The American Kratom Association

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The American Kratom Association logo sits on a wood background, surrounded by leaves

In the fight to keep kratom safe and legal, educate the kratom community about kratom’s many benefits, and establish standards for quality and transparency in the industry, no one has done more than the American Kratom Association.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the American Kratom Association or have come across the acronym “AKA” that they’re often known by. But even if you’ve never heard of them by name, you’ve certainly benefited from their work. The AKA has been responsible for fighting the US kratom ban, pushing for consumer rights and safety standards, and developing legal protections for kratom consumers and manufacturers alike.

Simply put, the American Kratom Association is one of the most influential groups working for the kratom community. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at their work to bring greater awareness and support for their important work.

What is the American Kratom Association?

The American Kratom Association, also known as AKA, was founded in 2014. It’s goal? To improve manufacturing and quality standards in the kratom community, protect legal access to safe, quality kratom powder, and educate Americans about kratom’s many potential benefits.

Their efforts since then have been unwavering and stalwart, their influence on the kratom community profound and positive.

Although it’s impossible to fully account for the AKA’s many contributions to our industry, they can be broadly grouped into three categories: improving safety standards, community education, and policy outreach.

The American Kratom Association’s Work: Improving Safety Standards

Prior to the AKA’s efforts, the kratom industry was something of a Wild West. Some manufacturers, looking to make a quick buck, would cut corners on their production and packaging standards. At its worst, some companies were even selling contaminated kratom, or a product laced with harmful synthetic drugs.

These bad actors were hurting the industry, public perception of kratom, and the health and wellness of their customers. Kratom was developing a reputation as a dangerous drug, and talk of state and federal bans grew as a result.

In response, the American Kratom Association developed a set of quality standards, based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, for kratom manufacturers and vendors.

By working with kratom vendors, outreach to consumers and legislators, and outcry over the alarming presence of disreputable vendors, the AKA’s new standards began to change the industry for the better and protect consumer rights throughout the kratom community.

It’s the duty of everyone in the kratom community to uphold the strictest standards of quality and safety. At Kratom Spot, we are proud to uphold that duty. Our products are held to the highest quality standards in the kratom industry. All of our kratom capsules, powders, and extracts are processed and packaged in 100% GMP compliant facilities. Every batch of kratom we produce undergoes comprehensive, third-party testing to ensure quality, purity, and potency.

For more on the details and importance of GMP, be sure to read our in-depth article on GMP in the kratom community.

The American Kratom Association’s Work: Community Education

In the early days of the AKA, much of their work was aimed at correcting misleading and dangerous misconceptions about kratom’s origins, effects, and uses.

The industry was awash with misinformation. Some were mistakenly describing kratom as a synthetic drug akin to ecstasy, as a stimulant more potent and addictive than cocaine, or as a depressant more deadly than heroin. And although all such claims are patently false, they continued to damage kratom’s reputation and make a kratom ban all the more likely.

The American Kratom Association’s educational efforts have played an important role in correcting these misconceptions, helping to fund new research on kratom’s applications and effects, and improving kratom’s reputation throughout the US.

These efforts have had a powerful impact on both legislators and the community at large. The AKA’s educational resources remain one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date sources of fact-based, well-researched information on kratom.

For the cutting-edge of kratom science and research, the AKA’s Science page is one of the most reliable sources you’ll find anywhere.

The American Kratom Association’s News site offers compelling and well-researched information on the most pressing issues and developments throughout the kratom community.

Their collection of Video Testimonials give users a forum to share their experience with kratom. Such testimonials have been hugely impactful and cited as a significant reason for overturning previous attempts at a federal kratom ban.

In short, the American Kratom Association’s community education efforts have made incredible strides for our industry. We, and all kratom consumers, owe a debt of gratitude to the AKA for their educational efforts and correcting the rampant misinformation that threatened kratom’s reputation and legal status.

The American Kratom Association’s Work: Policy Outreach

We’ve already discussed the AKA’s vital work to prevent a kratom ban, but that’s only one of many contributions they’ve made in the legal arena.

Perhaps the most important of AKA’s legal policy contributions is their work on the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA).

The KCPA is a policy that has been passed in several states and is being debated at the federal level and in many more states. It establishes legal definitions for kratom, manufacturing and packaging requirements, and mandates safety standards to ensure all kratom consumers receive only top-quality products.

From a consumer rights perspective, the KCPA is a monumental and vitally important bill that promises to keep kratom safe, effective, and legal and pave the way for further research into kratom’s possible medical applications.

But the AKA’s policy outreach efforts certainly don’t stop there. Through fundraising, meeting with policymakers, and their advocacy toolkit, the AKA has made incredible strides for improving state and federal kratom policy.

For a state-by-state breakdown of kratom policy, fundraising efforts, and current lobbying efforts, be sure to see the AKA’s comprehensive overview.