Golden Rule Botanicals Review: A Company That Lives Up to Its Name

Vendor Rating: 4.5

Golden Rule Botanicals (GRB) is one of the most customer-oriented vendors on the market. In fact, the company’s very name was chosen for them by a customer!

GRB doesn’t limit itself to selling just kratom. Even if they did restrict themselves to one plant, they would still stand out in terms of variety. But nay, kratom is just one of the several powerful botanical supplements to be found here.

Sometimes this is due to a lack of dedication, but other times, as with GRB, the diversity comes from a passion for natural supplements.

GRB offers great discounts and deals, fantastic customer service, and quality assurance backed by the owner’s desire for self-preservation (he stocks only supplements that he uses himself after painstakingly sifting through dozens of competitors), a true diamond in the rough.

About the Company: GRB

Golden Rule Botanicals strives to be, interestingly enough, average. Or at least average in their own eyes. Compared to the kratom industry, GRB towers above the so-called norm. In a market flooded with charlatans, that’s not hard to do.

GRB believes that a marketplace catering to those ailed by mental and physical problems should be saturated with quality goods. And indeed, it should. But sadly, huge swaths of vendors in the kratom market are trying to take part in a virtual gold rush, seeking to profit rather than to help others.

Since its inception, Golden Rule Botanicals has been dedicated to discerning “snake oil” products from those with the power to improve people’s lives. Even before their kratom business, the owners advocated for mental health, self-care, and harm reduction. As such, all of the goods in their inventory are those that they believe are the best.

Lab tests are available for all of their products, and they offer a return policy if you’re not satisfied. They even take transparency and honesty one step further and label each strain from a secondary supplier.

In other words, they’ve got the makings of what you’d expect an average healthcare supplement brand to have. But in Kratom Land, the standard is often a bit lower.

In addition to the impressive variety of kratom products, Golden Rule offers several other potent botanicals sourced from across the globe. Supplements like shilajit and Kanna can complement a kratom burn or be used on their own.

Best Alternatives

Golden Rule Botanicals Product Reviews

Golden Rule Botanicals has one of the best and most solid selections of products I’ve seen on a website. Sure, all these products are available elsewhere. But they’re usually available amongst heaps of garbage and other unworthies.

Here, we have only solid, proven, and effective botanicals like CBD, Kanna, shilajit, and kratom, referred to (most likely as a protective ‘shield’ against search engine spam and legal issues) as “Asian Tea.”

Kratom Leaf Powder

Here you’ll find kratom strains and blends that you’ve never heard of or even thought of. Brandon is very creative with his naming and mixing of strains.

Father’s Helper Blend

The idea for this blend came from a great client of the site who suggested mixing a bit of Red Maeng Da, Red Malaysian, and Green Malaysian.

The result is, apparently, perfect for hauling presents around the globe in a sleigh at a certain time of night on a certain day. Other than that, it’s great for the busy father who wants to relax or needs to push through the busy duties of fatherhood.

Spearmint #2

This newer Spearmint blend combines Green Indo and White Thai, as opposed to Green Thai and White Indo, which constitute the ingredients in the original Spearmint.

The result is pretty much the same: increased focus, well-balanced euphoria, and sustained energy. This is an excellent combo for working late hours.

Pink Thai

Rather than calling it gold, as some vendors do, Brandon does the logical thing and calls the mixture of red and white a “pink” strain. Thus, Pink Thai is a mix of Red Thai and White Thai kratom.

The result is very pleasant. You get the stimulation and focus of the white with all the calming effects of the red. It’s a great mix for anyone who gets nervous and overstimulated from taking just whites.

Other Kratom Strains

Here’s a quick list of their other “Asian Tea” strains by color.

