Current Events

Man Held in Arkansas Jail for 8 Months on Kratom Charge for Carrying Moringa

  “In April of 2022, he was arrested for having kratom. And the kratom turned out not to be kratom.” In a video posted on Facebook by Attorney W. Whitfield “Whit” Hyman on November 21, 2023, Hyman speaks on the case of Scott Cook, who is sitting in the passenger seat of Hyman’s vehicle. Cook …

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DEA to Cut Opioid Supply; Now Accepting Public Comments

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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Woman Dies After Ingesting High-Dose Caffeine. Why Aren’t Prohibitionists Calling for Coffee Ban?

Rolling Stone reports a 21-year old University of Pennsylvania student died after consuming a high-dose caffeine drink at overpriced fast food chain Panera Bread. Branded as “Charged Lemonade”, the “drink has 390 milligrams of caffeine, which is close to the amount of caffeine in three Red Bulls”. Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old student at the University …

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Federal Kratom Regulation Bill Introduced for 2023 Session

Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI) are sponsoring a bill in the US House (HB5905), and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) is sponsoring a companion bill in the US Senate (SB3039) that would require the federal government to research and hold hearings on kratom, and limit the power of the Food and Drug …

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

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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Media Conflates Milder Kratom Leaf with Stronger Kratom Extract

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

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

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

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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Czech Republic Anti-Drug Coordinator Still Pushing for Kratom, Cannabis to Be Regulated

Anti-Drug Coordinator of Czech Republic, Jindřich Vobořil, told the popular Czech news website Novinky.cz in an interview that he is still pushing for sensible regulation of kratom and cannabis. On Tuesday, June 20, Vobořil met with leaders of the government’s five-party coalition about his proposed regulation. Despite worry from one of the parties, Vobořil said …

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