Kratom benefits outweigh its risks

I’m a 46-year-old mom who recently started using kratom for back pain. It has worked so well, I haven’t taken a pain reliever since.

In researching kratom, I learned people use it for addiction recovery. So I quit drinking. Since I’m not drinking anymore, I’ve been able to focus on my yoga practice. The studio I practice at needs more teachers and I’ve enrolled in a course to become one. Kratom has set me on a different path. From chronically pained and alcohol-dependent, to yoga instructor.

Now, kratom has downsides like anything else. It can be habit forming. But it has not been the main cause of death for over 100 as USA TODAY would have you believe. In the 91 cases where kratom was in the person’s system, other drugs were present in all but seven. On the other hand, hundreds of deaths can be attributed to aspirin every year. Many positive things carry risk. I think the benefits of kratom outweigh the risks. Jennifer Cornforth

Kilauea, Hawaii

A little known fact is that kratom is in the same family as the coffee plant. Kratom is not dangerous for me, and I have been taking it for chronic pain for almost