Don’t look now, the DEA [is considering banning] yet another medicinal plant
*tax-payer funded DEA offices
The medical potential of kratom is widely unknown. Plants are rarely studied for medical use in the United States, which is why there is never “enough research” to determine whether or not doctors can refer to them as “safe and effective” and recommend their use.
The “active ingredient” in kratom is mitragynine. The key concept of an “active ingredient” in plant medicines is disputed by research showing the entourage effect of medical cannabis. The entourage effect brings into question the notion that a single compound is responsible for the entirety of a plant’s effects, even if the effects of other compounds aren’t immediately noticeable. The “active ingredient” in coffee is caffeine, although the the Coffea arabica plant (the most commonly consumed species) has over 1,000 potentially active compounds as well … Botanical cannabis remains Schedule I. Patients using Marinol experienced unpleasant effects that suggested THC wasn’t the only active compound in cannabis. The naturally occurring compounds that didn’t create noticeable effects also had a purpose and led researchers to conclude all the compounds found in cannabis resin (cannabinoids, terpenes and flavanoids) worked synergistically to create their medical effects, aka “the entourage effect.”
Original Article (Civilized):
Don’t Look Now, The DEA Is Banning Yet Another Medicinal Plant
Artwork Fair Use: Joe Loong from Reston
