Before I begin with my kratom review for PA Botanicals, I would like to state that I owe a wealth of gratitude to this company, and Ruth who has always helped me when I ran into any snag while ordering. When I first began my journey with sobriety several years back, PA Botanicals was the reason. My first encounter with Ultra Maeng Da Kratom blew me away and set the course for a new life, free from the opioids that had me trapped for decades after a car wreck left me with 18 plates in my back. For that reason, PA Botanicals will always be a trusted vendor in my eyes.
Kratom is a finely ground powder derived from the leaves and stems of the mitragyna speciosa tree, which are rubiacea evergreens primarily located in tropical Southeast Asia. The natives and indiginous people have used kratom for centuries as a holistic treatment for pain and energy. Kratom is also used as a potent anti-diarrheal and an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), and it has been known to lower blood pressure and regulate glucose levels in diabetics. Recently kratom has been employed in the United States as a powerful weapon for defeating withdrawal symptoms from opioids and has sparked much debate and concern with the Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Agency. The fact is kratom has exploded onto the scene in the last decade and therefore created a wealth of vendors, both online and mainstreet, who all claim to have superior products and at the lowest prices. With that being said, it is truly difficult to weed out the good from the bad and find a vendor who delivers both, but PA Botanicals fits the bill.
It is very frustrating ordering from an online vendor and waiting for the package to arrive, only to receive low quality products. Often times I have ordered from an online vendor and was very disappointed with the service or the quality of their products. Because of this reason many vendors have opted to become known as a “TRUSTED VENDOR,” meaning their kratom products and customer service have been verified by the community and proven to excel in the areas of Quality, Price and Service. Purchasing from a Trusted Vendor means never worrying if their kratom has been laced with unwanted chemicals, such as the case with Krypton kratom. Krypton was known to be laced with the exact chemical compound found in the prescription drug Tramadol and has been very dangerous for the unsuspecting consumer. Fortunately, Krypton has been taken off the shelves, but it stands to reason there is still some floating around out there in Kratomland. That is why buying from a Trusted or Vetted vendor is crucial and should be a deciding factor when looking for a new supplier of ethnobotanicals. PA Botanicals is just that.
Located in Sharon, Pennsylvania is both a brick and mortar and online store named PA Botanicals. PA Botanicals offers an extensive line of kratom and they carry a rather large list of other various ethnobotanicals.
I have ordered probably over a dozen times from PA Botanical’s online store while living in Texas and in Florida and have never had a single issue with the quality or the service. Ruth and Kara have always went above and beyond when issues came up with shipping or when my card would decide not to work. Emails and phone calls were always answered in a timely fashion. I remember when I first moved to Florida 2 years ago and lost a package of kratom samples in the mail along the way. Although this was no error on PA Botanicals, rather my own fault for not forwarding my mail on time, Ruth made sure to send me out a duplicate order and I received my package within 3 days. PA Botanicals has never disappointed!
QUALITY:
When it comes to the quality of kratom, PA Botanicals is top notch. I recently purchased a sample pack, which was called “You Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and offered 22 individually packed 10 gram samples of greens, reds, whites and even yellow strains of kratom. Each strain has a unique set of alkaloids and effects the body differently depending on the strain. For instance, their Green Malay is amazing for treating pain, whereas the Red Borneo does well for controlling anxiety and their Super Green works well as a potent energizer. The only strain I did not care too much for was called “Jessie’s Blend” only because it was a bit too strong. I am unsure why, but it caused my heart to race and my chest to hurt and it made me feel very strange for about an hour, something I have never experienced with other kratom before. Usually being too strong is no issue at all, but this blend I will steer clear from. On the other hand, “Monkey Business” has to be my new favorite blend! It had a smooth taste and equally smooth “buzz” which gave me ample energy while eliminating my severe back pain. Every person reacts differently to each strain so what may work for me may not work for the next person, but this strain had lasting power! I will say that PA Botanicals carries the freshest and finest ground kratom of any vendor I have bought from. Fresh kratom tends to stick to the spoon when getting it out of the bag because of static electricity, so if your kratom does not it is probably not very fresh. Fresh kratom has a very aromatic nature and should never taste gritty or grainy. Personally, I still use the Toss and Swish method over using capsules, and can appreciate the texture of PA’s fresh kratom. Most kratom has a bitter aftertaste and tastes quite nasty, but none of the 22 samples tasted “medicinal” or overly bitter to me. All 22 sample packs were extremely fresh and flavorful. That is a hard feat to accomplish when selling sample packs because many vendors will pre-package tons of samples and sit on them causing the kratom to lose potency and consistency far before they can be consumed.
