Believe it or not, I know a girl who has gone to rehab multiple times over her kratom addiction. I know it's legal in the US and a mild opiate but she's been in-and-out of rehab over it and alcoholism. Mind you, she isn't a hard drug user. She's definitely an alcoholic and heavy kratom user, and smokes weed from time to time but hasn't done anything most would consider 'hard'. But kratom and booze she struggles with maintaining any level of control.

I have no opinion on kratom, I've never done it or had any strong desire to do it. Mainly because my introduction to it was from her, and her experience was that of someone addicted to it which didn't make it sound fun.

I've sure met a handful of interesting people from Tinder, that's for sure, ha!

Opiates should be legal, because banning them fuels the Taliban / Mexican cartels and does great harm to innocent people smart enough not to use it. Opiates are also next to worthless when it comes time to deal with real pain like bone metastasis - don't believe the liars when they say they can help your relatives; they'll get to the maximum and shrug when it happens.

Kratom may be not as bad as opiates according to some sources, but should be avoided by anybody not already addicted to opiates (or Kratom). People are slaves too many ways already without being physically slaved to some shitty class of drug that gives them painful constipation all the time. (Opiates do work for that!) The law can't and shouldn't help you - your brain can and should!