A recent case involving a 27-year-old Arizona woman who reportedly suffered heart failure after consuming kratom gummies has drawn national attention. The woman reportedly took the gummies for leg pain and only took them for one week. While the incident has been widely reported, many of the most important details remain unknown. One of the …
Arizona Kratom Gummy Case Leaves Key Questions Unanswered Read More »
When prohibition is enacted, the consequences rarely unfold in the neat, orderly way lawmakers imagine. Just two weeks underway, the July 1 kratom bans in Kansas and Tennessee offer a real‑time case study in how criminalization can destabilize entire communities overnight. In Kansas, the decision to classify kratom and 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as Schedule I substances …
In a study published June 30 in Clinical Toxicology, scientists found mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and mitragynine-pseudoindoxyl in three liquid shot products being sold as “kava” in Alabama. Alabama law specifically lists mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine as Schedule I controlled substances. Though mitragynine-pseudoindoxyl is not specifically listed as a controlled substance in the state, it is controlled as …
Scientists Find Kratom Alkaloids in Products Marketed as Kava in Alabama Read More »
On June 1, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that mitragynine, the most abundant alkaloid in kratom, has been cleared as an Investigational New Drug (IND). With IND status, scientists at University of Florida are now authorized to study the effects of pure mitragynine in human subjects. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director …
NIH Approves Clinical Trials as Mitragynine Gets “Investigational New Drug” Status Read More »
In Indonesia, kratom has recently been regulated as an export commodity, but it is outlawed for use among Indonesians. The Dayak Kalis indigenous people of Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan are particularly affected by these policies, as kratom is an integral part of their environment and a traditional medicine, as well as a way to earn …
Dayak Kalis and the Fight for Traditional Kratom Rights Read More »
Keep in Mind: Despite news media and other nefarious actors’ exaggerations, and despite millions of informed adults using kratom in moderation with net benefits, risks of kratom use are real. Kratom should not be consumed in high doses or with various other substances, including alcohol, Benedryl, Tylenol, opioids, or multiple prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Kratom …
“Kratom-Related Exposures” Reported to Poison Control Increase to 3,434 in 2025 Read More »
Disclaimer:Research findings from animal studies do not always translate directly to humans. Differences in biology, metabolism, and dosing mean that results observed in animals may not reflect the same effects or safety in people. Animal research is an early step in understanding how a substance might work, but human clinical studies are necessary to determine …
Study: Mitragynine/Naltrexone Combo Reduces Alcohol Use in Rats Read More »
A long-awaited kratom clinical study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. The pilot study (defined as “a preliminary investigation designed to test the feasibility and design of a larger, more comprehensive study”) involved healthy adult participants who were administered an ascending dose of …
Multiple news media and even medical professionals have repeated the claim that 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is “13 times stronger than morphine” as though it is a fact established through rigorous science. Where does this claim come from and how accurate is it? The claim comes from studies from 2002 (Takayama, et al) and 2004 (Matsumoto, et …
Is 7-OH Really “13 times stronger than morphine”? Read More »
The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Nora Volkow, was the keynote speaker for this year’s Scientific Kratom Symposium. Hosted by the University of Florida College of Pharmacy at its Lake Nona research campus, the four-day event held from February 17-20, 2026, brought together roughly 100 scientists from about a dozen countries …
Fifth Scientific Kratom Symposium Held in Florida Read More »