Even for its enthusiasts, kratom remains a mystery. Its controversial legal status, prices, quality, and originality are some of the aspects that partake in its not-so-easy availability.
GNC, the General Nutritional Centre, is a renowned retail company based in the US and has branches scattered globally. It is extremely popular for selling A-grade supplements, FDA-approved herbs, and other health-related products. However, being a common name in supplement and herb-selling retailers, GNC does not sell Kratom or any of its forms.
Why don’t you find kratom at GNC?
Not only the powder, but it is disappointing to know that we may not even find kratom tablets or capsules at GNC. Why does such a popular health products-selling company not sell kratom? Well, there are a number of reasons, and the most substantial of them are;
FDA issues
GNC is a reputable retail store and sells only FDA-approved drugs. The FDA, however, has maintained neutral status on kratom. It has not yet been properly banned or approved. Getting approval from FDA is not something that will never happen, but for now, it is a red light signal for kratom from FDA, and so does bu GNC.
To get a green light and to become an FDA-approved drug, kratom has yet to pass a number of screenings. In addition to that, more information about its benefits and hazards is to be collected.
Even kratom capsules and tablets are not commonly dealt with under the category of therapeutic drugs or medicines, and hence finding them in stores like GNC becomes impossible.
The controversial legal status of kratom
Kratom has a controversial legal status. It is banned in some states according to their innate laws but is allowed in others. This complicated legal status makes it a hard-to-sell or a dangerous selling product. It has a series of state laws and by-laws connected to it, which make matters worse.
It still is considered a herb understudy, and selling it in stores without proper authorization causes trouble for the retail company. GNC has therefore decided to eliminate kratom from their product list to avoid legal complications.
In addition to that, due to its ambiguous legal status in many countries globally, it has become a subject of controversy. Thus the unclear or controversial legal status of the herb is one of the major reasons for its unavailability at GNC.
The credit card policy
On high credit card purchases, retail companies or vendors are rewarded with some major benefits by the credit card companies. Thus sellers often look for ways to satisfy both the customers and the credit card companies, but if they choose to, they comply with the terms set by the credit card companies.
These companies have a policy of classifying products as high-risk or no-risk etc. The high-risk products cannot be bought with the card, and if a retailer allows the purchase of a high-risk product on a card, his credit card payments processing account gets banned.
Large retail companies like GNC, Walmart, Walgreens, and others like to keep their names without a speck. Selling high-risk products can do major harm not only to their reputation but also to their professional ties with credit card companies. Many don’t believe it, but the credit card policy has a lot to do with the unavailability of kratom at GNC.
High cost and packaging issues
Mitragyna speciosa grows best in the favorable conditions of Southeast Asia. Any retailer would therefore have to pay the total cost of harvest, import, customs, and taxes, and packaging to sell it under its name.
This makes up a lot of costs. If the products are packed and processed at the country of harvest, GNC would have to invest further in labor to ensure the packaging complies with the standards. This becomes tricky and cumbersome for the company. In addition to that, if the herb is processed and packed in the US, there is a whole lot of risk of it being contaminated on the way.
This may lead to bad customer reviews and a burden of high cost. That is why GNC has maintained its distance from such a high-risk and controversial herb.
Is there any chance of kratom coming to GNC?
As of now, there are no talks of bringing Kratom to GNC, and all such braggings of kratom-GNC are nothing but rumors. In case FDA appropriately approves the sale, possession, and use of kratom as a drug, there can be a ray of hope. For now, GNC is trying to keep controversies away. They are still dealing with a long list of lawsuits, and adding another is the last thing on their mind.
Where else can you buy kratom, if not GNC?
GNC is not the only place selling quality herbs and health supplements. There are many vendors, headshops, smoke shops, and even gas stations that sell kratom. You can easily avail kratom powder, capsules, tinctures, or tablets there.
To add further online kratom vendors are becoming increasingly popular as they provide lab tests ensuring A-grade quality. In online kratom stores, you may even find the rarest strains. These countless options have people feeling less unfortunate when they do not find kratom at GNC.
Conclusion
Today there may be countless vendors and stores selling kratom, but the best choice would be to buy from a reputable online or in-person vendor. Consumers can select a store based on customer reviews or by sampling the kratom strains. They may also see quality test reports for further satisfaction.
Important notice: This post does not endorse the use of any drug or herb. The main purpose of this post is to convey information regarding the availability of kratom at GNC. Refrain from using any drug without advice from your medical practitioner.
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