A local lawmaker wants the state to regulate an easily available over the counter herbal supplement that mimics opioids.
While kratom has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia to help reduce fatigue, treat anxiety or depression or manage pain, it's become readily available at vape shops and convenience stores promoting it as an energy booster.
North Hills State Representative Emily Kinkead says while it can be fine when used under supervision, but “it’s when you start using a ton of it, or your using the synthetic forms of it, that you have this high concentration, it becomes a real issue.”
The DEA says it can lead to liver toxicity and seizures, and its synthetic version is 13 times more powerful than morphine.
Kinkead's bill would ban the sale of synthetic kratom, require clear testing, stop the sale and marketing of kratom to anyone under 21