Consequences If Kratom Receives Global Ban
Deforestation Damage
Millions of kratom trees will need to be felled around the world, particularly in Southeast Asia and Indonesia, if the FDA's plan for a global kratom ban becomes law.
The plant known as kratom only grows in specific ecological regions. There are over 44 million kratom trees in only the Kapuas Hulu Regency of Indonesia's West Borneo area. Kratom plantations span 11,225 hectares in the Kapuas Hulu regency, according to information from the Department of Cooperatives, SMEs, and Trade (2020). 44,491,317 different kratom tree specimens, grown by 18,120 farmers, are present in these plantations.
Cutting down all those trees will undoubtedly have an effect on the forest area in the aforementioned regency, where 50% of it is conservation territory. The region is home to a biosphere reserve designated by UNESCO, which named Kapuas Hulu as a region that supports the world's lungs.
Ecological Damage
It will affect the lives of individuals who reside nearby if the kratom trees are lost. Kratom thrives in moist soil, such as that found near the banks of the Kapuas River, and may survive in water. The kratom tree's broad canopy and robust roots also prevent erosion along the banks.
Kratom might offer advantages including abrasion resistance if it is grown by riverbanks. In the past, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry tried to grow kratom trees as an abrasion barrier.
Preventing abrasion will save the nation a great deal of money because it is an extremely expensive disaster. An illustration would be a research of mangroves' economic value. The annual indirect value of mangroves as a water reservoir or abrasion buffer is $1,237,277.78. Kratom cannot be replaced by mangroves in Kapuas Hulu due to the soil and water conditions. As a result, kratom is valuable financially in terms of reducing abrasion.
Endangered Carbon Stock Preservation
Growing kratom also aids in replanting Borneo's rapidly vanishing rainforest land. Forests are a crucial tool for reducing the harmful effects of climate change. The growth of manmade greenhouse gas emissions can have an adverse effect on the ecosystem, although forest vegetation can help to slow this down.
The photosynthetic process of trees like kratom, which are a vital component of the jungle ecosystem, is crucial for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is so because kratom is a plant that has the ability to store carbon. Hence a major goal of vast kratom cultivation is increased carbon storage. The natural process of CO2 emissions is absorbed so that carbon can be stored.
Endangered Farmers and Nation’s Economy
Over 300,000, kratom growers in West Borneo, Indonesia alone now rely only on their crop for a living. They harvest about 100 tons of kratom leaves each month. A grower only requires 22,500 m2. Therefore, during harvest, the Kapuas Hulu region may generate 5000 tons of kratom leaves. For 1 kilo, farmers demand 25,000, IDR ($1.74 USD in current currency). In total, that works out to $8.7 million USD or 125 billion IDR per crop. In actuality, West Borneo province exports more than 400 tons of kali kratom per month.
The Indonesian economy gets its foreign exchange from this valuation. The Indonesian administration will be too illiterate for such massive amounts of money to escape taxation. Farmers and the nation might lose a lot of money if kratom is outlawed, either internationally or nationally. Additionally, it has historically been less expensive for the government and farmers to retain their incomes by using rubber and palm oil.
Because of this, the Indonesian government recognized kratom plants and leaves as acceptable raw materials for medicines in the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture No. 104 of 2020 concerning Commodities Aided by the Ministry of Agriculture.
D. Stakeholders Involvement and Intervention
Professionally, medications are unsafe until they are shown to be safe, and dietary supplements are safe until they are shown to be unsafe. The FDA, however, has engaged in a lot of shady activities and unscrupulous plans. It has openly misrepresented kratom by citing unreliable reports. It even went so far as to fund a study that supports its concerns about kratom.
As a result, kratom needs to be carefully studied and regulated to guarantee that adult users can safely consume kratom products. There is no justification for the prohibition of kratom or the necessity to limit its applications in medicine. As a government agency, the FDA shouldn't be able to ban a legitimate product just because the results of research don't support their position.
That intensifies the need for additional research on the effects and risks of kratom. However, it is expected from a variety of pharmaceutical institutions, including those supported by the government. In order to maintain objectivity and prevent any potential conflicts of interest, this is necessary. The FDA should accept the results even if they are not in its best interests.
It would be more challenging to conduct studies to demonstrate whether or not kratom is safe if it were illegal. According to recent scientific studies, kratom is "fairly safe" and beneficial for those who struggle with opiate addiction.
The Mixed Response from the Central Government of Indonesia
However, there are divergent opinions within the Jakartan central government over the plant. So yet, only the Ministry of Agriculture has made a choice about the commodities it has assisted via Decree of the Minister of Agriculture No. 104 of 2020. It declares kratom plants and leaves to be legal raw materials for use in medicine.
But neither the semi-finished nor final items made from kratom are mentioned in the Minister of Agriculture's decision. Additionally, it doesn't indicate that it needs to be accessible nationwide. Kratom, however, is legal to be exported to nations where it is permitted.
Other ministries, particularly the National Narcotics Agency, the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Health, have not yet made their statements clear and specific.
Because farmers in Putussibau do not exploit the local culture or the soil, the local government there is quite supportive of kratom production. To find a resolution in the conflict over the legitimacy of the kratom plant, they are available for conversation. Additionally, kali kratom is a native plant that was first grown in the Kapuas Hulu region. As a result, the populace and local government think that it is important to promote local wisdom.
Sources: