Kratom is hailed by some as a cure for opioid addiction and illness but authorities are clamping down amid reports of abuse.
Mohd Saad Che May has spent most of his life being addicted to heroin.
The Bukit Mertajam resident was incarcerated 15 times in 40 years and admitted to stealing money to fuel his addiction.
“It was a living hell. I was in constant anxiety, thinking about how to get RM 50 (US$11.99) to buy the next tube to get high,” he said.
Mr Saad claimed he tackled his addiction when he started taking kratom, known locally as ketum. Kratom is a leaf hailed by locals for its pain-relieving and mildly stimulating effects.
He would pluck kratom leaves in his village, boil them for 4 to 5 hours, and drink the dark green fluid three times a day.
“It has a bitter tast...
