The FDA announced that kratom, a herbal supplement, is now illegal.
In the middle of the opioid epidemic, people are trying to find a healthy alternative to the use of such medicines. Some people believed and might even continue doing so that Kratom is the solution for the opioid crisis. Now, this alternative is no longer legal. The FDA has issued a warning for this herbal supplement. However, it is not the first to do so as it was Arkansas that first banned Kratom from being used.
Kevin Anderson is a man who works at a shop that used to sell kratom. He mentioned that the people who purchased this herbal supplement used it because they were in pain, and not for recreational motives. Anderson stated that he wasn’t addicted to this supplement. He said that he only took it when he was in pain.
This herbal supplement is made from a plant that grows in Southeast Asia. It became popular because it has the same effects as opioids. Kratom is sold in a powder form, and it can be chewed, taken as a pill or prepared as a tea.
Despite the fact that it is an herbal supplement, kratom is linked to more than 36 deaths, as mentioned by the FDA. The Arkansas State Crime lab mentioned that it is not a definitive cause of death, but it was part of a multiple overdose.
The FDA said that kratom, like any other drug, needs to go through an approval process before being deemed safe for public consumption. Kratom has popped up in 5 autopsies in the last 3 years.
The American Kratom Association mentioned that this herbal supplement is a healthy alternative to opioids and that other health problems caused the deaths that were associated with its consumption. The FDA is now working to prevent any shipments of kratom from entering the country.
“To fulfill our public health obligations, we have identified kratom products on two import alerts and we are working to actively prevent shipments of kratom from entering the U.S.,” wrote the agency.
At the same time, some people mentioned that this supplement helped them and that it needs to be tested and put back on the market.
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