In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently withdrew its notice of a proposed study on kratom and psychedelics. On August 2, the FDA published a notice in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment period regarding a proposed study titled “Risk/Safety Considerations and Motivations for Purchase and Use …
FDA Reverses Course on Controversial Kratom and Psychedelics Study Read More »
Jakub Zientala is co-founder and Government Relations Manager of the European Kratom Alliance. He has appeared on KSP episodes #82 and #96. In this episode we have an update about regulation of kratom as a “psychomodular” substance in Czech Republic. We also talk about the legal status of kratom in the Netherlands and other European …
111. Jakub Zientala of European Kratom Alliance Returns Read More »
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 …
Media Conflates Milder Kratom Leaf with Stronger Kratom Extract Read More »
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 …
Study Finds Drug Busts Related to Increase in Overdose Deaths Read More »
A case report published in European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine entitled “Kratom-Induced Acute Respitory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)” claimed kratom induced ARDS in a 36 year old man with a “a 7.5-pack year history”. A “pack year” according to the National Cancer Institute, “is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes …
Respiratory Distress in Heavy Smoker Caused by Kratom, Say Doctors Read More »
Hallucination defined in Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide is “a perception without a stimulus” (2017). Kratom is not classified as a hallucinogen. Hallucinogens are defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as “drugs that alter a person’s awareness of their surroundings as well as their own thoughts and feelings” (2019). However, while the Food …
Kratom and Hallucinations: Examining the Evidence Behind the Claims Read More »
For a special 40th episode, Dr. Jon revisits research he led out of Tulane University in 2010 on psychoactive substance effects in zebrafish. Out of 40+ published papers from this research, we look at one focusing on zebrafish symptoms when in withdrawal from ethanol, diazepam, morphine and caffeine. We also talk about living in New …
Journal Club #40: Dr. Jon’s 2010 Zebrafish Research Read More »
Bethany Hallam is Councilperson-at-Large for Allegheny County. At age 29 she defeated a long-term incumbent after running openly as a formerly incarcerated person in Allegheny County Jail in recovery from opioid use disorder. She now sits on the jail’s oversight board. We talk about harm reduction, drug decriminalization, the exploitation of incarcerated people, and why …
A case report is a detailed medical report of the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment of an individual patient who presents to a healthcare professional. Case reports are an important part of evaluating the risks of psychoactive substances new to Western medicine, including possible toxicity, drug interactions, and effects on individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. With …
NIDA Review Finds Kratom Case Reports “Inadequate” Read More »
At last week’s Judiciary Committee hearing on HB181, the bill to criminalize kratom consumers in Georgia, personal injury lawyer Drew Ashby claimed of kratom science (not us, the entire science of kratom) showing results that may indicate that kratom is beneficial, that “all those are animal studies. Those animal studies have been paid for by …
Are all animal studies showing beneficial kratom effects funded by the AKA? Read More »
