This past spring, state lawmakers have filed six bills in Massachusetts having to do with kratom policy. Four of the bills aim to schedule kratom as a “Class A” controlled substance, which would put it in the same category as heroin and fentanyl. One bill, S1558, aims to regulate kratom similar to Kratom Consumer Protection …
Multiple Kratom Ban Bills Sit in Massachusetts Legislature Read More »
On Tuesday, July 29, officials including Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary announced via a press conference the FDA’s intent to recommend to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) be scheduled as a controlled substance. Several times during …
The kratom industry is railing against 7-OH products as problematic, but are extra-strength kratom extracts problematic too? The controversy surrounding the rise of new 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products has sparked a debate among various players in the kratom industry, as well as scientists and consumers. A debate called “The 7-OH Fault Line” took place at the …
Members of the American Kratom Association (AKA) and the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) will debate the controversial alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and the 7-OH-abundant products that have become available to consumers in the past 2 years. Billed as “The 7-OH Fault Line”, the debate will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center 3150 Paradise …
AKA and HART Face Off Over 7-Hydroxymitragynine This Friday Read More »
Effective July 1, Mississippi is now charging a 25% tax on all purchases on kratom. House Bill 1896, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Horan (R) and signed by Governor Tate Reeves (R) in April, mandates a 25% excise tax on the list price of all kratom products. An excise tax is a tax levied on specific …
Disclaimer: Kratom Is Not a Breast Cancer Treatment: While this study investigates the potential of kratom compounds mitragynine and 7-hyroxymitragynine to bind with HER2 receptors through computer modeling, it does not prove or suggest that kratom cures breast cancer. These results are preliminary and based solely on in silico simulations (i.e., computer-generated predictions). No clinical …
Preliminary in silico Study Explores Kratom Alkaloids’ Effects on Breast Cancer Protein Read More »
Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) issued a warning in early July about the potential harms of kratom, sparking new concerns that a kratom ban might be forthcoming. “Kratom is not approved as a medicine in Germany. The safety and effectiveness of kratom have not been sufficiently tested so far,” reads a …
Germany Issues Health Warning on Kratom, Fuels Ban Speculation Read More »
The New York State Legislature has approved a bill that would usher in a new era of kratom regulation—focused not on prohibition, but on harm reduction and public health oversight. “A lot of times making things illegal doesn’t solve the problem, as we know,” said New York Assembly co-sponsor Phil Steck, who chairs the Committee …
New York Legislature Sends Kratom Bill to Governors’ Desk Read More »
In a historic move, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has signed The Rhode Island Kratom Act. Kratom will be legalized and regulated in Rhode Island. Kratom has been illegal in the state since 2017. The new act takes effect on April 1, 2026. “This marks the first time in U.S. history that a state has …
In the tradition of Reefer Madness, LSD window-jumpers, and bath salt zombies, the media has conjured up a new ghoul: the kratom-fueled self-castrator. The phrase “based on a true story” has never been more fitting. Triggered by a case report published in a medical journal in January 2024, recent clickbait media stories describe a deranged …
Man Cuts Off Penis During Psychotic Episode; Media Blames Kratom Read More »