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House Appropriations Committee bill HR4502 could direct HHS to Keep Kratom Legal

On July 20, the House Committee on Appropriations released summaries of seven appropriations bills for fiscal year 2022, which runs from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022. One of the bills, HR4502 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill, includes a report, 117-96, that includes language that would direct the …

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Combining traditional plant medicine with modern medical technology

A pharmacologist today may regard traditional and plant medicine as primitive, and may entirely disregard thousands of years of use and thousands of modern-day testimonies of positive outcomes because it has not been through the rigors of hard science. On the other hand, the massive spread of anti-science misinformation has cast sometimes unreasonable doubt on …

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The Untold Truth Behind Harm Reduction Centers and Kratom

On Wednesday July 7, the Governor of Rhode Island, Dan McKee, signed a historic bill to legalize the first safe drug consumption site (SCS) in the country. The two-year pilot program will allow individuals to use pre-obtained drugs under the careful guidance of trained professionals. Kratom, on the other hand, remains banned in the state. …

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A list of baseless claims that kratom causes hallucinations

In October 2018 we covered a sensationalist news story out of Florida where the director of a for-profit rehabilitation center claimed that kratom caused hallucinations (Scripps Media, 2018). Multiple news stories, press releases by government agencies, and even peer-reviewed published studies have made this claim, all without a shred of hard evidence. The most comprehensive …

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Cleveland Clinic uses O-desmethyltramadol overdoses to support its claim that “kratom has even caused death”

Cleveland Clinic is one of the highest ranking and most reputable hospital systems in the United States. The nonprofit established in 1921 (Happy Anniversary!) serves over 7 million patients per year, houses the top cardiology program in the nation, and has international campuses in Canada, the UK, and the United Arab Emirates. The Cleveland Clinic …

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Does the FDA want to control kratom because they know it’s safe?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been an outspoken enemy of legal kratom since 2012. The FDA’s official stance on kratom as of 2019 has been to warn Americans that kratom is a dangerous drug that should never be consumed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use Mitragyna speciosa, …

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Let’s look at the Oregon Kratom Consumer Protection Act

On June 26, Oregon’s state senate passed HB2646, the Oregon Kratom Consumer Protection Act. Governor Kate Brown is expected to sign this bill into law, making Oregon the 6th state to place regulations on kratom vendors to hopefully ensure adult access to pure, uncontaminated kratom. Like other KCPAs, this bill places an age restriction on …

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What’s causing hair loss, a rare side effect in kratom consumers?

So far, no scientific evidence has been found linking kratom and hair loss, but it seems from several online forums that a very small percentage of American consumers are experiencing this bizarre side effect. Many also report that after discontinuing kratom, their hair grows back. What could be the cause? I could find virtually no …

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The Big Dietary Supplements Industry Wants to Ban Kratom

Import Alert Imposed During Natural Products Association CEO’s Tenure at FDA Update: As of 2022 NPA and Daniel Fabricant appear to be no longer to be in favor of kratom prohibition*** The Natural Products Association (NPA) describes itself as the “leading trade association for dietary supplements”. Its board members include representatives from massive “nutraceuticals” manufacturers, …

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