This feature piece from Exposed Magazine profiles kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, tracing its long-standing role in the traditions of countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar. It explains that as international trade and internet access have grown, interest in the plant has spread well beyond the region, though the article stresses that modern curiosity abroad differs from kratom's deep-rooted cultural significance at home.

The piece outlines how kratom leaves have traditionally been used by labourers for stamina and brewed as tea in social settings, with customs varying by country and shaped by local beliefs, climate and shifting regulations, particularly in Thailand. Indonesia is highlighted as a major producer, with small-scale farmers drying and exporting leaves internationally, while Malaysia and Myanmar maintain their own distinct legal and cultural approaches. The article closes by urging readers to respect the plant's cultural heritage and the communities that have cultivated it for generations.