GRB’s green strains include:

• Green Maeng Da
• Green Malay
• Old Tree Green Indo
• Green Thai
• Green Bali
• Green Sumatra
• Green Bison
• Green Semar
• Green Tiger
• Green Jaguar
• Green Lion
• Waka Wali Green
• Green Crushed Leaf

GRB’s red strains include:

• Red Maeng Da
• Red Borneo (Indo)
• Red Thai
• Red Bali
• Red Bison
• Red Malay
• Red Sumatra
• Dark Red Indo
• Red Semar
• Red Tiger
• Waka Wali Red
• Red Crushed Leaf
• Red Horn
• Red Indo #2
• Red Thai #2
• Red MD #2

GRB’s white strains include:

• White MD
• True Bali
• White Borneo (Indo)
• White Thai
• White Malay
• White Sumatra
• White Bison
• White Semar
• White Tiger
• Waka Wali White
• White Crush Leaf
• White Horn
• White Indo #2
• White MD #2
• White Bali #2

GRB’s yellow strains include:

• Yellow Sunda
• Yellow MD
• Yellow Thai
• Yellow Malay
• Yellow Vietnam
• Yellow Indo

GRB’s blends include:

• Three Kings
• Three Wise Men
• Pink MD
• CloneMD
• Balendi
• Green Malaeng Da
• Red Malaeng Da
• White Malaeng Da
• Spearmint
• Pink Thai
• Wintermint
• Father’s Helper
• Mother’s Helper
• Spearmint 2 (Inverse)
• Doublemint
• Wintermint 2

Tea Blends

You can choose from a whole bunch of homemade tea blends. Each one contains a hand-made mix of herbs that support health in specific ways.

• Super Detox
• Content-Mint Relaxing Tonic
• Chamo-Rama Rest & Relaxation
• Sore-no-More Inflammation Tonic
• Immuni-Tea
• Man-oh-Manna Energy Elixir
• Tea-Stosterone
• Circulatory Glory
• Correct-Rogen Estrogen Balance
• Love Is Real Romance Blend
• Neuronic Tonic
• Ayurvedic Ironman Energy Elixir
• Insom-B-Gone

Other Botanicals

Kratom is the main focus of Golden Rule Botanicals, but just barely. They have a lot of other botanicals for sale, and they stick to high-quality ones known to produce results.

I’m familiar with their products and reach the same conclusions after years of research trying to identify the strongest and most reliable supplements. It’s obvious that Brandon knows his stuff with natural medicine.

His tea blends are fantastic combinations of natural ingredients, some grown and harvested locally, as well as several imported ones. He generally chooses the most powerful legal psychoactives and, more importantly, beneficial ethnobotanicals worldwide.

Shilajit

Shilajit has tremendous importance in traditional medicine systems as one of the most potent medicines. It is an incredibly dense source of minerals and humic/fulvic acids that have proven immensely beneficial for human health.

• Mumijo Shilajit. One of the significant components of shilajit is fulvic acid, which helps break down organic goods so the earth can reuse them. In humans, it helps to facilitate nutrient absorption. The shilajit itself is loaded with vitamins and minerals.
• White mumijo shilajit. White mumijo shilajit comes from the Altai mountain range, which passes through Russia and into Siberia. Also known as Brakshun, this type of shilajit is much like standard mumijo in the sense that it’s a highly concentrated source of minerals.
• It generally contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, silicon, chromium, selenium, iodine, cobalt, and nickel. Obviously, levels vary significantly depending on the age of the substance and where it was harvested.
• Shilajit tablets. Many people can’t handle the taste of shilajit or the sticky raw mess of it all. Tablets help to prevent that.

CBD & Cannabinoids

There are numerous CBD-based products you can find here.

• CBD oils are available in two strengths, 17 mg/mL and 60 mg/mL. You can also order CBD tinctures infused with other cannabinoids like CBG and CBN.
• CBD capsules are available in different-sized bottles, the biggest containing 60. Each one targets a different area of your health.

Other Plants

• Mitragyna hirsuta. This is one of the other plants in the Mitragyna genus with similar effects, though milder.
• Kanna. This supplement is available in a 100x extract.
• Kava kava. This popular product is available in a 30x extract that promises at least 30% kavalactones.

Is Golden Rule Botanicals Legit?

GRB is definitely a legit company; you can tell by the way the owner writes and the consistency of his claims and offerings that he’s genuine and passionate about his work. It feels like an excellent company to support, if only because you know you’re helping a good person who wants to help others.

The products have test results available, but you do need to request them personally. Once you do this, you can look at the products’ purity.

All of the different strains are interesting to contemplate, even though we know a lot of it is just marketing. But you’ll find strains at Golden Rule that you’ve never even heard of before.

The company is also certified by the American Kratom Association.

What You Can Expect To Pay

The prices here are relatively standard.

