This post was first published on 25th November, 2014. Japanese Patent about a pain-killing drug extracted from 'Kratom' (Mitragyna Speciosa), a well-known Southeast Asian medicinal plant, is creating contradictions. Patent documents and other publications reviewed, are silent on the origin of Kratom utilized by Chiba and Josai. Patents have been issued in Japan and the US, and patent applications may be pending elsewhere.   How the Plant became a Painkiller drug? In the early 2000s, Japanese researchers began analyzing compounds extracted from Kratom as part of a program to assess medicinal…