I dunno if it's a moral panic or not but it definitely has a social/socioeconomic connotation 😬 Around parts familiar it has a sort of "this ain't as good as meth but it's legal and I can buy it at the corner store" vibe

No. It's an actual problem. Not on the level of the opioid epidemic, but kratom is addictive and causes withdrawals.

Sure, so many things are. But I see things that are like, "BE CAREFUL MY FRIEND'S FRIEND'S KID WENT INTO A COMA" and it's hard to suss... anything.

That's true. And also I know people who had to detox. Which, uh, makes me sound like your theoretical fear monger.

I guess I'll say that it's not a panic like the satanic panic but it's not like fentanyl (which is also a panic, but is also based in a scary reality).

This is legitimately helpful.

I see stuff come up on TikTok + other socials re: concerns with this and I've also heard things of similar tenor and tone over the course of my life with all sorts of things, which is what tends to make me skeptical. Not saying it's not A Thing but maybe not A Whole Thing? bsky.app/profile/ivya...

Someone attended one of my recent NA meetings with kratom as their substance of choice.

my neighbor used to run an online store selling Kratom, and sourcing product was a perpetual headache because of its mixed legal status around the globe so, idk, maybe?

A drug friend gave it to me once and was like this is great! And I tried it and it was like... I'd rather take real drugs. (I AM NOT SAYING IT'S NOT HARMFUL! I JUST DON'T KNOW!)

It is the official amuse bouche of Florida Man 😂 #HopeThisHelps

Is there something new happening with kratom?

The FDA thing?

Ohio is moving to ban it and the lobbying efforts there are going national. It’s one of those substances that is showing signs of harm, but it’s unclear if it’s “booze” harm or “cocaine” harm or “LSD” harm.

There is also a regulatory angle to it, where the plant itself is often processed with substances known to enhance its potency (it’s an opioid antagonist) before being sold as pills, making the conversation and research around its safety murky

I’m normally a “legalize and regulate it” guy, but there’s not a ton of data about the safety / benefits out there, so my stance is “idk”…

In my opinion (as someone who studied public health and works in public health/harm reduction for their day job), it 100% is a panic. Could there be detrimental side effects to kratom for some folks? Of course, everyone's body reacts differently, dosage matters, etc. 1/x

Should there be regulation of the gas station kratom products? Of course, people need to have a safe supply. Does the data indicate that kratom is this super threat? No, it does not. What we will likely see is further unregulated supply of substances (including kratom), further barriers to 2/x

pain relief for chronic pain patients (many of whom use kratom because of restrictions on pain meds), further criminalization of drugs and people who use drugs, leading to, again, more incarceration, unsafe supply, etc, none of which lead to good public health outcomes. 3/x

I could go on further but I will stop, hahaha. Sorry about that - clearly this is something that has gotten under my skin, and I appreciate you using your platform to ask the question/make people think about what is really going on.

This all is pretty exactly what I am feeling.