Feds to Study Kratom as Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Feds to Study Kratom as Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Kratom is federally legal in the United States. A free public resource for journalists, advocates, consumers, and state representatives. Notice of federal funding and federal disclaimer. During the next legislative session in January 2026, lawmakers will have to codify the ban on 7-OH. After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat-footed again,” Makary stated last month. Kratom is also often used to self-treat conditions such as pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety and depression, according to the FDA.

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• The United Football League embraced kratom beginning in 2024, naming one sponsor as the official supplier.
• Kratom bans have also been the most frequent tool employed by localities, such as Albuquerque (NM), Kansas City (MO), Nassau County (NY), and Spokane (WA), to try to limit the presence of kratom in their communities.
• FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., wrote in a statement that vape stores are “popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH.”
• Lawmakers banned intoxicating products last year, though the industry got a short-lived reprieve to continue sales until the end of the month.
• Consult a physician or healthcare professional before consuming.

There haven’t been any noteworthy conversations about a kratom ban in the U.S. This may be from the kratom itself or the drugs used alongside it. According to the Alt Law National Institute on Drug Abuse, the use and sale of kratom are banned or controlled in many countries.

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Other side effects may include nausea, dizziness, confusion and tremors, according to Karan. 7-OH can be more potent than morphine, leading to the potential for abuse and drug-related symptoms like dependence and withdrawal, according to the HHS. It produces a stimulant effect at low doses and an opioid-like, analgesic effect when taken in higher amounts, according to Dr. Richard Clark, medical director of the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System. The plant is thought to have dual properties.

They are often labeled as a dietary supplement to help with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and opioid withdrawal. The FDA is particularly concerned with the growing market of 7-OH products that may be especially appealing to children and teenagers, such as fruit-flavored gummies and ice cream cones that aren’t clearly labeled as having 7-OH content. The ingredient is being used in products that are becoming increasingly available to purchase online and at smoke shops, the agency warned. Poison control centers in the U.S. received more than 3,400 reports about the use of kratom from 2014 to 2019, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH,” Makary warned. The FDA is pushing to add the opioid-like ingredient to the federal controlled substances list. The synthetic byproduct isn’t legal in dietary supplements or food products. While 7-OH can be found naturally in kratom in small amounts, manufacturers have figured out how to supercharge it — boosting its concentrations in capsules, powders, liquids and edibles.

Trouville, who is now suing the manufacturer of the kratom drinks her son consumed, suspects that’s part of the reason his death certificate reflects mitragynine toxicity as his cause of death. In Florida, where Trouville’s son died, a local investigation the year before his death revealed that nearly 600 people over the last decade had died of kratom-related overdoses. According to the addiction treatment network Sprout Health Group, six states, including Rhode Island, have outlawed the sale and use of kratom. That’s partly because kratom’s relative newness makes it undetectable in standard drug testing.

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• Its potency comes from a concentrated amount of alkaloids from the Mitragyna Speciosa tree found in Southeast Asia.
• Importantly, natural kratom leaf remains legal in Florida under the state’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), which has required 21-and-older age verification, accurate labeling, and a ban on adulterated or synthetic products since 2023.
• Florida remains one of the more accessible states for kratom users, though local ordinances in some counties may add restrictions.
• Advocates for kratom say it has been a lifeline for many people who have struggled with chronic pain.

Likewise, if it is taken with any other substances that cause sedation, it can worsen that effect and even lead to respiratory depression and breathing trouble. However, more research is needed to determine the effects of these dosage variations on the body in the short and long term. Higher doses between about 5 and 15 grams may have the opposite effect and may help relieve pain. Early studies suggest that doses below 5 grams of raw plant material may act as a stimulant, similar to caffeine. There is also a possibility of heart and kidney damage in certain people. Plus, it can cause addiction and withdrawal symptoms.