Kratom had been a trend for quite a while now. However, certain studies show that using this product has adverse effects. This is one of the main driving forces of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to declare kratom ban 2017.
On Monday of November 13, 2017, FDA announced that they started restricting importations of kratom products. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a blog post that their agency started to ban the shipment of kratom. And now, the ban on kratom use ignites again.
If you are wondering, this is not the first attempt to ban the said substance. Over a year ago, the Drug Enforcement Association (DEA) suggested utilizing its authorities to put kratom in a temporary ban. They said there were concerns about the substance being abused and the risks of using it.
Kratom has, for some time, been utilized to diminish agony and ease other drug withdrawal symptoms. These are the main components of kratom:
These components in high dosages are responsible for the so-called euphoric high. The DEA declared on August 31, 2016 its intention to temporarily put Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-HMG) to schedule 1 classification of drugs.
By law, the U.S. Attorney General has the power to put any unscheduled substance into schedule 1 if the DEA and the Department of Health and services see it as a threat to public safety.
Schedule 1 drugs are considered to be the most probable to result in severe physical and psychological addiction. These classes of drugs are considered to be more addictive and have no clear medical use. This means if you buy or sell these substances, you will be arrested.
The Drug Enforcement Association tried to justify that kratom is to be put in Schedule 1 classification temporarily until they have enough information about the substance.
DEA is claiming that kratom is fast becoming a substance of abuse and widely available in recreational drug stores. They continue by claiming that there has been an increase in confiscation of kratom intended for recreational use.
They said that if you use the substance, the effects are:
They continue claiming long-term users become dependent on the substance. These are just a few of the effects of kratom.
However, DEA stated that there were reports of 660 cases of poisoning that were kratom-related.
According to them, when you consume kratom together with alcohol or other opiates, the effect might be lethal.
There have been reports of approximately thirty deaths either in case studies or medical findings since 2009, with the peak at 2014.
Moreover, the DEA claims to have received reports from a number of local officials about the following:
The DEA sees this as a justified reason to temporarily classify kratom as a schedule 1 drug.
Quickly, the public heard about the suggested implementation of temporarily classifying kratom as a schedule 1 drug. Soon, protest on the streets near the White House broke out. It was carried by organizations like Botanical Educational Alliance and American Kratom Association.
An application signed by 100,000 individuals was forwarded to the White House and various phones calls were made to the Congress. All this is to oppose the claims of DEA regarding the harmful effects of kratom.
The opposition continues to stress that kratom helps to ease pain and diminish other drug addiction. With this said, they insist that kratom’s classification remains unscheduled.
Fifty congressmen signed a letter composed by U.S. Representatives Matt Salmon and Mark Pocan. This letter caused the delay in the intentions of DEA and eventually led to the withdrawal of kratom ban.
On the 13th of October 2016, DEA officially stated that they are withdrawing from the intended temporary schedule of kratom. However, authorities are still emphasizing serious precaution when it comes to kratom consumption.
Today the movement against kratom ban 2017 continues.
