US: DEA drops ban on kratom

[webfact]

DEA opts against ban on plant some call opioid alternative 

ALICIA A. CALDWELL, Associated Press

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Drug Enforcement Administration has reversed a plan to temporarily ban a plant that some users suggest could be an alternative to powerful and addictive opioid painkillers.

 

In a notice set to be published Thursday in the Federal Register Thursday, the agency said it was withdrawing its plan to add two psychoactive components of the plant, known as kratom, to the list of the most dangerous drugs.

 

Advocates urging the DEA to leave kratom off its list of controlled substance have argued that it can be used as a nonaddictive painkiller or can help wean people off other, addictive pain medications. Some lawmakers also complained that the DEA wasn't being transparent in its effort to ban the plant.

Adding kratom to the DEA's list of schedule 1 drugs would define the plant as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

 

In a letter to the DEA last month, the American Kratom Association said the agency was being overly aggressive in categorizing kratom with other dangerous and highly addictive drugs, including a variety of synthetic drug compounds including synthetic marijuana and "bath salts."

 

The association and the Botanical Education Alliance applauded the DEA's reversal.

 

"Kratom is not an opiate. It is not addictive," the groups said. "There is simply no basis whatsoever for the DEA to criminalize or regulate the responsible use by consumers of this product at a time when every federal effort targeting drugs should be focused on the ongoing scourge human of opioid addiction and death."

 

Including kratom on the list of drugs that includes marijuana, heroin and LSD, would ban not only its use but likely strictly limit scientific studies for a possible medical use. Such a move would ban the plant for at least two years.

 

The drug agency said it will now wait for a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration and take more comments from the public before deciding on kratom's fate. The public has until Dec. 1 to comment.

 

For now that means that kratom, a little known plant native to Southeast Asia, remains legal under federal law. Six states, however, have opted to ban kratom or its components.

___

Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-10-13

[Pinot]

Illegal in LOS and a waste of law enforcement time. Dealing with methamphetamine problem that grows daily, why waste any effort on this questionably harmful weed that grows wild? And law enforcement officials want to make meth legal? 

 

The priorities are crazy. 

[Rancid]

"The drug agency said it will now wait for a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration and take more comments from the public before deciding on kratom's fate."

 

The FDA is basically a rubber stamp for the pharmaceutical industry. Recently medical journals (not conspiracy sites) admitted that a huge percentage of scientific tests (as in the ones the FDA accepts) can't actually be replicated, no doubt as they never even occurred in the first place. There has never even been independent testing on GM foods by the FDA, they also blindly accept testing from GM companies! Seems just like the banking industry, the pharmaceutical & GM industries were quick to see the benefits of owning the regulatory agencies, the revolving doors between industry and regulator job positions should fit any definition of corruption.

 

Interesting to note was that pharmaceutical companies made big donations to anti-cannabis campaigns to help prevent its legalization, now you would have to wonder as to why they would do that? Not sure about the US but a few years back a whole range of medicinal herbs were to be banned the the TGA ( Oz FDA equivalent), now just who might have been behind that do you suppose? Unfortunately government endorsements or otherwise actually mean very little as there is often a wealthy stakeholder benefiting, better to do your own research and make an informed decision on most things.

[Beats56]

I wouldn't even know what it looks like even if I was looking at the tree. They.seem to go overboard on mild issues here such as vapping on e.cigarettes. more important things.to worry about..like meth.etc

 

[Dr Robert]

Comparing one drug with another as if they are equals, is like comparing apples with oranges; it  is only useful to make a comparison in the most general sense, such as categorizing them or in predicting that their use creates misery.

 

Drugs that are not  sanctioned by a statutory body or prescribed by a qualified  medical practitioner are illegal and should remain so for very good reasons that seem to elude most of the  selfish hedonists  advocating their  use.

 

Illegal recreational use of such drugs is not safe.  We need to keep hammering away at  these amateurs and  these  ill informed Svengali's to save the lives of other vulnerable human beings.

 

A well designed double blind longitudinal  study is the only way to make such decisions to legalize such drugs. Give me solid scientific evidence every time.

 

[IAMHERE]

23 hours ago, Pinot said:

Illegal in LOS and a waste of law enforcement time. Dealing with methamphetamine problem that grows daily, why waste any effort on this questionably harmful weed that grows wild? And law enforcement officials want to make meth legal? 

 

The priorities are crazy. 

Their priority is to get a guilty conviction whether or not it is good for society. Looks good on the resume. In the USA the idea is to make everyone a criminal of some law/rule/regulation.

[Strange]

16 hours ago, Dr Robert said:

Comparing one drug with another as if they are equals, is like comparing apples with oranges; it  is only useful to make a comparison in the most general sense, such as categorizing them or in predicting that their use creates misery.

 

Drugs that are not  sanctioned by a statutory body or prescribed by a qualified  medical practitioner are illegal and should remain so for very good reasons that seem to elude most of the  selfish hedonists  advocating their  use.

 

Illegal recreational use of such drugs is not safe.  We need to keep hammering away at  these amateurs and  these  ill informed Svengali's to save the lives of other vulnerable human beings.

 

A well designed double blind longitudinal  study is the only way to make such decisions to legalize such drugs. Give me solid scientific evidence every time.

 

 

By your logic, alcohol should be a capital offense. 

[ilostmypassword]

16 hours ago, Dr Robert said:

Comparing one drug with another as if they are equals, is like comparing apples with oranges; it  is only useful to make a comparison in the most general sense, such as categorizing them or in predicting that their use creates misery.

 

Drugs that are not  sanctioned by a statutory body or prescribed by a qualified  medical practitioner are illegal and should remain so for very good reasons that seem to elude most of the  selfish hedonists  advocating their  use.

 

Illegal recreational use of such drugs is not safe.  We need to keep hammering away at  these amateurs and  these  ill informed Svengali's to save the lives of other vulnerable human beings.

 

A well designed double blind longitudinal  study is the only way to make such decisions to legalize such drugs. Give me solid scientific evidence every time.

 

We've seen the disastrous results of such policy in Colorado.

[The Old Bull]

16 hours ago, Dr Robert said:

Comparing one drug with another as if they are equals, is like comparing apples with oranges; it  is only useful to make a comparison in the most general sense, such as categorizing them or in predicting that their use creates misery.

 

Drugs that are not  sanctioned by a statutory body or prescribed by a qualified  medical practitioner are illegal and should remain so for very good reasons that seem to elude most of the  selfish hedonists  advocating their  use.

 

Illegal recreational use of such drugs is not safe.  We need to keep hammering away at  these amateurs and  these  ill informed Svengali's to save the lives of other vulnerable human beings.

 

A well designed double blind longitudinal  study is the only way to make such decisions to legalize such drugs. Give me solid scientific evidence every time.

 

Mind your own buisness, if somebody wants to get stoned ,it's up to them. It's not about weather dope is good or bad, it's about freedom from interfering do gooders. I don't do the stuff but I will defend anybody's rights that wishes to do so.

Edited October 14, 2016 by The Old Bull