with facts about Kratom. Wade's influence in the Kratom industry has allowed him to introduce this plant to thousands of people whose lives have changed because of this plant. 

Welcome Back! This week on the show we are joined by special guest, Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Marc Swogger!! Before our interview I will be getting into some business and personal update, with some very special announcements! Our updates are followed by our preview look into our next show where we will be dissecting the latest in anti-kratom propaganda, misinformation and flat out lies perpetrated by Angela Kennecke's in her 6-part South Dakota KELO news series. 

Dr. Marc Swogger is a clinical psychologist. He’s an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychiatry, Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center. His research focuses on therapeutic and harmful substance use, as well as psychopathy and violence among justice-involved people. Clinically, Dr. Swogger specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders. He studies both therapeutic and harmful substance use. Recently, his research has focused on the potential individual and public health effects of kratom use.

Dr. Swogger's research background includes numerous studies of violence, suicidal behavior, and recidivism among justice-involved people. Since 2017 he has been doing Pro-bono consultation for the Drug Policy Alliance, policymakers, and the American Kratom Association as a science expert on kratom. This work includes co-writing science letters to Senators, the Executive Branch, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the government of Indonesia. He has met with senior staff of nine US Senators concerning kratom. He has been featured in Business Insider, VICE, Washington Post, New York Times, New Scientist, Live Science, HowStuffWorks, Healthline, Wired and More!

This episode is sponsored by: Candid Orange Flavored Kratom!

Ask your favorite retailer for Candid Flavored kratom!

We have another great show! (Catch the full timeline below.) First we start out with an intro and overview of the show, followed by our Mass Herbal business update. Then we go into kratom news and current events where we had a great chat with Vicky Rose who was one of the activists who was critical in Monroe County, Mississippi rescinding their ban! Then we finish up the news and on to our main interview with Chris Reading!

Chris Reading: Chris is a kratom advocate from Maryland. He’s an Army Captain veteran, M.B.A and has been employed as a financial analyst since leaving active duty in 2003. Chris spoke out at both the Maryland House Judiciary Committee and the Senate against a ban. He says kratom has become a part of his life, which he uses for various aches and pains that comes with triathlon and has had a positive experience

We have two amazing guests for this week's show, Paul Kemp and Mac Haddow!

In the first half of the show I talk kratom current events with Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow on Public Policy of the AKA. He clarifies his statement aimed at Trump regarding Hydroxychloroquine and how ‘the right to try’ should apply to chronic pain. We also talk about the latest in kratom (during Covid), the new AKA National Kratom Consumer Advocacy Council (KCAC), Matt Salmon replacing Dave Herman as the AKA Chairman, and much more.

Then for our main guest we are joined by Paul Kemp, who was the first board member chosen for the American Kratom Association in 2014! We had such a great talk, discussing a range of topics from big pharma control, FDA, sugar, diabetes, exercise and natural remedies and more. Paul is 71 is in great shape, takes no medications and does not go to see doctors. He is a daily kratom consumer and advocate. He helped grow the AKA and encouraged consumers to support the organization as the most viable group to keep kratom legal.

This episode is action packed! We have special guest John Bush, owner/ operator of Brave Botanicals in Austin, TX and a fierce kratom advocate and activist! I will also be going over the latest in kratom legality with none other than Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow at the American Kratom Association (AKA)! I saw Mac at the Rhode Island Health & Human Services hearing for the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA - HB728) and was able to get a quick interview with Mac after the hearing in the hall! We will also hear from an anonymous advocate in Mississippi about their recent Senate & House hearings to ban kratom (schedule I) in her state!

Over the past 17 years, John has been involved in various organizations and efforts aimed at creating greater peace and freedom in our world. After dealing with chronic fatigue and constant discomfort for years, he began exploring natural remedies for his health problems. His first big "ah-ha" moment came when, under the direction of my naturopath, which helped him beat back a major throat infection by nebulizing colloidal silver. He says, it was then that he finally understood the power the human body has to heal itself when given the proper nutrients and w/ the help of natural remedies.

Years later he took over a bookstore and natural health shop called Brave New Books and began supplying the local community w/ a wide variety of natural and often controversial supplements. It was at this time that he discovered kratom, which changed his life.

This week we have endocannabinoid specialist, cannabis reform rock star and overall awesome human being, Dr. Uma on the show!  We also have an update from Maryland on the bills to schedule kratom from advocate and activist Chris Reading. As well as news from Oregon, Vermont, Missouri and Mississippi.

Welcome back!! This week on the show we have Libertarian presidential nominee Adam Kokesh joining us! Tune in and we’ll be talking about his book, FREEDOM!, his take on kratom and self ownership along with what’s in store for his presidential run! But first I’ll give you guys a quick business update, Mass Herbal Market is now open for business! Plus the rundown with the latest kratom news and current events. Welcome to 2020, kratom is now banned in France and bills have been filed in both Maryland and Mississippi to designate kratom as a schedule I narcotic. 

MassHerbalMarket.com (use the coupon code: kratomguy20 to save 20% off your first purchase) 

Welcome Back! Thank you so much for checking out this latest episode w/ former Huffpost reporter, Nick Wing!!  Nick Wing in my view and many others in the kratom community has been instrumental in helping to keep kratom legal in the US. He has done FOIA requests and uncovered in many instances where the government was reporting deaths caused by kratom or kratom associated deaths, were actually caused by other substances found in the body, serious underlying health conditions or extenuating circumstances. He is a journalist who covered the campaign to ban kratom for years as a reporter at HuffPost. He recently jumped ship to do criminal justice reform advocacy work at a nonprofit, but is still keeping an eye on the kratom world. 

(617) 917-5242  |  https://twitter.com/KratomGuyShow   

This week on the show I have the pleasure of having a great conversation with Keith Pascucci (Twitter: Keep Kratom Legal @Kpascuch)
We discuss his story and how his experience with the mainstream media also didn’t turn out like he expected.    

[full show notes and timeline: https://bit.ly/2KWirol]    

We have an info packed show, First I go into a business update, followed by kratom news & current events. With some rants in between! Thank you so much for listening and your support! 

Don’t miss the preview clip for next show’s special guest NICK WING! 

All the links to related articles below and since this show is so long a timeline is included along with the notes. 

(Note: repeated a short clip by accident 25:54 but not editing and rewrite the timeline.) 

We are still experiencing some audio issues and will hopefully be fixed with the new USB mic coming soon!)  

This week on the The Kratom Guy Show I will be discussing the latest with my business development with opening my online herbal shop. Import/ export trouble and seized packages. As well as kratom current events, like the good news of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act being passed in Utah! 

Thank you for listening! Please get in touch to purchase kratom or if you have any questions, comments, concerns. 

Also if you would like to be on the show please get in touch! (617) 917-5242 or on