Kratom has a vocabulary of its own: strain names, processing methods, lab-testing terms, and a thicket of regulatory acronyms. This glossary defines each one in plain language, with links to our in-depth guides where you want to go deeper. Every entry is researched and written by the Amazing Botanicals team.
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7-Hydroxymitragynine: Meaning
7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is a minor alkaloid found in trace amounts in the natural kratom leaf, distinct from the concentrated or semi-synthetic 7-OH sold in some standalone…
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Adulteration (Kratom)
Adulteration is the contamination of kratom with foreign substances, or the addition of concentrated or synthetic compounds not naturally present at those levels in the leaf.
Alkaloid: Meaning
An alkaloid is a naturally occurring, nitrogen-containing plant compound; kratom contains more than forty of them, of which mitragynine is the most plentiful.
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Bali Kratom
Bali kratom is a vendor name for a broad, widely available class of kratom, historically associated with shipment through the Indonesian island of Bali rather than…
Batch Testing
Batch testing is the practice of laboratory-testing each production lot of kratom separately, so that results correspond to the specific material a customer receives.
Borneo Kratom
Borneo kratom is a vendor name for kratom associated with the island of Borneo, one of the primary regions where Mitragyna speciosa is grown for commercial…
Botanical Specimen
Botanical specimen is a labeling phrase sometimes printed on kratom packaging that frames the product as plant material rather than as a food or supplement.
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Certificate of Analysis: Meaning
A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a laboratory document reporting a specific batch's test results, including alkaloid content and contaminant screening.
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA)
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) is Canada's federal drug-control law that lists scheduled substances and sets out their legal status.
Controlled Substance
A controlled substance is a drug whose manufacture, possession, and use are regulated by government under controlled-substance law; kratom is not a federally controlled substance.
Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the 1970 federal law that establishes the schedules used to classify regulated drugs in the United States.
Crushed Leaf Kratom
Crushed leaf kratom is kratom processed into coarse, broken leaf pieces rather than a fine powder, a texture preferred for brewing tea.
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DEA (and Kratom)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the federal agency that enforces controlled-substance law, and it has listed kratom as a drug of concern without scheduling…
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Eight-Factor Analysis
The eight-factor analysis is the set of eight criteria the federal government must weigh before scheduling a substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
Enhanced Kratom
Enhanced kratom is plain leaf powder that has been fortified with an added kratom extract to raise its overall alkaloid concentration.
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FDA (and Kratom)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the federal agency that regulates food and drugs, and it has not approved kratom for any use.
FDA Import Alert
An FDA import alert is a notice that authorizes U.S. border officials to detain specified products without physically examining each shipment.
Fresh Leaf (Kratom)
Fresh leaf refers to kratom leaves used soon after harvest, before they are dried and ground, as they are traditionally consumed in kratom's native range.
Full Leaf Kratom
Full leaf kratom describes products made from the whole dried leaf, including the leaf material itself rather than an isolated or concentrated fraction of it.
Full-Spectrum Kratom
Full-spectrum kratom refers to a product made to retain the leaf's complete range of naturally occurring alkaloids rather than isolating a single compound.
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GMP: Meaning
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a set of quality-control standards governing how a product is made, handled, documented, and tested.
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Health Canada
Health Canada is the Canadian federal department responsible for national health policy and the regulation of drugs, foods, and natural health products.
Heavy Metal Testing
Heavy metal testing is laboratory analysis that measures contaminants such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in a kratom batch.
Horn Kratom
Horn kratom, sometimes called Maeng Da Horn or Horned leaf, is a vendor name for kratom from leaves whose edges carry distinctive horn-like points.
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Indo Kratom
Indo kratom is a vendor name for kratom sourced from Indonesia, the country that supplies the large majority of kratom imported into the United States.
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Kalimantan Kratom
Kalimantan kratom is kratom from the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, a major growing region for the Mitragyna speciosa tree.
KCPA (Kratom Consumer Protection Act)
The Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) is model state legislation that legalizes and regulates kratom rather than banning it, setting standards for labeling, testing, age limits,…
Kratom Ban
A kratom ban is a state or local law that prohibits the sale or possession of kratom within that jurisdiction.
Kratom Capsule
A kratom capsule is a pre-measured dose of kratom powder enclosed in a gelatin or vegetable shell, taken without tasting the powder.
Kratom Dosage: Meaning
Kratom dosage refers to the amount of kratom powder or product a person uses, typically measured in grams.
