The General Nutrition Center, also known as GNC, is a successful multinomial retail company that offers health and nutrition-related items in its inventory. This US-based brand sells vitamins, herbs, minerals, supplements, and energy products. According to the 2018 information, GNC was operating with the help of 17000 employees who were working across 8400 stores.
From this number, 6200 stores were situated in the United States. Since it is a famed retailer which offers a host of items like herbal ones, consumers usually ask the question: “Can you buy Kratom at GNC?”
Therefore, to answer this persistent question, this article is written to not only answer this question but to share any alternatives to purchasing this popular herb.
Kratom is a Southeast Asian herb. This useful botanical originates from the leaves of Mitragyna Speciosa trees. The trees of this herb are grown, harvested, and cultivated in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and so on. These trees get different colors of leaves as their age increases. What’s more, each vein color is composed of a unique alkaloid percentage.
Lastly, the Mitragyna Speciosa trees, which are grown in varying areas, have their own alkaloid concentration. This is because each climate condition is unique and gives rise to different alkaloid percentages. Because of this reason, numerous Kratom strains are produced, such as Hulu Kapuas, Maeng Da, Borneo, Bali Kratom, Kali, Kalimantan, and many others.
Now that we have covered a brief intro to this popular herb let’s go over all the reasons why you never see Kratom at GNC.
Kratom Has A Controversial Reputation
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The top reason is that you did not see kratom at GNC is because of all the crazy controversy, myths, misinformation, and rumors surrounding the legal status of Kratom. Large chain stores such as Walgreens and GNC are known for always avoiding controversial items.
This is why Kratom is kept away from big-box stores. The thing is, these retailers have determined mammoth success and credible reputation for themselves, and they will not allow the controversy to ruin their profile.
Only a few people know that it is a natural botanical herb gained from the Mitragyna Speciosa trees. Then, extra concerns for vendors were intensified due to the DEA Kratom ban update, which made them hesitant to stock the herb again.
Even if Mitragyna Speciosa was not banned, it did not save it from the negative controversy and harsh publicity. This led to some states in the United States banning Kratom. So naturally, GNC was scared that offering Kratom could put their business at risk.
Issues In Paying Via Credit And Debit Cards
Many prominent credit and debit card companies decided to cut all ties with Kratom and not get involved in its transactions. Again, the companies determined this decision in order to save themselves from controversies. This further harmed the concept of Kratom at GNC.
Envision a shopper at GNC to buy their favorite Kratom strains. After selecting their preferred stuff, they find out that it will be impossible to purchase via credit or debit card. Who will the customer blame? Definitely the store!
It is not realistic to carry cash all the time, and especially when the majority of shoppers prefer to pay through credit or debit cards. Since GNC highly prioritizes their customer’s happiness, they would not allow a situation in which their buyers are unable to pay through their desired method.
Can You Buy Kratom At GNC?
Usually, the newcomers to the Kratom world automatically assume that it is possible to buy Mitragyna Speciosa from famed big chain stores such as GNC, Amazon, Walmart, Walgreens, and more. But it is a sad fact that the world of Kratom is different from other natural botanical herbs. The straightforward answer is no.
It is impossible to buy Kratom at GNC because there is no such thing in their product inventory. Kratom capsules, powder, extracts, teas, tinctures, and all Mitragyna Speciosa items are unavailable. Lots of factors lead to this unfortunate fact, too, which will be mentioned later in the article.
But is also the fact that there exists above 5 million frequent Kratom consumers in the United States alone. This huge amount of buyers regularly purchase Kratom strains. The best part is that this demand will keep increasing with the passage of time. Why would GNC not want to gain a big amount of this profit? What are the reasons for the retailer not to host Kratom at their stores?
Mitragyna Is Legal But Misunderstood
Kratom at GNC Store is not available as it is pitifully misunderstood. The people who are unaware of this magical herb think that Kratom is a synthetic or artificial substance. But the truth is that Kratom is a completely pure and natural Southeast Asian herb that is grown in the Mitragyna Speciosa trees.
However, tons of misunderstandings and misinformation circulating about the herb because the FDA attempted to ban Kratom in the United States in the past. They kept persisting for years that banning Kratom is crucial because, according to them, it is a derivative of the I-drugs. The passion for banning Kratom was rendered as failed.
It is allowed to sell, consume, and buy Kratom products in the country apart from a few states or counties. Moreover, GNC wishes to avoid any possible lawsuits as a result of selling the item to the public.
Potential Risk Linked To The Future Of Mitragyna
GNC is a prominent corporate firm, retailer, and big chain store that has planted thousands of branches not only in the country but all over the world. The brand is not certain about the future legal status of Kratom.
If they do decide to offer Kratom strains to the world, they will have to splurge millions of dollars to expand their range and elongate the supply chain. So, to avoid so much trouble, they said no Kratom in GNC.
Other Places To Purchase Kratom
If Kratom products are not available in GNC, which other places add them in their range from where customers can buy? Fortunately, much to the relief of consumers, the Kratom world boasts endless options. However, the two broad Kratom platforms are either local providers or online vendors.
But you can not take benefit from any of these providers in case Kratom is banned in your particular state. But if there is no ban, you can visit numerous local Kratom stores. The examples of these stores are listed below:
- Pubs and bars
- Dedicated Kratom stores
- Gas stations
- Vape shops
- Smoke shops
Moreover, there are thousands of online vendors available which are active rivals of each other. Most of these online vendors offer Kratom strains of premium quality. Another plus point is that the majority of these Kratom vendors sell Kratom at a very low price.
However, as great as all of this might sound, it is crucial to carry out your own individual research, read all the customer reviews of the vendor you want to buy from, see their product inventory, check if they do lab testing for their products if they are approved by the American Kratom Association, and go over some similar important factors.
