It’s becoming more popular for workplaces to enforce drug-free policies. If you’re considering integrating Kratom into your daily routine, you might be concerned about Kratom showing up on a drug test. Whether Kratom shows up on a drug test usually depends on what the test is designed to do and your habits with this botanical.
Can Kratom show up on a drug test?
In short, Kratom is detectable in blood and urine drug tests, as it constitutes a foreign chemical in your bloodstream.
Although the legality of Kratom in the United States is a bit complicated and varies from state to state, because Kratom is relatively obscure, drug tests are not normally designed to detect Kratom.
The average workplace drug test looks for cannabinoids, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP. Kratom is not detectable in opioid drug tests, as the two chemical compounds are not structurally related.
It is extremely unlikely that Kratom would cause a false positive in this generalized test, although interactions between Benadryl or Prozac and Kratom may trigger a false-positive result. Speak with a medical professional before taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs while taking Kratom.
If you take an average drug test after taking Kratom, metabolites may show up in the test as a different substance.
Is Kratom legal?
Kratom is not restricted under the United State’s Controlled Substances Act, so it is not subject to federal regulations. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists Kratom as a drug of concern.
Because the federal government hasn’t taken a harsh line stance on Kratom, legislation regarding the botanical is mostly left up to the states. Some states have banned Kratom and other states allow counties to outlaw Kratom within their borders.
Why test for Kratom?
Kratom isn’t illegal, so why would drug tests be designed to detect Kratom?
It may be within your employer’s rights to order a Kratom drug test if your work productivity is lagging and you are suspected of overusing Kratom. When you apply for a position, your employer should make the drug policy available to you so you know what to expect.
Routine Department of Defense (DoD) drug tests do not detect Kratom, although Kratom is not approved for service members to use.
Public schools have started performing random drug tests on students and teachers with greater frequency. These tests are generally only designed to detect illegal drugs. However, people younger than 18 should not ingest Kratom without medical advice to do so. Please learn about your local laws surrounding Kratom.
Is drug testing legal?
There are no federal laws restricting employer use of drug tests, although some state regulations may restrict the legality of random drug tests for employees in positions that don’t require extra safety precautions. Your employer should pay for the drug tests, which normally occur during your normal working hours when you are on the clock.
If your work follows a comprehensive drug-free program, you should have access to a written policy that outlines the expectations regarding employee drug use. If you are concerned that Kratom may endanger your job, speak with your human resources representative to learn how Kratom is addressed in your company’s drug policy.
Testing for Kratom in collegiate athletics
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and member schools routinely test collegiate athletes for illicit substances, as well as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Kratom is not specifically listed as an NCAA banned substance, but there is no complete list of banned substances. Collegiate athletes should speak with team trainers before ingesting Kratom.
Testing for Kratom among professional athletes
Kratom is not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). As of 2018, Kratom is no longer even monitored by the WADA. The US Anti-Doping Agency is following a similar line, allowing athletes to use Kratom at their discretion.
Kratom is not considered a PED, although many athletes like to ingest Kratom before a workout.
How long does Kratom stay in your system?
It takes about 3-7 days to flush a moderate dose of Kratom out of your system. Trace quantities of Kratom might be detectable in a urine sample for a week or longer after ingestion.
A blood test is often able to recognize Kratom in your blood for 24 hours following your dose. If you use Kratom often, it can build up in your body and be detectable in your blood for longer than a day following your last Kratom ingestion.
The elimination half-life of Kratom is around four hours, after which the concentration of Kratom in your blood is about half of the original dose.
What impacts how long Kratom stays in your system?
The larger your dose of Kratom, the longer it stays in your body. Other factors, including how you take Kratom and your individual body composition, impact how long Kratom remains in your system.
Consuming Kratom on an empty stomach or drinking lots of water after taking Kratom can decrease the amount of time it stays in your system.
Mitragynine, the active chemical in Kratom, is fat-soluble or stored in your body fat. Kratom can remain longer in people with a higher body fat percentage. Younger people generally have faster metabolisms and consequently rid themselves of Kratom more quickly than older people.
How do you metabolize Kratom?
Mitragynine is the most abundant alkaloid in Kratom and is eventually broken down by the liver into other metabolites that are excreted in the urine.
Phase I metabolism involves modifying the compound through oxidation or hydrolysis reduction. The Phase II reactions conjugate the metabolites with charged species.
Types of drug tests
In a urine drug test, you supply a sample of urine to be analyzed by a technician.
Immunoassay (IA) tests are the most common drug tests because they are quick and inexpensive. These tests occasionally provide false positives, meaning they sometimes report substances that are not actually present in the urine.
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the more reliable urine screening system. This test is often reserved to verify the results of people who have failed a previous drug test.
Both types of urine tests can produce false negatives, where substances in the urine are not detected, especially if the urine is very diluted. The tests also both operate with cut-off levels. The cut-off level for a Kratom drug test is often 1 ng/mL; the concentration of Kratom in your blood must be at least 1 ng/mL to produce a positive result.
The cut-off method is used to avoid detecting passive drug consumption. This helps prevent a drug test from producing positive results because the subject had just eaten poppy seeds or inhaled second-hand smoke.
After the drug tests, you should be notified of the results within a few days. Negative results often take longer to be analyzed, as they are double-checked for accuracy.
The limits of drug testing
Drug testing can detect illicit or prescription compounds in your body, but it cannot relate the effect these substances have on your ability to perform a job or your level of impairment.
If you test positive for an illicit drug, you’ll probably be suspended from any functions that require additional safety measures out of an abundance of caution.
What to do during a drug test
The drug test administrator explains what you are expected to do during the urine sample. You should follow their instructions carefully and not attempt to tamper with your urine sample. Tampering with a drug sample often results in an automatic positive result and additional disciplinary consequences.
Over-the-counter medications, herbal products, and prescription medications can sometimes show up on a drug test. Tell the test provider if you are taking any medications that could cause a false-positive.
If you are aware of an upcoming drug test, it is best to avoid taking Kratom for the week leading up to the test. Although it’s unlikely that anything unusual will be detected in your system, you can eliminate the risk and avoid a potential hassle by abstaining from Kratom.
Stay safe with Kratom
Kratom is potent and can stay in your system for several days, so you should only ingest Kratom sourced from a trusted vendor, like Kats Botanicals. Our products are third-party laboratory tested so you know exactly what you’re ingesting.
Our mission is to provide our customers with pure, high-quality Kratom so you can feel your best. That’s why we don’t allow heavy metals, pathogens, bacteria, chemicals, or pesticides to be distributed with our pure Kratom leaf.
Our Kratom leaf is natural and ethically sourced from Indonesia. By partnering with experienced farmers, we can provide Kratom products from the highest quality botanicals that were grown using traditional farming techniques.
The bottom line
Kratom contains alkaloids that are broken into metabolites during the digestive process. These metabolites can be detected in a drug test that is designed to look for Kratom. However, the majority of drug tests are only designed to detect illicit drugs, so a dose of Kratom shouldn’t cause you to fail your drug test.
If you are an athlete or service member, or if you perform jobs that require extra safety measures like operating heavy machinery or on people, speak with your doctor and employer before introducing Kratom into your routine. People who work in drug-free offices or have failed drug tests in the past should also consult their employers before deciding to take Kratom.
When in doubt, consult your employer about Kratom and stay within the dosage guidelines so you can enjoy Kratom in your wellness routine and boost your wellbeing throughout your day.
