Kratom Could Still Get Banned. Here’s What You Need To Know
You may never have heard of kratom before August 31 of this year. (I certainly hadn’t.) That was the day the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced that it planned to put the plant on Schedule 1 a month hence, to what turned out to be widespread outcry.
The reaction led to a withdrawal of that order and a reconsideration: The DEA is now giving the public until December 1 to send comments on whether or not the drug should be placed on Schedule 1. It has also asked the FDA for input. This is a major difference from the agency’s original position: Because Schedule 1 is for substances that have a high potential for abuse and also have no proven medical benefit, an FDA opinion that the plant could have a medical benefit could hugely influence the end decision.
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Technically it was mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, kratom’s main psychoactive components, that the DEA initially proposed to ban starting September 30, and the ban would have been temporary. But a temporary ban still means probably two and up to three years on Schedule 1 without input from the FDA or the public. It’s intended to cover drugs that are “imminent hazards to public safety” and requires no research or public comment period in advance. The problem: kratom is not infrequently used by people trying to wean themselves off of opioids, which by all accounts seem to be a much more dangerous drug.
“ We’re not sure if it’s helpful, harmful, addictive or any of these things yet,” explained Andrew Kruegel, one of the few researchers currently studying kratom, in a recent interview in his lab at Columbia University. “It does seem to be very helpful for some people in relieving chronic pain.”
The DEA named as a reason for banning kratom as soon as possible the fact that from 2010 to 2015, poison control centers received 660 calls related to the plant. Meanwhile, the American Association of Poison Control Centers counts calls for 55,622 opioid exposures between January and October of this year alone. The DEA itself counted 15 deaths involving kratom between 2014 and 2016–14 of which also involved other, more dangerous drugs. (In 2014, the most recent year for which numbers are available, opioids were responsible for over 29,000 deaths in the U.S.)
But opioids, at least the prescription ones, have a proven medical benefit, so though they are a growing hazard, they aren’t going to be placed on Schedule 1 any time soon. Kratom, on the other hand, hasn’t had much research done on it at all, and thus has no proven medical benefit. This doesn’t mean there is no benefit at all; it just means there’s more research that needs to be done before we can figure that out.
“It seems to have other pharmacological activities, which we’re still studying, but we don’t know much about those at this point,” said Kruegel. “We definitely think there may be medical potential there, but nothing has been shown in a controlled clinical trial.”
A ban could have a major negative impact on labs like Kruegal’s that are trying to decide what those benefits might be. “It’s basically left us in unknown territory,” he said of the in-between place kratom is in right now. Should a ban occur, Kruegal’s lab is prepared to carry on its work after getting the proper license–but putting the plant’s active components on Schedule 1 could seriously deter new labs from getting into kratom research. Kruegal’s lab actually did once apply for a schedule 1 license to study a different banned substance, but it ended up abandoning the project because obtaining the license was too onerous.
What we do know: The two compounds are opioid agonists of a type that activate one type of signaling in the brain, but not the other. Past research has shown that other drugs that use this pathway are, in fact, less dangerous than typical opioids and cause less respiratory depression. Kratom research could, in fact, lead to new, less dangerous painkillers–but it will happen a lot faster if the plant isn’t banned.
Another surprising finding from Kruegal’s lab? Kratom grown in the U.S., as opposed to its native southeast Asia, doesn’t appear to have mitragynine, one of the two compounds the DEA is proposing to ban.That means not only that people claiming a reaction from leaves grown in the U.S. might only be reporting a placebo effect, but also that just banning kratom the plant along with its active components might not be as easy as it sounds.
The DEA made the right decision in asking the FDA for more research before it commits to putting kratom on Schedule 1. Hopefully enough of that research can show the plant has medical potential before it gets banned entirely.
Filed under: General Problems
Very good question ” Why does the FDA and the DEA SHARE AN UNCONSIDERED AND UNREASONABLE BAIS AGAINST ALL PAIN MECICATION ” we can never stop looking into this. I do believe $ have exchanged hands. No one goes to this much trouble for nothing. There is a lot at steak here and it is not for us. I wish we had one whistle blower just one please come forward. For Xmas .
Sandra
My hubby believes,,because opiates are cheap to manufacture,,,,big pharma ,,,want are politicians to buy into the expensive on-working pain meds liker lyrica,,mary
I did an internet radio interview a few months ago with psychiatrist and psychiatric critic Dr. Peter Breggin, MD. Peter believes there is at least fragmentary evidence that large pharmaceutical firms may be conspiring to suppress opioids which are cheap, to generate demand for a new generation of re-purposed (and therefore patent-eligible) anti-psychotic drugs that may have a cross-action against chronic pain. I don’t know the truth of this speculation, but it is at least credible given the record of misbehavior and outright fraud demonstrated by this industry.
My hubby of 30 years is your typical guy,,except for 1 thing,,he is from a family of 5 boys,,and his father worked for the cia&,,department of defense,w/a high G clearance,,,His father,now gone,was a gentle good soul and would NEVER EVER talk about work,,ever,,but,,5 boys,during the Vietnam war,,not 1 served,,He was well aware and always told us,,the government always lies to the public,,,always!!!!!!!!!Never believe what ,”they” put out to the public,,,ever,,,,,mary
As Steve noted, “The DEA made the right decision in asking the FDA for more research before it commits to putting kratom on Schedule 1.”
A pertinent question here is why the DEA didn’t make this request BEFORE moving to ban Kratom. I find it quite credible that DEA and FDA share an unconsidered and unreasonable bias against ALL pain relieving medications. It may not be going too far to suggest that the US Government is engaged in an undeclared war against 100 million citizens of this country who are chronic pain patients. And it is time to STOP THE WAR!
Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!maryw