In August, the DEA announced they would be moving the psychoactive compounds in kratom under Schedule I classification. Now, in response to outrage from individuals who believe the herbal supplement to be a naturally occurring treatment to pain and opioid addiction, the DEA is postponing their decision to reschedule the plant.
“Since publishing that notice, DEA has received numerous comments from members of the public challenging the scheduling action and requesting that the agency consider those comments and accompanying information before taking further action.”
Still, this decision doesn’t mean the DEA isn’t going to eventually make kratom illegal. They asked for an evaluation of the herb in 2014, but never received the results, and decided to move forward anyway. Now, they’re asking for both a scientific and medical evaluation of the plant before moving forward with classifying it as a controlled substance.
Depending on the dose, kratom can either elicit a stimulating effect or act as a sedative and painkiller, which make it a viable alternative to the addicting nature of typical opiates. Here is what the Drug Policy Alliance has to say regarding the DEA’s decision.
“The Schedule I designation also would effectively halt scientific investigation into kratom’s medicinal benefits, while making it impossible to enact sensible legal regulations, such as quality control measures, product labeling requirements, as well as marketing, branding and retail display restrictions, which are long proven to reduce substance misuse and youth access.”
Source: Washington Times