While a lot of local shops are offering kratom, it’s difficult to tell whether or not these products are of quality. In fact, some argue that it’s best just to purchase kratom online as you can see exactly what you’re getting.
It’s possible to buy kratom at a local shop. However, most people buy it online. Compared to physical stores, online kratom is usually cheaper and of higher quality.
If you want to buy kratom near you, there are some factors to keep in mind – such as legality, the types of stores it’s sold at, and whether you’ll get a better product from an online vendor.
Read on for a closer look at buying kratom in stores versus online.
Although buying kratom online is better than going to shops near you, not all kratom vendors provide the same level of quality.
That’s why we put together a list of the top three online kratom suppliers below. All of these brands meet the criteria we outlined above, including AKA GMP certification, third-party testing, competitive prices, wide product selection, and educational information.
| Price Range | $5.99 - $149.99 |
| Value ($/g) | $0.16 - $0.21 per gram |
| Lab Report | None |
| Strain Variations | 17 |
| Price Range | $7.99 - $81.99 |
| Value ($/g) | $0.28 - $0.44 per gram |
| Lab Report | Not available |
| Strain Variations | 19 |
| Price Range | $39.99 - $89.99 |
| Value ($/g) | $0.09 - $0.15 per gram |
| Lab Report | Not available |
| Strain Variations | 16 |
One reason it’s hard to buy kratom near you is legality. Although kratom is federally legal, individual states, counties, cities, and towns can have their own laws. For example, kratom is restricted to people over 18 or 21 in specific states.
Kratom is currently illegal in six states:
Kratom is also illegal in some countries, cities, and towns:
If you live in any of these areas, you won’t be able to buy kratom locally. However, the legal status of kratom is always changing. If you’re looking for places to buy kratom near you, it’s best to research the laws of your particular city and state.
You certainly won’t find kratom at Walmart or other major retailers. However, kratom can be sold in some herbal medicine stores, smoke and head shops, and gas stations.
If you search for “places to buy kratom near me,” you may find some of these stores locally, with better chances if you live in a major metropolitan area.
Having said that, kratom is relatively difficult to find at brick-and-mortar stores. For one, it’s illegal or regulated in some states, counties, and cities.
Even in places where it’s legal, you won’t find many shops selling it because of kratom’s controversial nature and the difficulty of getting approved by credit card processing companies.
Some specialty herbal medicine shops sell kratom and other botanical supplements, such as hemp-derived CBD, kava, and ashwagandha.
Since these stores specialize in herbal remedies, you have a better chance of finding effective kratom products and knowledgeable staff.
Smoke shops typically sell tobacco and related products, whereas head shops offer marijuana paraphernalia.
In some cases, these stores also sell kratom products. However, they are not the best places to get kratom since it’s not their expertise. If you’re looking for the best headshop kratom brands, you’ll be better suited by shopping online.
You’ve probably heard of gas stations selling CBD oils and other products – so, it’s not surprising that some have extended their offerings to kratom. Unfortunately, this is the worst place to buy kratom because gas stations tend to sell the lowest quality products.
If your Google search revealed local shops that sell kratom, you’ll need to consider several factors before buying anything:
The kratom market is unregulated which means that there are plenty of low-quality and potentially contaminated products. As such, you want to look for signs that a kratom store can be trusted.
For example, you might search online to see if the kratom brands offered at a given store are certified by the American Kratom Association (AKA) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) program.
You can also check the packaging for helpful information, such as third-party test results, QR codes, and the kratom source.
As with most purchases, it’s a good idea to shop around and compare different options.
For example, if one store sells a brand without any online presence while another one offers products made by a reputable vendor with a website, the second store is clearly a better choice.
You should also consider factors like the knowledge of the store staff, the way kratom is packaged (it should be in a lightproof package), and the price.
Although all kratom comes from leaves, it can be sold in a variety of forms. The most common one is kratom leaf powder but you can also find crushed kratom leaves, capsules, tablets, concentrated extracts, beverages, tea bags, and even dog treats.
Most people prefer to use kratom powder because it’s versatile and easy to use. For example, you could take the powder on its own, use it to brew tea, or put it into capsules.
You should also be aware that there are many different strains of kratom. These include three main types — red, white, and green — as well as regional varieties, such as Maeng Da.
Red varieties are believed to be more sedating and pain-relieving, white more stimulating and mood-enhancing, and green somewhere in the middle. ¹
Although these proposed differences aren’t backed by research, choosing the kratom strain color that best suits your needs is a good starting point.
While you might find kratom near you, we recommend buying kratom online because it’s easier to find a high-quality brand.
You can verify that a vendor participates in the AKA GMP program, has its products tested by an independent lab, and is otherwise transparent. You can also read reviews to see whether the products work and if there are any issues with shipping and customer service.
Another upside of buying kratom online is that you’re likely to get lower prices and a wider variety of products.
Here’s a closer look at the advantages of buying kratom online.
The biggest advantage of buying kratom online is quality and safety. In particular, you should look for vendors that participate in the AKA’s GMP standards program.
Designed to improve kratom safety and quality, this program involves an independent annual audit to verify that individual vendors meet strict kratom manufacturing and processing standards.
Another advantage of buying kratom on the internet is third-party testing. Reputable vendors send their kratom for testing at independent laboratories to verify its potency and purity.
Potency tests check the levels of alkaloids, the main active ingredients in kratom, whereas purity tests look for heavy metals, mold, and other potential contaminants.
Local shops buy kratom wholesale from vendors and mark up the price to make a profit. Meanwhile, purchasing directly from online vendors means getting a lower price, especially if you buy larger quantities.
At the same time, you’ll get a much wider product variety.
Whereas a local shop might sell a couple of strains of kratom powder, online vendors typically offer the complete range of red, green, and white strains as well as different product types: powders, crushed leaves, capsules, extracts, and more.
Another advantage of buying online is that reputable vendors provide educational information about kratom and can also respond to questions directly, helping you make an educated choice.
In contrast, store staff is unlikely to know much about kratom unless they specialize in herbal medicine.
No, kratom is illegal to sell on Amazon and other major retailers. The only way to buy kratom online is to go to the website of a specific vendor.
You can buy kratom at some herbal medicine stores, smoke or head shops, and gas stations. However, even if kratom is legal where you live, it can still be difficult to find.
Kratom is legal in most places in Florida except for Sarasota County. You may find it in some local herbal medicine stores, smoke or head shops, and gas stations.