Kratom “Asian Tea” Prices

• 1 oz – $6
• 2 oz – $11
• 4 oz – $21
• 8 oz – $36
• 1 lb – $64
• 1 kg – $112

Bulk Deals & Discounts

Golden Rule has beginner’s kits, allowing you to sample their products before committing to larger amounts.

• 4-strain beginner’s kit (2 oz total) $15
• 8-strain beginner’s kit (4 oz total) $32 (why this costs an extra $2 than ordering two 4-strain beginner’s packs is not mentioned)
• 8-strain sample kit – full ounces for $57

If you aren’t partial or feel like taking a chance, they also have clearance and mystery prices at $8 for 2 oz or $15 for 4 oz.

Larger amounts can be split into different strains at your whim, or you can allow the vendors to choose for you. Most options can be divided into 2-6 different strains, aside from the half pound, which can only be split 2-4 ways.

• 8 oz for $41
• 16 oz for $66
• 18oz/a half kilo for $72
• 36oz/kilo for $120

Herbal Teas

GRB offers many herbal teas, all loaded with great ingredients. Their proprietary blends contain some truly exciting mixtures with unique and amusing names that capture the essence of their benefits (like their Tea-Sterone men’s tonic tea).

The prices on the tea vary a bit; give or take a couple of bucks, they’ll generally cost around $3 per ounce up to $20-25 for 8 ounces. (The most significant variance in this average price is the Insom-B-Gon ($4.25 to $27.50) or the Content-Mint ($2.40-$14.40).

Botanicals

The prices of their botanicals are fair, at least if they’re of good quality. Shilajit is one of their main products and one of the most notorious products for being falsified.

Shilajit Products

• Mumijo Shilajit: $15 for 8 g, $25 for 16 g, $45 for 32 g
• Brakshun White Mumijo Shilajit: 12 g for $22, 24 g for $40
• Shilajit tablets: $12.50

CBD Products

There are quite a few different products here.

• Charlotte’s Web gummies 60ct: $44.99 for the Immunity, Calm, Daily Wellness (15 mg and 25 mg, THC-free); $29.99 for the Recovery gummies; $68.99 for the 25 mg Daily Wellness gummies
• CBD Pet Chew: $21.99
• Treatibles Xtra Strength Cat or Dog Chews: $38.99
• Medterra 30ct Joint Support Pet Chews: $36.99
• Medterra 10ct Pet Chews: $14.99
• Good Morning Liposomal CBD+ Capsules (30): $49.99
• CBD topicals: $25
• CBD oils 17/mg CBD per mL: $59.99 for 30ml
• CBD oils 60mg/mL: $119 per 30 ml
• CBD Pain Cream: $54.99
• Bluebird Uplift CBG+CBD: $49.95
• Bluebird Uplift CBD+CBN: $49.95

Others

• Kava Kava 30x extract with 30% kavalactones: $12-51
• Mitragyna hirsuta: $8-148
• Kanna extract 100:1: $15-40

Discounts & Coupons

This company is steeped in deals and discounts.

Loyalty Program

Firstly, for the very act of signing up, you take part in their loyalty program. For every 100 points, you get a coupon code that gives you 20% off your order — pretty standard — and four free ounces of “Asian Tea” or a jar of their Shilajit.

Bird Box Subscription

The company also offers 30% off if you use the Bird Box subscription service. This recurring order allows you to either set the specifics of your order yourself or allow Golden Rule to assist you.

You can choose things like:

• The products you want
• The weight (the amount of kratom or whatever other herbs you want)
• The number of ways you want your products split/separated
• The frequency that you want your order

Bird Box allows Golden Rule to curate your orders personally if you choose. If you opt for this route, you can tell them what you’re hoping to get out of herbal medicine, and they’ll make you a Bird Box based on the best available items.

They also say this program helps ensure that people don’t forget to maintain their daily dosing schedules. Some herbs they sell, like shilajit, tend to produce more immense benefits when used repeatedly.

On top of this, you’ll get a free GRB shaker cup! These are great for shaking up herbal mixtures so you can drink them on the go and supercharge your whole day.

Luck of the Draw

You can also participate in the Luck of the Draw, though you can only add two to your cart simultaneously.

This way, you can purchase products that the company has too much of, not enough to list on their product page, or isn’t up to their standards for a significantly reduced rate.

