KSFR’s Mary Lou Cooper reports on a controversial substance known as kratom. Is it a harmless mood lifter and pain reliever or is it a dangerous drug that should be regulated?
One thing we do know is that kratom is big business. According to the company Maximum Market Research, kratom is a two billion dollar plus business in the US. Kratom user estimates start at two million Americans and go up.
KSFR recently received a press release from the New Mexico Department of Justice sending up major warning signals about kratom. The state DOJ cited the federal Drug Enforcement Administration as indicating that the risks of kratom include addiction, withdrawal symptoms, psychosis, overdose and even death.
Although Cooper had seen signs advertising kratom at convenience stores, she wasn’t sure just what kratom is. So, she moseyed over to a local natural supplement store to find out more. Mostly kratom looks like packages of colored powder, but it is also offered in capsule or tablet form and sometimes liquid. Kratom is sometimes served at kava bars which bill themselves as alternatives to cocktail lounges. The local sales staff said kratom is a natural product derived from a tree grown primarily in Southeast Asia. People buy kratom to alleviate pain, increase energy and improve their mood. As Cooper left the shop, the kratom sellers gave her a little blue card with fine print which advises kratom consumers not to exceed recommended dose or use long-term and notes the product is not FDA approved. The warnings acknowledge that one derivative of kratom can be “10-fold more potent than morphine.” Finally, the card disclaimed responsibility for any adverse effects.
One of the issues that has confused the debate over kratom is the difference between natural kratom leaf products and chemically manipulated 7-OH products. While natural kratom leaves contain very low-levels of the opioid-like substance known as 7-0H, substances with chemically manipulated 7-0H levels have been deceptively marketed as kratom.
To ferret out the truth about kratom, KSFR spoke with three experts who offered different perspectives:
- Mac Haddow, advocate, American Kratom Association
- David Daniels, staff, New Mexico Department of Health and
- Lauren Rodriguez, Chief of Staff for the New Mexico Attorney General
Music for this podcast is “Jazzy Vibes #81-Jazz Piano Medley” from Tri-Tachyon, Freesound, licensed by CC By 4.0.
