What you need to know first
You always know when you run across a “new” kratom consumer. They tend to be the ones who quote the number marketing gimmicks that you’ve heard from other kratom vendors on the market. It is not their fault that they fell for it. This happens in every market. Businesses will market their products in a way that walks the fine line of reality and delusion. The delusion of a potential kratom customer depends on what brought them to the market in search of purchasing kratom. Each person comes with their own delusion, and that is purely based on their personal life. The businesses know that in order to grasp as many customers as possible, they have to “market” to as many “delusions” as possible, customizing their marketing techniques in such a way as to grab the attention of as many possible.
Some delusions people have:
- They are looking for the high. One delusion is they are looking for a high someone told them they would get if they tried kratom.
- They are looking for a natural alternative to helping a physical ailment of some kind (depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc). ie Red strains will take away the aches and pains and help your mood.
- They are looking for a coffee replacement. ie White strains will give you energy without the crash.
There are more than the above, but these are the most common delusions that bring a customer into the kratom market. Therefore, the kratom vendors will customized their marketing approach to cater to these delusions.
The Truth About Red Strains (and strains in general)
The way red strains are commonly marketed as is: pain relieving, helps with insomnia, relaxes you, gets you in the mood, etc. Every strain color is marketed with random claims, but what sets the red strain apart is the one thing customers need to know.
Many farms in Southeast Asia are dedicated to growing these herbal trees. Growers have become adept in farming these plants and understand the best time to harvest to get the colors they want for a specific strain.
You may be tempted to think that red kratom comes from a special plant, but that’s not the case, as all kratom strains come from the same plant. What brings variations is the vein color which indicates, maturity.
The Red Vein Kratom is derived from leaves with red veins, suggesting that the leaves are at the peak of their maturity. Leaves of different maturity and, therefore, different vein colors are believed to have varied alkaloid makeups. Furthermore, there are different Red Vein Kratom varieties available based on the location they are grown. Since the conditions of each area differ, the leaves develop different properties, hence the varied effects. It is simply not realistic to expect kratom strains to be consistent based on the color. This is not the way a quality vendor measures their batches.
Another factor are the farmers themselves: the farmers tend to not wait as long to get the tree to a certain maturity before harvesting because of mold, weather conditions, financial incentives, and other various reasons. Therefore, a true red strain is rare and hard to find. Most vendors do not have a real red kratom batch. Quality vendors, like ourselves, identify our kratom strains not only based on the “color” (which is pretty much superficial), but rather based on the amount of mitragynine contained in the batch.
How to truly measure potency
Our best quality and potent product is the kratom powder that tests highest for mitragynine and it will always test 1.4% or greater. Maeng Da (regardless of color) will test higher than 1.0%. The Bali and Thai varieties will usually test above 1.0% but may be as low as 0.5%. Now throw in color in the mix (*smirk).
Another factor to throw in there for good measure (jest), that may contribute to the variability in consumer experience, is the density of the kratom powder. Consumers tend to measure their servings in teaspoons or tablespoons. Because of the density of the powder varying based on the harvest process the farmer did, the batch itself, and other variables; volume is not a good way to measure the amount of Mitragynine in your serving size.
For example, a level teaspoon of one batch may contain 2 grams, but a level teaspoon of a different batch may contain 3 grams. Compounded with a significant difference in alkaloid content, this can lead to a drastically different experience where you would then either love or hate your vendor and their product.
Kratom’s variability in the current market is best attributable to the different “batches” of kratom as opposed to different “strains.” While we here at Breezy Trees Botanicals may still use the term strain, it is simply to accommodate the mainstream terminology used throughout the popup vendor market kratom market.
What to do when you have a (red) strain that is “weak”
Many times we have customers message us about their experience with our products. Obviously most of the time it is a positive experience, but every once in a while we run across a customer who is rather new and not informed of the truth about strains (as explained above). They tell us it is “weak”, “not as strong as their last purchase with us”, etc. What do you do then? First of all, let me repeat that this situation is rare, but every now and then our farmers might not have a good harvest (just being honest!). We recommend mixing the powder with another strain.
We are famous for our blends. This isn’t a marketing tactic we use by offering you a variety of different kratom. Not at all. In fact, we discovered that combining various batches, various potencies, create some amazing benefits/custom batches: thus, a breezy blend is born.
Another option is give us a call/message us and we will make it right! Another thing we are famous for. Our customers come first.
Conclusion
We have been around for half a decade. That may be a short period compared to some, but we didn’t start Breezy Trees with the mentality of an ignorant entrepreneur looking to make it big off of a new product trend called KrAAAtom. We entered the scene with knowledge and a true passion and care for the tree and what it can do for people who truly need a natural alternative in their lives.
We will always be honest, transparent, and real with our customers. Those that have been a faithful customer can attest to this. And we thank you for your loyalty and continue to work hard to provide only the best kratom we can for you and yours.