What’s Kratom, and why are States banning it?
The American Society of Addiction Medicine argued in comments to the DEA last year that the whole botanical product … should be made illegal to prevent people with addictions from trying to use it to recover … Animal studies have shown that kratom use may lead to addiction. But user surveys indicate that although the herb can be habit-forming, withdrawal symptoms are no worse than those encountered when quitting coffee, sugar or certain herbal supplements … A conservatively dressed 22-year-old fraternity brother [even said] said kratom has helped him stop binge drinking.
Since three FDA-approved medications exist that have proven safe and effective, using kratom to treat opioid addiction presents an unnecessary risk for people with addictions, the group said. At the same time, they recommended that what appears to be the plant’s primary active ingredients, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, should remain legal so they can be researched for their pain relief and addiction treatment potential. Oliver Grundmann, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has surveyed kratom users and found that very few report becoming addicted and most use it to treat chronic pain, mental health conditions and drug addiction. “I’m questioning whether we are doing any good by banning kratom,” Grundmann said. If states and the federal government make kratom illegal, he said, it would not only slow the progress of research, but it would also leave many kratom users no choice but to switch back to painkillers or heroin.
Original Article (Governing):
What’s Kratom, and why are States banning it?
Artwork Fair Use: Drugslab
