CBD vs. Kratom: Everything You Need To Know In 2024

Nikhil Goswami

CBD has become a popular health supplement after the legalization of recreational marijuana. Due to CBD’s widespread popularity, other botanical products have also gained attention, and one such product is Kratom.

CBD and Kratom are both botanical health supplements and are in discussion among health and wellness enthusiasts. Both Kratom and CBD products help treat anxiety and depression, alleviate pain, and support sleep. Though both are plant extracts and have many things in common, they work very differently. 

So what makes these botanical supplements produce similar effects, even though they are quite different? In this article, we’ll compare the two popular health products, Kratom and CBD, to know about their similarities and differences.

The article will help you determine which supplement is better for a particular situation.

What Is Kratom?

If you’re into health and wellness, you must already know about CBD. However, Kratom is relatively new, and not many people know about it. Kratom is a natural herb, and since it’s legal, many people are considering it to improve their health conditions. The kratom plant has been in use in Southeast Asia for its sedating and pain-killing properties. Besides Southeast Asia, the tree is found in other countries like Papua New Guinea. 

The botanical plant is scientifically known as Mitragyna speciosa, and it belongs to the same plant family as coffee. Mitragyna belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which is a flowering plant. However, Kratom is different from coffee since it does more than just keep your sleep away. The plant contains high amounts of alkaloids mitragynine and 7- hydroxymitragynine, which produce stimulating effects.  Kratom acts as a stimulant, and energy level rises when used in low doses.

You can check out the best kratom vendors on the web if you’re looking to buy kratom products. So, you can use it as a dietary supplement in low doses.

However, higher doses of Kratom act in the same way as opiates do. A higher kratom dosage overpowers the stimulating properties of Kratom and starts producing its sedative effects. In short, the more doses of Kratom you use, the more sedation it will cause. 

What Is the Difference Between Kratom And CBD Oil?

CBD oils and Kratom are both beneficial for managing pain, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Both of these products are extracted from plants and used for treating various health conditions.

CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant, and Kratom has extracted from the Mitragyna speciosa plant. However, though they overlap in usage and benefits, they have different effects.  CBD and Kratom both affect the pain sensation, but they do that differently. CBD has active ingredients, due to which it exhibits anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antioxidant properties.

It is becoming very popular in the health and wellness community and among fitness enthusiasts because of its ability to manage chronic pain and inflammation. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) while Kratom stimulates the opioid receptors.

Thus, CBD has a better ability to reduce long-term pain and inflammation and manage depression and anxiety. Kratom produces opioid-like effects with higher doses and acts as a nootropic stimulant at low doses. It is also used for pain relief and to reduce depression and anxiety.  If you’re looking for long-term use, CBD is a safer option and is now used as a regular health supplement.

Moreover, CBD relieves neuropathic pain more effectively.  On the other hand, Kratom is good at reducing nociceptive pain. Additionally, Kratom can also be addictive and can cause opioid withdrawal, but CBD helps alleviate withdrawal symptoms.

2 Best CBD Brands In 2023: Exhale Wellness & Budpop

For anxiety alleviation, try Exhale Wellness’s premium CBD candies, which are incredibly strong. The CBD candies from Exhale Wellness are sold in discrete packs of 750 mg and 1500 mg. Each gummy in the 750 mg and 1500 mg packs contains 25 mg and 50 mg of CBD, respectively. These mouthwatering, naturally fruit-flavored CBD gummies come in both fruit and cube shapes.

The full-spectrum CBD gummies and the full-spectrum CBD Plus Delta-9 THC gummies are available from this brand. The CBD gummies from Exhale Wellness are free of artificial additives, sweeteners, tastes, and colors and are made with only natural, vegan-friendly ingredients.

Full-spectrum CBD is added to BudPop’s CBD gummies, which are made from premium, organic, non-GMO hemp. The cube-shaped gummies are made of just all-natural, vegan-friendly materials.


