Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Head Shop Kratom

Head shop Kratom is a very contentious topic within the Mitragyna speciosa community, and with good reason. Of course, some people absolutely love the convenience of being able to buy Kratom close to home. What they give up in exchange for this perk just isn’t worth it, though, as you’ll soon discover.

What Exactly is Head Shop Kratom?

As the name suggests, these Kratom brands are made to sell almost exclusively at brick and mortar head shops, smoke shops, and gas stations. You will occasionally find these products for sale from online vendors as well, but this generally won’t be the case with any of the well-known Kratom sites that have a positive reputation.

Head shop Kratom is often characterized as being either ineffective or way too effective. In the latter case, this isn’t seen as a good thing. In fact, head shop products that have been adulterated in some way are not only illegal but also dangerous. You should always know what you’re getting when you buy Kratom, but that’s not always going to be the case with head shop brands.

Which Head Shop Brands Are the Most Popular?

There are many brands available in head shops, ranging from Kratom that is made exclusively for this purpose all the way to quality online brands that are also available to wholesale customers. Even with this being said, most Mitragya speciosa enthusiasts would agree that the most popular – and easiest to find – head shop brand is Optimized Plant Mediated Solutions (better known as O.P.M.S.). Other popular brands include:

• Captain LA Kratom
• Remarkable Herbs
• Medicine Man
• Kannibal Kratom
• Gold Label Kratom

Some head shops also have their own common strains and proprietary blends. However, this isn’t always as it seems, as these stores have the option to buy unbranded Kratom from other companies and put it into their own packaging. Be sure to ask how they source their Mitragyna speciosa if you want to know where it really comes from.

The Cost of Headshop Kratom

Even if you find a head shop brand that suits your needs, you’re almost certainly going to have to shell out a lot of money for it. This is one of the most contentious aspects of these brands. Why would someone pay double, triple, maybe even quadruple (or more) the price the charged by an online vendor? Sometimes, it’s as simple as the customer having no idea that there’s a more affordable option available. For others, it’s a combination of convenience, wanting to support a local shop, and/or finding a head shop brand that they really like and being hesitant to change things up.

None of these factors hold up well when you look at the price difference, though. The stunningly high nationwide average for headshop Kratom powder is $50 for 30 grams. Meanwhile, you can get 28g from most online vendors for between $5 and $15. And here at The Golden Monk, we sell 250g for only $39.99. Not every head shop takes advantage of their customers in this way, but we’ve seen far too many complaints about outrageous pricing nationwide to expect a decent price point when we enter one of these brick and mortar locations.

Head Shop Kratom and Quality

If you want to see a large group of Redditors get into a heated argument, post a question about the quality of head shop Kratom. Dozens of proponents for both sides will usually come flooding out of the woodwork.

On the pro head shop side, we have comments like:

• “If you luck out with a good sourced brand, there’s nothing wrong with head shop kratom.”
• “There is some good some bad like with every vendor.”
• “In my opinion, no [head shop Kratom isn’t that bad]. My luck has always been decent to good, or at least comparable to online.”
• “It’s not terrible by any means.”
• “Pretty good stuff… a convenient way to buy.”

On the opposite side of the debate, you’ll easily find complaints such as:

• “It’s outrageously expensive and most of the time it’s really old stock.”
• “There’s many out there with ridiculous prices and horrendous quality.”
• “Headshop and gas station stuff is jacked up beyond all reason, and it tends to be stale or weak due to improper storage.”
• “Head shop brands are not really the best quality you can buy. It is mediocre at best if you ask me. It’s diluted quite a bit and just doesn’t do much at all.”
• “Total crap. Lesson learned.”

As you can see, there’s a lot more being debated here than just the price difference between brick and mortar and online vendors. Quality is a major issue for some, and those who liked what they got in a head shop often admitted that they were newcomers to Kratom.

Selection Available at Headshops

The options you’ll find at in-person shops can vary just as greatly as those between multiple online vendors. However, the vast majority of head shops sell a small selection. The brand they choose to carry will be the most influential factor on the strains these small stores carry. For instance, if they go with O.P.M.S., you’re only going to find Thai, Maeng Da, Malay, and the brand’s Gold Capsules.

Most of these stores offer Maeng Da at a bare minimum. Bali, Thai, and Indo are also popular options from head shop brands. If you want some real variety, though, you’re going to have to check out online Kratom vendors.

Buying Online vs. Headshop Kratom (Pros and Cons)

There are always pros and cons with any retail experience, whether you opt to shop online or in person. Here’s a quick overview to help you decide where to buy your next batch of Kratom.

Shopping Online – Pros

• Wider selection
• Easy to find reviews for each vendor
• No local geographic restrictions
• Much more affordable
• Can buy in bulk
• Can sometimes get free or inexpensive samples
• You don’t have to go out (a big plus during the days of social distancing)
• You can shop 24/7
• Privacy

Shopping Online – Cons

• You have to wait for delivery
• There are some disreputable vendors who may not deliver what they’ve promised
• You typically can’t pay with a credit card or PayPal

Shopping at a Headshop – Pros

• Instant gratification
• You get to support a local business
• You can make any complaints in person

Shopping at a Headshop – Cons

• Very expensive
• Higher risk of getting poor quality
• Higher risk of buying an adulterated product
• Small selection
• No privacy
• You have to shop during the hours that are convenient for the store’s owner, and these shops aren’t always open when they say they will be

Final Thoughts

Here at The Golden Monk, we believe in selling high-quality Kratom at affordable prices. Neither of these ideals is upheld by most headshops, which makes it difficult to recommend supporting any of them. But if you’re between shipments and have run out of Kratom, it’s

always good to know where you can get the best possible products from a local shop. Therefore, we do recommend keeping an eye on your local area and asking friends to let you know if they find some quality headshop Mitragyna speciosa in your town.