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DEA to Cut Opioid Supply; Now Accepting Public Comments

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is threatening to cut the supply of opioids at a time when pain patients are struggling to access treatment, and illicit opioids are becoming more potent. The DEA is receiving public comments on the proposed cuts at this link:  https://www.regulations.gov/document/DEA-2023-0150-0001 . Comments are due by December 4, 2023. The Controlled …

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Kratom Shown to Inhibit Fat, Glucose Accumulation In Vitro

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Note: We report on ongoing science. Not enough evidence has been established to conclude that kratom or mitragynine is an effective treatment for any disease. Scientists have discovered that kratom can inhibit enzymes that play a role in fat absorption. In an in vitro study, scientists found that mitragynine is a potent inhibitor of lipase, …

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Scientists: Kratom Extract “A Blessing and a Curse”

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In a letter to the journal Addiction, kratom scientists including Oliver Grundmann, Christopher McCurdy, Abhisheak Sharma, Kirsten Smith, and Marc Swogger emphasized that kratom leaf, sold in crushed or dried for in the West and used for at least hundreds of years in Southeast Asia, is different from kratom alkaloid extract products, manufactured recently and …

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Zachary, Louisiana Kratom Ban Hearing Scheduled for Today at 6:30pm CST

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The town council of Zachary Louisiana will hold a hearing today (Tuesday September 12, 2023) at 6:30pm CST at Council Chambers, 4700 Main Street to determine whether the possession and sale of kratom will be banned in the town. Kratom advocates are encouraged to contact the councilmember sponsoring this ban, Ambre Devirgilio at [email protected] as …

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Kratom Could Reduce Alcohol Consumption, Say Scientists

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The alkaloid speciogynine may be a starting point for low-risk treatment Self-reports of kratom use as an alcohol substitute exist online, though they have not been as well documented in the scientific literature as other motivations for kratom use, such as substitution for opiates (Smith et al, 2023). In one survey of US residents, 18% …

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Media Conflates Milder Kratom Leaf with Stronger Kratom Extract

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Recent media reports about kratom-related deaths are leaving out basic information about these tragic events. Preexisting conditions and possible drug interactions are sparsely mentioned or left out of reports entirely. Media is also using the term “kratom” to describe all products, from fresh leaf to extract to kratom products mixed with other substances (such as …

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Kratom Vendor Who Lost $11 Million Lawsuit Failed to Launch a Defense

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Grow LLC, selling under the brand Kratom Distro, failed to show up in court to defend itself against the family of a Florida woman who died after ingesting “Space Dust”, a extremely strong kratom extract, sold to her by the company in a poorly labeled packet. On March 24, 2023, in the case of Devin …

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Lawsuit Awards $11 million to Family of Woman Who Died After Taking Strong Kratom Extract

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Grow LLC, the company selling kratom under the vendor name “Kratom Distro”, has been ordered to pay $11 million to the family of Krystal Talavera, a Florida woman with pre-existing health conditions who died after ingesting “Space Dust”. Sold in an unlabeled package with no accompanying information, Space Dust has been reported to be an …

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Study Finds Drug Busts Related to Increase in Overdose Deaths

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A study published in American Journal of Public Health found fatal drug overdoses increased following police seizures of illicit substances. Researchers examined data over a two year period in Marion County, Indiana, and “compared frequency and characteristics of drug (i.e., opioids and stimulants) seizures with changes in fatal overdose, emergency medical services nonfatal overdose calls …

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Louisiana just passed a law regulating a nonexistent substance called “mitragynine speciosa”

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Pay attention to the spelling of the terms in italics, especially if you’re a Louisiana legislator. Mitragyna speciosa is the scientific term for kratom. Mitragynine is the term for an alkaloid in the kratom plant (usually the most abundant alkaloid present). Mitragynine speciosa is not a thing, but that didn’t stop it from being regulated …

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