Across the nation, a new substance has emerged onto the scene: Kratom. Kratom is a plant originally used in Thailand to treat farmers' aches and pains, as well as to uplift their moods. It has been spreading very quickly, resulting in lawmakers and authorities to become quite alarmed. Due to the few studies on Kratom and a few deaths that have been attributed to it, many lawmakers have made it illegal. According Ben Adams in his article, "Why Are States Rushing to Ban Kratom?" , six states have already banned Kratom. Specifically, the ingredients mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are illegal, which are the main active ingredients in Kratom. In such states as Alabama, Vermont, and Wisconsin, Kratom is now a Schedule I drug, the same as Marijuana. So, according to DEA government website, Kratom is "defined as [a] drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." While it is true that Kratom is not currently used in the medical field, it is unfair to rule it out as a potential beneficial drug. According to Ben Adams in the same article, he points out that it could be a "a gateway to escape opioid addiction." Kratom acts in the same way as other opioids do such as oxycodone, morphine, and heroin. However, Kratom is much weaker than any of three mentioned and is far less addicting. Kratom is only known to cause nausea and vomiting in large doses. Otherwise, it is not very addictive and overdoses lead to drowsiness with a very small chance to lead to death. In fact, only around 13 deaths have been reported around the US that have been attributed to Kratom. Although, many of the deaths were not due to the Kratom itself. The autopsies usually show many other drugs in the victim's system such as heroin, cough syrup, and over the counter pain relievers like Tylenol.
The DEA is paying no attention to these facts and are choosing the easy but frustratingly unfair way of just banning Kratom outright for up to three years so that they can research the effects of Kratom. The DEA is not totally tyrannical because there has been a worryingly increasing number of people creating synthetic Kratom that is much more potent than the original plant, similar to how K2 is with Marijuana.
Kratom users have been responding greatly with 55,000 signatures already being signed on a petition calling for President to respond to the DEA and it has only been six days. Many of the people who use Kratom were addicts of other drugs like oxycodone and heroine, two of the hardest drugs to quit. Many cite Kratom as a major helper in their recovery from addiction.
Even so, the government will continue with the emergency ban on Kratom unless something new is announced. The Kratom ban will take effect on September 30th officially, to the chagrin of the many supporters of Kratom.