Depending on your choice, you’ll receive either 2 or 4 oz of product(s), and the results are randomized, so you never know what you’ll get. You can ask them not to include things you don’t like, but requesting something specific won’t change the outcome.

Accepted Payment Options

GRB accepts payment options with major credit cards, electronic debit (Debit Direct), Green Bean Pay, payment links, and money order. Orders of more than 1 kg placed using Debit Direct will have a mandatory hold until payment has cleared.

Also see: Can You Pay for Kratom With Bitcoin?

What Other Customers Say About This Brand

The experiences reported by customers of GRB are almost entirely positive. Reviews on Reddit tend to be glaringly positive, but unlike with other sites, you don’t need to whip out a magnifying glass and try to deduce whether or not the company’s writing these reviews themselves.

One Reddit user, u/CafeMariposa, reported on their “excellent experience with Golden Rule Botanicals” over numerous orders. They comment on how each order arrives “speedy-fast,” and the pricing and selection are “outstanding.”

Shipping & Returns

As long as you place your order before their cutoff time (3 PM MST), then your order is shipped out that same business day. They ask that you wait 24 hours before requesting a USPS tracking number.

Sometimes, they can’t ship immediately; they may need up to a day after receiving payment. Orders are limited to no more than 2 kilos unless you contact them first about bulk orders.

The company also offers a 14-day return policy, which they note hasn’t yet been used once. Make sure there’s at least 90% of the original product if you want a full refund.

Refunds are issued in the same form they were received (i.e., credit card payments get returned to your card) and can take up to a week to be received.

You must also let them know the reason for the refund.

Part of this correspondence includes emailing the tracking number to the company. Once the tracking number shows that the company received the package, your refund will be processed immediately.

They also reship packages lost by USPS, determined by a lack of tracking updates for seven days. They do not refund products marked as delivered; the problem is between you and USPS.

They do not offer refunds or returns on replacements.

Best Alternative Kratom Vendors

They’re not the only solid choice, so if you don’t see what you want or are looking to shake things up, here are three more fantastic vendors that we fully back.

1. VIP Kratom

If you’re looking for the highest possible quality in your kratom products and don’t mind paying a little more, VIP Kratom is the way to go. Their products are a little pricier than most other companies, but they ensure the purity and potency of their kratom powders and capsules with extensive third-party testing.

VIP Kratom has an excellent selection of different kratom strains, including red, white, and green-vein varieties. Their excellent customer service ensures a positive experience every time.

Pros

• AKA-certified
• Third-party testing available for all products
• Powders and capsules are available
• Good selection of strains
• Money-back guarantee
• Helpful customer service

 Cons

• Expensive

2. Star Kratom

Star Kratom is an AKA-certified vendor with some of the highest-quality products available. They sell powders and capsules at super affordable rates, and they stand out from the competition by providing one-day and two-day shipping options to allow for quick restocking.

The strain selection is smaller, but each product includes third-party lab results to confirm safety, potency, and purity. Plus, most of the more popular strains are available, and their product catalog is consistently growing.

Pros

• AKA-certified
• High-quality kratom
• Affordable
• Fast shipping
• Backed by third-party lab results
• Money-back guarantee

Cons

• Limited selection

3. Kona Kratom

Kona Kratom is well-known for selling premium kratom products at affordable prices. They’re cheaper than many other high-quality brands, yet they maintain above-average quality. They are AKA-certified, and each product has third-party lab results on their website.

The product selection is sure to impress, but order before you run out, as shipping usually takes a few days. They do offer a money-back guarantee to ensure everyone is satisfied.

Pros

• Premium kratom powders and capsules
• Affordable
• AKA-certified
• Third-party lab results are available online
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• Massive product variety

Cons

• Shipping can be slower than some other companies

Final Thoughts: Top Notch Goods & A Passionate Owner

The only unfortunate thing I’ve found about GRB is that they don’t ship outside the United States. If they did, they would have themselves a new customer.

Aside from this, everything about the site and its owner is fantastic. The product selection is top-notch, and the owner’s knowledge is outstanding. You know you’re supporting a good business and an honest member of the natural healthcare community.

Newly certified by the AKA, GRB continues to rise to the top, and we don’t see them slowing down any time soon.