Kratom: History, Science and Therapeutic Potential is the first book to address the unregulated, widespread availability of kratom, with its weak opioid and stimulant effects, coupled with limited awareness of it by healthcare professionals. Kratom has great therapeutic utility and medicinal potential, but more study, caution, and possible regulation is needed. It discusses geographical sourcing, historical uses, current worldwide uses, and potential for treatment of other medical conditions. Most exciting for healthcare professionals will be the implications of this substance's potential for treatment of diseases like depression, ADHD, PTSD, and substance-use disorder, particularly opioid use disorder (OUD).

Moreover, kratom and its active alkaloid mitragynine are getting remarkable attention at federal and local governments as more than eight million Americans consume this product annually. Yet, the paucity of information for researchers and clinicians is troublesome.