No artificial sweeteners, tastes, or colors are present, and they are completely free of artificial coloring. Consider incorporating BudPop’s mixed berry-flavored CBD Plus Ashwagandha Gummies into your life if you hope to experience relief from anxiety, stress, panic attacks, and sadness. These gummies each contain 150 mg of Ashwagandha and 25 mg of CBD. Together, CBD and Ashwagandha can help you feel peaceful and relaxed as well as free from anxiety and panic attacks. Additionally, these CBD Plus Ashwagandha capsules might increase your focus and vitality.

CBD vs. Kratom: Comparison Chart

Specifications CBD (Cannabis Sativa Plant) Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa)
Low dose effects
  • Mild analgesic
  • Mild anxiolytic
  • Mild nootropic
  • Improves energy
  • Mild anti-anxiety benefits
High dose effects
  • Reduction in anxiety and depression
  • Sedation
  • Painkiller effect
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Sedation
  • Euphoria
  • Painkiller effect
  • Reduction in stress
Side effects
  • Dizziness
  • Sedative effects
  • Appetite changes
  • Low blood pressure
  • Dry mouth
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sedative effects
  • Blurry vision
  • Decreased muscle coordination
Safety
  • Well-tolerated and safe even at high dosage
  • Mild side effects
  • Safe with a low dosage
  • High dosage can cause ‘kratom wobble.’
Legality
  • CBD oil is legal in 50 states in the U.S.
  • Legal in Europe 
  • Legal in Canada, South America, and Mexico
  • Banned in many U.S. states
  • Legal in few European countries
  • Legal in most South American countries
  • Banned in Canada
Addiction No Yes
Active ingredients CBD, THC, CBC, CBG, CBN, THCV Mitragynine, Paynantheine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, Speciogynine
Origin Asia and the Middle East Southeast Asia
Product Types Oil, capsules, vapes, edibles, hemp flower, topicals, concentrates Capsules, Dried leaf powder, raw leaves, tinctures
Pharmacology  CB1 and CB2 receptors Opioid receptors
Cost
  • $2 per dose
  • $0.10 per mg of CBD
  • $3.50 per dose
  • $0.48 per mg of Kratom

CBD vs. Kratom Benefits

CBD and Kratom offer numerous health benefits, but they do it quite differently from each other. The cannabis sativa plant provides more benefits for long-term uses and is being researched to treat more significant ailments, including cancer, epilepsy, heart diseases, and diabetes.

While CBD has been widely studied and examined for a decade, Kratom is still unstudied, and the benefits are yet to be discovered. Currently, people are using Kratom to improve concentration and for short-term pain relief. Though high dosages of both can cause side effects, Kratom can also cause addiction with long-term usage. 

  • CBD vs. Kratom For Pain

Kratom and CBD both help alleviate pain symptoms. CBD regulates the intensity of pain by affecting the endocannabinoid system in the central nervous system. While it doesn’t block pain completely, it effectively reduces its intensity. The ECS minimizes the intensity of pain signals that reach the brain and spinal cord.

On the other hand, Kratom activates the opioid receptors that are in the spinal cord. These opioid pain receptors block the pain signals from reaching the brain to stop the pain altogether. While it is implied that Kratom is better for pain relief as it completely blocks the pain signals, the main issue with its long-term or regular use is the side effects. Kratom works similarly to morphine and other prescription opioids, and it can cause opiate withdrawal symptoms and can be harmful because of its addictive properties.

In short, both CBD and Kratom are good for pain relief, but Kratom produces short-term relief, and CBD can produce more significant pain-relieving effects.

  • CBD vs. Kratom For Sleep

CBD produces sedative effects, and it helps induce restful sleep with high doses. However, Kratom is both a stimulant and sedative but the use of the wrong strain can worsen insomnia.