DELIVERY TIME:
From the time my card went through until the package was in my mailbox was 3 days. PA Botonicals kept me updated with emails as to the status of my order from beginning to end. They offer this service to all their customers, and as an added bonus their site also offers package tracking. PA Botanicals is the first vendor I have seen do this! Legally there are several states and counties where kratom is illegal and they are unable to ship, so make sure to check the legality in your area before ordering to save yourself any problems. Score 10/10
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
Customer service has always been excellent at PA Botanicals with phone calls and emails always answered within the same business day. Everyone I have spoken with has been very helpful and knowledeable of the products offered. Everyone is friendly and caring as well. Like I said before, I have ordered dozens of times in the past from Texas and Florida and have never had a problem with poor service. Ruth and Kara have always made sure I was happy and taken care of. Searching through online forums such as Reddit and YouTube also proves the customers of PA Botanicals are very happy with their customer service. Except for the occassional person who is unhappy, the general consensus is that PA Botanicals has excellent customer service and it shows. Score 9/10
FRIENDLINESS OF SITE:
PA Botanicals has a simple yet elegant approach for online purchasing of kratom and other ethnobotanicals. The site is easy to navigate and each product comes with pictures and real customer reviews to assist in your decision making. They also offer military discounts, affiliate opportunities and other coupon codes for the everyday consumer. Checkout is simple and fast, with no need to go through a third party to purchase, like some vendors who route you to Amazon or PayPal exclusively to complete your order. PA Botanicals offers a variety of ways to pay such as traditional cards, Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart and C.O.D. They also have a Rewards Program in place for their loyal customers as a way of saving money with each order. Score 9.5/10
DIVERSITY OF PRODUCTS:
It is hard to say exactly how many strains of kratom PA Botanicals offers, but the list is quite extensive. Reds, greens, whites, yellows, golds…the list is never ending when it comes to variety of kratom they offer. This is by far the most comprehensive list of various strains and even custom blends made in-house. If you are new to kratom or to PA Botanicals, they offer 11 varieties of sample packs to give the customer a taste of each. Each variety pack has 22 individually packaged and labeled bags to narrow down your new favorite strain. They sell regular kratom powder, enhanced kratom, extracts, capsules, and a massive spread of other ethnobotanicals such as kanna, skullcap and cordyalis. I have yet to try any other products besides kratom so I cannot say the quality is neither good nor bad. It stands to reason that their other products are just as satisfying as their kratom.
METHODS OF PAYMENT:
PA Botanicals offers a variety of ways to pay for your order; such as
- Money Orders
- Bank Transfer
- ECheck
- Cashier’s Check
- Wal Mart to Wal Mart/Money Gram
- Debit or Credit cards Mastercard, Visa, Amex and Discover. Extra discounts are given with E-Checks and Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart orders. Score 10/10
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:
Although it is difficult to keep every customer happy, it looks like PA Botanicals has mastered it. Out of nearly a hundred or more different real customer comments I found, only one or two negative comments surfaced. Believe me, I searched high and low for the dirt but found nothing more than satisfied customers who bragged on the quality and service.
CONCLUSION:
I will add the prices at PA Botanicals for kratom are a little more for my taste when solely buying sample packs. Buying in bulk is much cheaper. I paid almost $55.00 for 220 grams total and was offered no discount at checkout nor given any extra samples. I received exactly what I ordered, no more no less even with two employees aware of my ordering for the sole purpose of writing this review. Although I didn’t expect, nor desire extra as compensation, I have always had samples of either kratom or kava kava, or a even a simple note added to the package. Just something sent out as a “Thank you for your patronage, try this…” I remember the good ol’ days when companies would at least send you an extra sample or two to display a new strain or at least give you a taste of their other products. Unfortunately it seems no companies care to show that love any longer. I could have purchased from my regular trusted vendor 250 grams at $35.00 so that was my only disappointment. PA Botanicals does offer my usual strain, Green Malay, for $34.99 for 8 ounces and is a much better deal. So, honestly their prices are right in line compared to other vendors, but it does cost more when buying samples. I paid quite a bit more for far less in an effort to write this. A usual dose for myself is right around 3 grams every few hours, so for me this did not pan out as a lasting solution. If you do purchase from PA Botanicals, and I truly urge you to, then make sure to just buy one strain at a time rather than the sample packs. I had no issues with PA Botanicals and will use them again with open arms. Their quality is always excellent, customer service is wonderful, but the prices are a little high when you only purchase sample packs. However, for the beginner, sample packs are the best way of identifying which strain works best for you and your condition. PA Botanicals sells regular kratom powder for around $6.99 an ounce, which is actually a wonderful price, but when purchasing sample packs the pricing tends to not add up to the same as if buying just one strain. All in all, PA Botanicals is a wonderful company with excellent kratom at great prices! OVERALL SCORE 9/10
Disclaimer**The opinions in this review are just that, opinions. The author was not paid in any monetary form or for trade of products in return for a positive review. All statements about ethnobotanicals are those solely of the reviewer and have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.