The botanical Kratom was marketed with drug claims; now it appears that the demand for the substance may be drug-like as well.
Kratom PillsThe recent seizure of a massive amount of kratom—which is claimed by online vendors to have opioid-like analgesic effects, as well as psychoactive properties—by U.S Marshalls paints a vivid picture of the growing danger it represents. The marshalls, acting under direction of the FDA, seized 500 cartons of kratom bottles, weighing 25,000 pounds and worth an estimated $5 million, from Rosefield Management of Van Nuys, Calif. in September.
“We have identified kratom as a botanical substance that poses a risk to public health and has the potential for abuse,” said Melinda Plaisier, the FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “This action was taken to safeguard the public from this dangerous product, and FDA will continue to take aggressive enforcement actions against products that are promoted for uses that are unapproved.”
Kratom is a common name for Mitragyna speciosa, a naturally growing botanical found in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It contains alkaloids that the FDA states have pharmacologic effects similiar  to morphine and other opiates. It is promoted on numerous web sites and has a wide following on Twitter, but is not approved in the United States for any medical use. Rosefield Management is the Kratom distributor for C.V. Bali Herbal of Indonesia.