There are a variety of kratom strains, and if you don’t use the right strain for sleep, you’re likely to experience the opposite effect. Plus, if you take a high dose, there is a risk of ‘kratom wobbles.’ which is a cluster of side effects that result due to high doses. Some of the symptoms of this condition include motion sickness, uncontrolled movement or twitching of the eyes, vertigo, dizziness, and nausea.

There can be a variety of reasons for insomnia, including chronic pain, stress, anxiety and depression, and diabetes. CBD effectively addresses these symptoms, reduces them, and helps include sleep. Small doses of CBD for sleep can also help regulate the sleep-wake cycle as it can suppress stress and anxiety symptoms. It contains compounds that act as muscle relaxants and helps promote peaceful sleep without any interruptions.

Though Kratom is also a good supplement for sleep, if you use the wrong strains that cause stimulation, it won’t be effective in improving sleep. Also, long-term use of Kratom for sleep can trigger insomnia later.

  • CBD vs. Kratom For Anxiety And Depression

CBD gummies is one of the best supplements when it comes to treating anxiety and depression. It is very effective for treating multiple anxiety disorders and can reduce it to a great level with consistent use. The supplement contains compounds that promote relaxation and helps you remain calm.

Thus, it reduces depression and anxiety by activating the receptors that promote relaxation. Kratom, on the other hand, is not very practical for relieving anxiety. It has mild effects on depression and anxiety symptoms even with high doses. If you take Kratom in low doses, it produces stimulating effects. The stimulating effects are not very helpful in treating stress and anxiety.

High doses can help in reducing depression as it increases the production of dopamine. It produces a sense of euphoria, which helps ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and various other mental health-related issues. However, CBD is not suitable for short-term and immediate effects on depression because it doesn’t produce a feeling of euphoria as Kratom does.

CBD takes more time and is ideal for long-term use; it improves the link between the different neurological pathways to reduce anxiety symptoms. 

  • CBD vs. Kratom For Immune System

Since CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, it also affects the immune system performance. The compound stimulates the production of white blood cells and affects allergic responses, T-cell activation and infiltration, and adaptive immunity. It has also been found to suppress the bacteria’s ability to resist antibiotics.

Together with these characteristics, CBD proves to be a good supplement for improving the immune system.  Kratom consists of ingredients that boost the immune system. For example, it contains alkaloids called saponin and isopteropodine that have direct immune-enhancing effects.

However, these effects are only found in animals, and more studies are needed to know about Kratom’s effects on the immune system. 

  • CBD vs. Kratom For Focus And Attention

Kratom has the ability to activate the adrenergic receptors directly, and lower doses of this supplement can improve focus and attention. The kratom tree contains compounds that help you feel better by improving brain activity. It further helps to improve focus and concentration and is a better option than CBD in this regard.

The good thing about Kratom is that it will help you stay awake and focus more properly as the effects start appearing immediately. On the other hand, CBD is not very helpful in improving concentration, but it creates mental clarity by reducing anxiety and depression.

Though it doesn’t directly improve focus and attention, it helps reduce the symptoms that make you lose concentration. 

CBD vs. Kratom: Which One is Safer?

When it comes to safety, there is a big difference between these supplements. CBD has been researched and studied widely, while more research is needed to discover the effects of Kratom. CBD is widely recognized as a daily health supplement; it has been recognized by WHO and other big health organizations too.

Plus, CBD is a safe supplement for animals and humans both, and there are studies to prove its safety and efficacy.  Though the recommended dosage for CBD is between 5 to 80 mg, higher doses than 80 mg are safe too. The human body can easily tolerate a high dose of 1500 mg of CBD without any severe side effects. Since CBD doesn’t directly trigger the production of dopamine, unlike THC, it doesn’t cause addiction. For this reason, CBD is safer than Kratom as it doesn’t cause dependency even after long-term use. 

However, Kratom can cause addiction and dependency with high doses and long-term use. The risk of habit forming is higher in Kratom than in CBD, and there are lots of side effects because of long-term use.  Therefore, you must consume Kratom only four days a week, and that too in a low dosage.

