kratom controversy

California Dept of Public Health Seizes Kratom Despite Lack of Prohibition Laws

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Last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced it has seized $5 million worth of kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products, despite no law explicitly prohibiting kratom and 7-OH in the state. Grant Boyken of CDPH told SFGATE the products were placed under embargo “pending further regulatory actions”. Boyken cited California’s Sherman Food, Drug, …

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Wave of Negative News Engulfs Kratom Since FDA Move to Schedule 7-OH

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A wave of negative media coverage (more than usual) has engulfed kratom in the weeks following the FDA’s July 29 recommendation to classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as an illicit substance. While the agency’s move targets products containing an abundance of 7-OH—not the plain leaf kratom that contains near-zero amounts of 7-OH—news outlets have blurred the distinction, …

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Dr. McCurdy at Kratom Debate: Natural Leaf is “the only product that should be in the marketplace”

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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 …

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AKA and HART Face Off Over 7-Hydroxymitragynine This Friday

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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 …

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Man Cuts Off Penis During Psychotic Episode; Media Blames Kratom

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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 …

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Army Looking to Bust Soldiers for Kratom

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In a statement released May 29, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) warned soldiers about the “dangers of kratom”. Echoing language posted on the DEA or FDA website, the Army CID pointed out that kratom and its alkaloids are not FDA approved, and listed all possible side effects, but did not characterize …

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