Kratom Extract
A kratom extract is a concentrated product made by extracting and reducing the alkaloids from kratom leaf, producing a far more potent material than plain powder.
Kratom Powder
Kratom powder is dried kratom leaf milled into a fine powder, the most common and versatile form in which kratom is sold.
Kratom Shot
A kratom shot is a small ready-to-drink bottle containing a concentrated liquid dose of kratom extract.
Kratom Tincture
A kratom tincture is a liquid extract in which kratom alkaloids are dissolved in a solvent such as alcohol, typically sold in a dropper bottle.
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Lab Testing (Kratom)
Lab testing for kratom is the laboratory analysis of a product to measure its alkaloid content and screen for contaminants such as heavy metals and microbes.
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Maeng Da Kratom
Maeng Da is a marketing name for kratom selected for higher alkaloid potency, not a distinct botanical strain or geographic origin.
Malay Kratom
Malay kratom is a vendor name for kratom associated with Malaysia, often used for green-vein products marketed for a balanced, even-keeled character.
MHRA
The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) is the United Kingdom agency that regulates medicines, medical devices, and related products.
Microdosing (Kratom)
Microdosing kratom describes taking small, measured amounts spread through the day rather than a single larger serving.
Mitragyna Speciosa: Meaning
Mitragyna speciosa is the botanical name for the kratom tree, an evergreen in the coffee family (Rubiaceae) native to Southeast Asia.
Mitragynine: Meaning
Mitragynine is the most abundant alkaloid in the kratom leaf and the compound most commonly measured to describe a product's strength.
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Nanogram
A nanogram is one billionth of a gram, a unit of mass used in laboratory testing to report very small quantities such as trace contaminants.
Natural Health Product (NHP)
A Natural Health Product (NHP) is a Health Canada regulatory category covering vitamins, minerals, and herbal remedies, which require a product license to be sold legally…
Not For Human Consumption
Not for human consumption is a disclaimer historically printed on some kratom packaging in response to the product's lack of FDA approval as a food or…
Novel Food
Novel food is a regulatory category in the United Kingdom and European Union for foods without a significant history of human consumption before 1997, which require…
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Opioid Receptor
Opioid receptors are a group of receptors in the nervous system, and kratom's principal alkaloids interact with one of them, the mu-opioid receptor.
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Plain Leaf Kratom
Plain leaf kratom is dried, ground kratom leaf with nothing added or concentrated, as distinct from extracts or fortified products.
Potency (Kratom)
Potency in kratom refers to the concentration of active alkaloids, chiefly mitragynine, present in a given product.
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QR Code Verification
QR code verification is a system in which a code printed on kratom packaging links to that batch's Certificate of Analysis or authenticity record.
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Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae is the botanical family of flowering plants, commonly called the coffee family, to which the kratom tree Mitragyna speciosa belongs.
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Salmonella (Kratom Testing)
Salmonella is a genus of bacteria that can contaminate food and botanical products, and is one of the microbes screened for in kratom microbial testing.
Schedule I
Schedule I is the most restrictive category under the Controlled Substances Act, reserved for drugs the government classifies as having high abuse potential and no accepted…
Strain: Meaning
A kratom strain is a vendor product name that usually combines a vein color with an origin or processing label; it is a marketing category, not…
Synthetic Alkaloid
A synthetic alkaloid is a kratom-related compound that is chemically manufactured or concentrated rather than occurring naturally at that level in the leaf.
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TGA
The TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) is Australia's regulator of medicines and therapeutic goods, which classifies kratom as a controlled substance.
Thai Kratom
Thai kratom is a vendor name historically tied to Thailand, now used as a trade label across vein colors rather than a guarantee of Thai origin.
Third-Party Testing
Third-party testing is laboratory analysis performed by an independent lab that has no ownership stake in the product being tested.
Tolerance: Meaning
Tolerance is the gradual reduction in response to a substance after repeated use, so that the same amount produces a smaller effect over time.
Toss and Wash
Toss and wash is a method of taking kratom powder by placing a measured dose in the mouth and washing it down with a beverage, without…
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Vein Color
Vein color refers to the color of the central vein and stem of the kratom leaf at harvest, traditionally divided into red, green, and white.
Vendor Verification
Vendor verification is the process of confirming that a kratom seller meets recognized standards, such as participation in a trade-association qualification program.
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Wholesale Kratom
Wholesale kratom is kratom sold in bulk to retailers and other businesses for resale, rather than directly to individual consumers.