If you think that low doses aren’t much effective, you can increase the dosage but taking a break of one to two weeks is a must. Side effects of Kratom include low blood pressure, opioid and adrenergic effects, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and loss of muscle coordination. 

Kratom vs. CBD: How Does The Cost Compare?

Both Kratom and CBD are affordable, but since they are available in different metrics, it is a bit tricky to compare them. The cost of CBD is measured in dollars per milligram, while that of Kratom is measured in dollars per gram. Some CBD products are expensive because the cost of safety and control procedures adds to the price.

Thus, buying third-party tested and better quality CBD or kratom products will be costly but safer and more effective.  CBD and Kratom are both available in concentrated forms; thus, you won’t be using a lot of them. You can buy small quantities of these supplements and use them for treating various health conditions. However, cheap products are not very concentrated and not effective. Factors that influence the price of CBD and Kratom include quality, ingredients, potency, third-party tests, and legality. 

CBD can cost between $0.04 and 3 mg, and the cheapest of its products is CBD oil. CBD oil can cost between $0.04 and $0.10. Moreover, the recommended dosage for consuming CBD is 20 mg per day. This means that you can get CBD oil for as low as $0.8 to $2 per day. If you’re a beginner, you can buy the oil for a week or two for only $15 to $30, and it will be enough for starting. 

Kratom is normally available in dollars per gram, but some vendors also charge it on a per ounce basis. In general, the more you buy Kratom, the less it will cost. In the U.S., the average price of kratom powder is between $0.2 and $1 per gram. If you start with a low dose of Kratom for stimulation, that is, 5g, you’ll get it for $0.5 to $1.

CBD vs. Kratom: What Is The Legality Status?

Legal regulations are strict for CBD and Kratom, as higher doses can cause side effects and addiction in the case of Kratom. Both supplements were once legal in many countries for ages, but then they were banned because more research studies were underway. However, CBD is a more regulated and controlled substance than Kratom because of the abundance of research and clinical studies. Since CBD comes from the hemp plant that contains equal to or less than 0.3% THC, it doesn’t induce a feeling of high or euphoria.

Any product that contains more than 0.3% THC is not CBD; it’s marijuana which is illegal in many countries.  Kratom has an unregulated legal status in most countries, but since it’s grown in popularity, many health organizations are considering its legality. In the U.S., Kratom comes under the category of Schedule I substance by the FDA which means that it is illegal to possess or buy and sell the product.

Currently, Kratom is illegal in nine states in the U.S. On the other hand, CBD is legal in all 50 states in the U.S. but is not yet FDA regulated. There is a difference between legal and regulated; thus, you must consult your healthcare provider to know about the legality of a product before using it. 

According to the FDA, CBD is not a dietary supplement, and thus it is excluded from this category. However, the FDA has approved one drug that contains CBD in a highly purified form, and it is used for treating seizures. 

Comparison Of Legality And Regulation

Following are the main points related to the legality status of Kratom and CBD:

  • CBD is federally legal in all states in the U.S., but there are different rules and regulations in each state regarding the availability of its products. Kratom is also federally legal in most of the states in the U.S., but a few of them have banned it.

  • Kratom is banned in South America. It is also illegal in Canada and several European countries, including the U.K., Italy, Turkey, Russia, Ireland, Denmark, and others. CBD is legal in Canada, South America, Mexico, and most European countries. CBD is used for medicinal purposes in most Asian countries, while Kratom is banned. 

  • You can order CBD online in any part of the world, but it should contain less than 0.3% THC. On the other hand, ordering Kratom online is not possible anywhere in the world because of legality issues. 

  • The 2018 Farm Bill removes CBD from the list of illegal drugs by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Thus, industrial hemp with 0.3% THC is legal. 

Can I Consume CBD And Kratom Together?

There is a lot of discussion about using CBD and Kratom together because of their similar effects. There are so many people who are using both supplements together to produce more significant effects. This is called synergy, which means that the effect of individual components is lesser than the components as a whole.

