Kratom cases are exploding across the U S. and doctors are alarmed

“It first came to my attention in dealing with local high school athletes that were using it for anxiety and pain control from soreness after practice,” Quigley said. Part of that disagreement stems from the nature of the plant itself. News stations reported that drug paraphernalia was found at the scene. Arkansas outlawed the plant a decade ago – long before Clarke crossed into the state in April on his way to show off his new supercharged Corvette ZR1.

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But Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy for the American Kratom Association, denies that kratom is addictive or dangerous. In Bonneville county, Idaho, the coroner reported in October 2025 that four local deaths in the previous 18 months were due solely to acute drug toxicity of mitragynine, the primary active compound in kratom. Other substances, primarily opioids, appeared in the toxicology reports of all those who died too. At least eight states – Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin – have banned kratom. Others argue it helps people with substance abuse issues stop using harder drugs. Since then, FDA regulators have continued to issue warnings about cases of injury, addiction and death with kratom supplements, which are usually sold in capsules or powders.

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It is relatively new and so many people, including some mental health professionals, may not be familiar with it or the risks patients may incur when they use it. All information presented here is not a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Do not drive or use heavy machinery while using this product. Manufacturers & re-sellers assume no responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of this product. This product has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. As with Kratom powders, potentiators such as citrus juice or coffee may intensify the effects.

• At a news conference July 29, the FDA announced its intention to crack down on products containing 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a compound naturally occurring in the kratom plant.
• The answers referenced only synthetic kratom (7-OH) and the agency’s announcement of a plan to crack down on it last July.
• The concentrated byproduct has been linked to opioid receptors in the body, triggering the potential for abuse and various drug-related symptoms.
• Feel Free, a kratom drink, is marketed as healthy.
• The letters cited violations, including unapproved drug claims and marketing 7-OH as a dietary supplement, which the FDA considers illegal.

Wisdom is in her 20s and was building a business in the health and wellness space a few years ago, so the ads appealed to her. Social media posts for Feel Free, made by Botanic Tonics, portray the little blue bottle as a midday pick-me-up, used by everyone from ordinary people to athletes. "I first heard of Feel Free on one of my favorite health and wellness podcasts," said McKenzie Wisdom. Kratom and 7-OH side effects include withdrawal symptoms, insomnia and anxiety, seizures, and fatal respiratory depression.

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When addiction psychiatrist Corneliu Stanciu first started looking into kratom in 2013, it was, he said, “a very different landscape compared to now.” “Once they started concentrating it in these 7-OH products, it was really replicating a full opioid,” she said. Kratom is usually advertised sids 2014 as a safe herbal supplement that’s used as an energy booster, pain reliever and, crucially, an aid for quitting opioids. “Similarly, with kratom—while not nearly as potent as a stimulant—it is unusual that it also acts like an opioid when taken at a higher dose.” Some countries, like Indonesia and Thailand, have recently moved toward regulated legal production for medical use. As of 2018, kratom is a controlled substance in sixteen countries.

The law’s sponsor, Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga), called kratom “gas station heroin.” Kratom is derived from a Southeast Asian tropical tree. All that will really be left will be those CBD, CBC, CBG, and CBN products that were available before the galaxy of hemp-derived THC products hit the market. However, according to court documents, a judge found the company “failed to show a likelihood of success on their legal arguments that federal law preempts any relevant part of the Kratom Regulation Act.” Utah’s law, the company said, would cause them to remove their products from Utah stores and immediately lose over $10.7 million.

Further, selling and trading this herbal supplement is illegal and can lead to harsh penalties or even jail time. Because of this classification, Kratom was completely banned from the country. Many are marketed in forms that appeal to young people, including flavored gummies, brightly colored packaging, and other candy-like presentations. I’ve seen, say, less than 1% of people get addicted to it, but those are the people that get addicted to anything and everything that they come in contact with,” said the seller.