(KFF Health News) – Kratom, which originates from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia, is also touted for helping relieve pain and opioid withdrawal symptoms. But it can have wide-ranging mental and bodily effects, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, addiction medicine experts, and kratom researchers. Reports of deadly kratom overdoses have surfaced in recent years, though often in combination with other substances.

But the drug is in a gray federal regulatory area: It’s designated by the DEA as a “drug and chemical of concern,” but it is not considered a controlled substance. Legislation introduced in Congress in 2023 to study kratom has not advanced.

The lack of federal regulation and congressional action has left it to states to step into the complex debate over how to clean up supply chains and protect users. (Read More)