FDA is actively evaluating all available scientific information on this issue and continues to warn consumers not to use any products labeled as containing the botanical substance kratom…
FDA encourages more research to better understand kratom’s safety profile, including the use of kratom combined with other drugs.
How exactly is the FDA encouraging more research?
Dear Kratom Warriors,
Let's start with the good news:
- Louisiana isn't going to criminalize kratom statewide. Some Parish bans persist but considering how close a ban came after being passed in the Senate, this outcome is much better than many alternatives. Read more: Is kratom legal in Louisiana?
- Nevada's legislature has sent a strengthened Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) to their Governor to sign. This should help prevent future attempts from the Nevada Board of Pharmacy to criminalize kratom. Read more: Is kratom legal in Nevada?
- Massachusetts is holding hearings on a state KCPA and you can help by contacting legislators at Protectkratom.org/massachusetts
The AKA legislative team is proud that there are no active state ban attempts right now and Rhode Island is very close to removing their ban. This is all thanks to your donations, advocacy support and testimonials.
Now the reality check. The FDA still is coming hard after kratom consumers. We know this is tiring to hear, and people will say the AKA is fear mongering and alarmist, but it isn't an overstatement to say that without all of us working together to resist, the FDA will not stop until it is a crime to consume kratom across America.
Just look at their “FDA and Kratom” page updated again this month where they repeatedly say no one should ever take kratom. The FDA is actively encouraging adverse event reports on kratom and distributing data on in-depth analysis of “78” kratom reports to justify their position. Plus let's remember last month the FDA brought in US Marshalls to seize kratom products because they're biased against kratom.
The FDA is trying to say they aren't biased by stating the agency “encourages more research to better understand kratom’s safety profile, including the use of kratom combined with other drugs.” Yet why didn't they do this research before trying to criminalize consumers and telling states to ban it?
Again, if the FDA were serious about kratom research, why aren't they using some of the billions in their budget to fund it? Or why isn't the FDA supporting and coordinating with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to help further the research they are doing?
Maybe one day the FDA will hear what millions of Americans like you are saying about safe kratom but that day isn't today or likely to be soon.
This is especially infuriating because there really are indisputable and massive food and drug problems out there. Just look at the tremendous toll synthetic drugs, especially fentanyl, are taking on Americans.
From National Institute of Health's own database: “deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) continued to rise with 70,601 overdose deaths reported in 2021”
So the reality is we in the kratom community are going to have to keep pushing for real science to be published; and for legislation to be passed that protects kratom consumers from adulterated products, and from being criminalized for safely using kratom.
We want you to know that this summer and beyond the AKA is working to get more scientific research into kratom toxicity studies, understanding how kratom interacts with other common food chemicals and drugs, and much more understanding of the compounds found in kratom leaves.
We encourage everyone to read and share the grounding breaking work already done in scientific articles and studies like:
- Kratom Science Update: Evidence-Based Facts
- Respiratory effects of oral mitragynine
- Eight-Factor Analysis of Kratom by School of Pharmacy, Concordia University Wisconsin
Remember it was the scientific evidence of kratom safety in 2016 and 2018 combined and the “embarrassingly poor evidence & data” of the FDA that stopped Scheduling.
Read more: How exactly is the FDA encouraging more research?
