I can see from the comments today that many of the concerns about kratom are coming from the same few misinformed news sources.  In the cases where these sources  it’s “kratom linked to… death” if you dig into these case you will find that those people also had other drugs in their systems or had significant co-morbidities. 

Cigarettes kill 13 million people globally every year. Alcohol causes death, destruction and violence every day. Marijuana, which can inhibit one’s ability to drive, among other things, is legal in half the country and gaining.  And what about opioids? Ah. Opioids.  Powdered kratom leaves made into a tea have a similar effect as opioids, but are as addictive as coffee and simply not dangerous at all. That’s why people use it to GET OFF of opioids like Purdue Pharma’s OxiContin. Big pharma is terrified of this.  “Oh no! A perfectly natural, harmless substance that helps people manage pain, and helps people get un-addicted from our products! What should we do!” 
Stop this nonsense. Kratom is harmless. Prescription opioids and Chinese fentanyl are the problem. Not kratom.