The first thing to know about Kratom and Company, the locally owned and operated natural supplement shop in Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola, is that Kratom is not a family name. The owners are father and son Larry and Matthew Nichols. Larry Nichols is the public face of the business (he of the big smile and salt-and-pepper hair). 

 

Kratom is a tree found in Southeast Asia—primarily on the Indonesian island of Borneo. Its scientific name is Mitragyna speciosa. Matthew Nichols traveled halfway around the world to the jungles and villages of Indonesia to meet with Kratom farmers personally and bring the freshest and best Kratom he could find to Northwest Florida.

One Leaf, Many Uses

Why go to such lengths to build a business around an exotic tree? The Indonesian farmers that Matthew met told him that for nearly a thousand years, the indigenous people of Southeast Asia have used the leaf of the Kratom tree for pain, anxiety, energy, focus, insomnia and other ailments. 

Then Matthew did further research and learned that in modern times, researchers have found that the Kratom leaf contains two main alkaloids, 7-hydroxy Mitragynine and Mitragynine. Some reports have suggested that Kratom could also help people struggling with symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

As Kratom has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Kratom and Company can’t make direct claims about the effect and use of the plant. But people who have used the plant have told Matthew that its effect is greatly determined by the dosage and strain of the leaf that is used. 

“They said that typically, lower amounts are said to help boost energy and focus, whereas larger amounts are said to have a more sedative effect,” he explains.

Through his travels to Indonesia, he says, he’s gained insight into the growing, harvesting and preparation process and identified the Kratom farmers who use “tried and true” methods. By building a relationship with them, he ensures that Kratom and Company always carries the highest-quality products.

While Matthew has literally been going the extra mile for customers, he says his dad has been doing the same thing figuratively.

“He spends as much time as needed with each customer to answer all possible questions,” Matthew says. “He doesn’t just make sure they leave the store with a high-quality product that fits their specific needs—he also makes sure they leave feeling they’ve made a new friend.” 

Kratom and Company is located at 5022A W. Fairfield Dr., Pensacola, FL, and 130 Perry Ave., Ste. A, Ft. Walton Beach, FL. For more information or to place an order by credit card, visit KratomAndCo.com.