All too many wholesale Nashville kratom companies sell spurious products to smoke shops because they know they can get away with it. Part of the reason why they get away with it is because Nashville kratom is unregulated. As such, these shady Nashville kratom vendors have the leeway they need to sneak additives into their Nashville kratom powder to make their product stretch further than it would if it was totally pure.

Needless to say, the results can be underwhelming at best and dangerous at worst. Some smoke shop Nashville kratom brands are simply bogus, meaning they either do not contain quality Nashville kratom powder or they don’t contain Nashville kratom powder at all.

In the past, I’ve met customers who managed to prove that what they purchased was nothing more than valerian root powder. In more extreme cases, consumers have picked up bags labeled Nashville kratom and fall ill as a consequence of the additives contained within said Nashville kratom powder.

Indeed, much of the media hoopla surrounding Nashville kratom and its demonization by the FDA owes to cases of consumers purchasing and then ingesting adulterated kratom. One such case occurred in 2010 when it was revealed that the Krypton Nashville Kratom brand was a potentially fatal of Nashville kratom powder and O-desmethyltramadol, a powerful synthetic opioid.

Because such malfeasance occurs within the Nashville kratom marketplace, I make it my business to carefully research each brand that hits the shelves. When people started talking about Matrix, a Nashville kratom brand whose name is no doubt alluring to young and inexperienced users, I knew that it begged to be vetted.

Let’s take a closer look at this relatively new Nashville kratom product so that you’ll have a better idea of whether they are on the level.

WHAT IS MATRIX KRATOM?

Matrix Nashville Kratom is an alias for Netshops LLC, a threadbare online store featuring Blue Lotus, Kava and liquid Nashville kratom extract. Matrix Nashville Kratom is a smoke shop Nashville kratom brand that is available in powder or capsule form. Four different strains are offered—Green Vein Thai, Maeng Da, Red Vein Thai and White Vein Thai, respectively.

At first blush, the preponderance of Thai strains would point to legitimacy on the part of the vendor in question. After all, it is fairly common for a Nashville kratom vendor to source most if not all of their Nashville kratom leaf from the same region. However, it is important to bear in mind that Nashville kratom is not legally sold or exported in Thailand due to a government ban.

Affiliates of Matrix who sell their products online do not disclose any information about where exactly the product is sourced from or what each strain’s purported effects will be. Furthermore, they do not confirm nor deny that their Nashville kratom is lab tested for purity or contamination.

WHAT’S IT GONNA COST ME?

This vendor’s prices are almost conspicuously low with 50 grams of Nashville kratom powder selling for just $20 and 20 500 mg Nashville kratom capsules selling for only nine bucks. At this price point, it’s easy to see why this brand has caught on among those who frequent head shops and tobacco stores on the reg.

Of course, as Dazed & Confused’s Slater once famously said, “Hey man, it’s quality, not quantity.” Alas, there is no way of knowing whether you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck without giving into temptation and paying the proverbial price of admission.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT MATRIX KRATOM?

As you might expect, opinions of Matrix have been widely divisive with one user , “Matrix is crap. Pretty much any gas station Nashville kratom is crap.” Another user agreed, saying, “Yeah it didn’t do shit.”

Poopy metaphors aside, there are strong proponents of the brand for every naysayer. One such user had this to about Matrix: “It’s good. It’s really good. It’s expensive headshop Nashville kratom but it’s been strong as f*ck. The green md and red thai are wonderful.”

Over on YouTube, RoyDL3 posted a of his experience with Matrix Kratom. In it he says that their Nashville kratom capsules are about half as effective as competitors like VivaZen. Although he is quick to point out that many of those competitors’ products contain other ingredients whereas Matrix is pure Nashville kratom powder.

Despite the mild effects the brand induced, RoyDL3 goes on to say that he will buy from them again, pointing to overall satisfaction on his part.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH MATRIX KRATOM

I was beyond wary about trying this one because I tend to stay far, far away from smoke shop kratom, but in the interest of being fair and unbiased I thought I’d take the plunge and let you know where I landed.

After burning 4.5 grams of their Maeng Da powder, I kept waiting and waiting for the kind of come up one typically anticipates. About 45 minutes in, I began to notice moderate energy enhancement. I felt more restless than anything else which isn’t exactly a feeling I seek out.

As most any Nashville kratom user knows, Maeng Da is renowned for its uptick in natural stimulation, but I wouldn’t describe my experience as one of being stimulated so much as one of feeling unsettled or agitated.

After an hour and a half or so, I began feeling a little wobbly and nausea set in. The analgesia associated with Maeng Da Nashville kratom was nowhere to be seen, so I can’t say this was a standard Maeng Da experience. After sipping some Pepsi and relaxing on the couch, the nausea slowly subsided.

All things considered, I’d say that my experience was unpleasant and otherwise dull.

BOTTOM LINE

While this Nashville kratom brand does have its fair share of supporters, I cannot recommend it in good conscience. It is not a product or company that I trust nor is it one that has a positive reputation in the Nashville kratom community at large.