Personally, I don't see the recreational value. For me it was a very, very weak opiate high that wore off in an hour and whose tolerance builds up extremely fast. It should be more widely available though since people have said it helps them taper off actual opiates.

There's a lot of variability of response, but plenty of people report on /r/kratom that it's helped wean them from alcohol. It certainly helped me.

It's not without concerns (tolerance/addiction) but for those who respond well it is incredibly valuable.

I am all for allowing natural drug use, however I know several people who developed actual addictions to Kratom. I mean they all got over it when they made it illegal (I think) but still would be careful about recommending it without disclaimer.

Yeah it has it's issues as well and I normally include that in the proposition. It's been a struggle for me as well, but it's worth it for the upside.

My observation of this substance was that it was similar to a low grade opiate and seemed to be quite habit forming among several people I knew that tried it.