Worried

[staccyy]

Dear T.V. members

My partner has been acting strangely. every now and then he comes home flying-- sometimes just a little and other times really, really HIGH.

I've read krathom (an indigenous Thai plant/mild stimulant) is widly used here and does help get the job done so to speak..... many people here do chew it.

anyway...Ive been around the block and have experimented and used a host of stimulants in my life time (so i know the signs... )so here the question... how can you tell the difference between these two stimulants? He denies its yaba, and ive tried krathom a few times and it was just like some coffee and I never got as high as Ive seen him.

Would a blood test show the yaba , if it was...? are there any other tests?

He is a real lightweight compared to me so- if he did ingest 7-10 leaves he really might get that high, or am i just being ignorant?

Besides what bothers me also is how i react to his state of mind- I find myself : complaining- begging - bitchy- angry - traits i dont like in myself at all! Unlike relationships in the west (ive had one co -dependant) - i think a Thai would lie ( about drugs) to protect both of us.

signed scared- coz, if its really yaba - its over!

[Ajarn]

Sounds like it's already over because of your lack of honesty with each other, and the simple fact he's probably getting high because of you. Nothing meant by me in saying that, it's just my guess, but I have some experience...

[staccyy]

Wow - that was harsh.

Ajarn-Could you elaborate about your experiences with chewing krathom and / or yaba?

One of my experiences is, I was at a Muslim families house a few months back and they all stayed up all night chewing/leaves/ nuts (no alcohol). When I turned up the next day, I watched most of them get very irritated if they didn't get their share- (reminded me of old coke parties) both men and woman. My partner was there looking all glassy eyed-- and acting very strange and high.... I would of thought it was speed (yaba) if I hadn't seen the krathom.

I wondering about the correct symptoms /amount/ effects? How can you tell/ test for it?

signed- still worried

[girlx]

lots of information here.

[deon]

Stacey Also being a Muslim, i know what you are talking . Some folks from yeman and Somalia chew kat being as alcohol is forbiden for us .So i would not be suprised if what he is chewing is somthing very close or along the same lines as kat is .Just this plant is native to thailand .

Kat is legal here in the uk, though it is not in alot of other places .Though as i have never used any i cant realy say what it is like though i know it is classed as a mild stimulant .

girl x that link you put up was about Methamphetamine . this stuff is not the same as that , its far from it infact if anything its like Amphetamine. Not the suff you are on about ie ice .Please if you are going to gvie info make it correct.that was not a dig by the way .

[deon]

i was going to post this on the same post its what i found on erowid but the page crashed so i had to do another post this is what one person had to say abot it .Iwas doing research on this leaf and came across the vault. I live in Thailand where this stuff grows naturally, and eat it from time to time, mostly when my Thai friends offer it.

I've read of other experiences with this leaf on the Internet and the dosages people are taking are way beyond what anyone here takes. Maybe the cultivated strains are weaker. Anyway I do quite well with just one half or one leaf. They split down the center vein quite easily, so it's easy to take it in half-leaf doses.

I usually start getting a buzz in about 15 minutes, and am fully off in 30-45 minutes. Some folks compare it to opium, and I guess that's fair if you're talking about high-quality chandoo containing a minimum of opium and maximum of papaverine and other stimulating alkaloids in O. Anyway for me krathom is primarily stimulating in its effect. I often eat a half leaf or more when embarking on a long drive, to keep me alert and make the trip a lot more interesting.

Basically it feels like a mild dose of E, with less jitters. In fact no jitters, just mild elation and alertness. It wears off in about two hours and there is virtually no crash (just a tad, less than for caffeine I'd say).

It's a shame it's illegal in Thailand, as all the truck drivers and dock workers that used to eat krathom to make a day's work go better are now on ya ba - cheap amphetamines that are causing addiction and violent incidents, etc. Krathom doesn't seem addictive at all, I'm able to take it daily for a week then not at all for six months or more.

Exp Year: 2003

[Ijustwannateach]

Well, some information has been provided- and as it is illegal in Thailand, I think we'll let that be that.