Both Kratom and CBD are highly potent, and people consume them together to experience the synergy.  However, before mixing Kratom with CBD, you must consider the dosage as an overdose can cause severe side effects. If you’re looking to benefit from botanical supplements, you must be very careful.

Like with any combination of herbal supplements, Kratom and CBD are also safe to combine, but it is good to start with low doses. For example, you should combine 4 grams of kratom powder with 20 mg of CBD oil to start with. Both of these doses for the supplements are good for beginners and are considered low doses.  However, you must avoid other stimulants like coffee because it won’t go well with the combination.

Kratom and CBD are available in a variety of forms, and if you aren’t feeling good with a particular combination, like powder and oil, you can consider other forms.  As far as the safety of this combination is concerned, we already mentioned that starting with a low dose is better.

However, everyone is different, and the reaction will vary from person to person. Wait for a few hours after consuming CBD and Kratom together and notice if there are any side effects. A study by the University of Colorado Boulder states that CBD and Kratom have synergic effects when used in combination. 

FAQs About Kratom vs. CBD

What Are The Advantages Of Kratom?

The American Kratom Association states that Kratom helps alleviate chronic pain, improves energy levels, and also helps with opiate withdrawal effects. If you take moderate doses of Kratom, it can give the benefit of prescription painkillers.

The compounds present in kratom work on the opioid receptors, and thus it is used as a natural remedy for treating various health conditions. Plus, it is effective in treating withdrawal symptoms of ethanol and morphine.

The botanical supplement is also considered useful for treating depression and anxiety. 

How Does Kratom Compare To Marijuana?

Kratom and marijuana both are available in different strains, and the effects also vary among strains. Both these botanical supplements provide temporary and immediate relief from anxiety.

Marijuana works similarly to CBD as it interacts with the ECS, but it has stronger sedative effects, and it causes euphoria as it contains more than 0.3% THC. Most people don’t use marijuana as a recreational drug as it causes psychoactive effects.

If you’re more concerned about legality, then Kratom is a better option than marijuana because marijuana is illegal worldwide. 

How To Ingest CBD And Kratom?

There are a lot of ways to consume both CBD and Kratom. You can consume CBD in the form of pills, or capsules, roll it into a joint, smoke in a bong, vape it, apply it topically as oil or cream, mix it with drinks in the form of supplements, and more.

CBD is also being infused into oils and butter to be used for baking. Besides that, CBD gummies are popular because of their taste and ease of consumption. With regards to Kratom, people mostly consume it in powder form and tea bags. But since it is very addictive, it is not mostly smoked. 

Is CBD Better Than Kratom?

CBD is better than Kratom in some aspects. For instance, it is better when it comes to long-term use as it doesn’t cause addiction. However, Kratom is a better option for instant pain relief. Similarly, if you want to treat insomnia or depression, and anxiety, CBD is your answer. 

Is Kratom The Same As Kava?

No, the kava plant belongs to the pepper family, and people mostly use it as tea or a supplement. Kava is a relaxing substance and doesn’t cause pain-relieving effects like Kratom. 

Conclusion: CBD vs Kratom Which Is Best For You?

CBD and Kratom produce similar effects when treating pain, inducing sleep, and alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression. However, they have different mechanisms to produce these effects.

Kratom produces more direct effects and is good for short-term uses to treat acute pain. On the other hand, CBD is good for long-term use as it interacts with the endocannabinoid system and regulates the neuroregulatory network. 

Moreover, CBD is best for treating long-term neuropathic pain, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Kratom is beneficial if you want to feel energized instantly or want to alleviate chronic pain immediately. One advantage that CBD has over Kratom is that it doesn’t cause addiction and is overall a safer option than Kratom.

In short, both supplements can prove to be beneficial in comparison to over-the-counter prescription pain medications as they are herbal supplements. The only thing you need to consider is the dosage.   

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