PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Thousands are protesting ahead of a ban on Kratom that the DEA is expected to impose on Friday.
Spring Hill resident Gina Rivera fears the ban. She says Kratom has helped with her with pain management following a bad car accident almost a decade ago.
Rivera’s injuries were so severe, she had to have three back surgeries. Her doctors prescribed her pain medications, which Rivera says she became addicted to. Some of those medications included Oxycontin, Roxicodone, Methadone, Subutex, Morphine, Klonopin, Zanaflex, Seroquel, Paxil, Fioricet, Flexoril, and Tramadol.
Rivera went to a methadone clinic for treatment, but says it was actually Kratom that helped her kick her addiction. She discovered Kratom two years ago and in addition to helping with her addiction, Kratom stabilized her back pain and she no longer needs to use prescribed narcotics.
The Drug Enforcement Administration says Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are found in Kratom, which is a tropical tree indigenous to Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, and other areas of Southeast Asia.
The DEA announced its intention to place the active materials in the Kratom plant into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act in order to avoid an imminent hazard to public safety.
The DEA says Kratom is abused for its ability to produce opioid-like effects and is often marketed as a legal alternative to controlled substances. Law enforcement nationwide has seized more Kratom in the first half of 2016 than any previous year. Kratom easily accounts for millions of dosages intended for the recreational market, according to DEA findings.
In addition, the DEA says Kratom has a high potential for abuse, it has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and it has a lack of accepted “safety for use under medical supervision.” These three factors constitute a Schedule I controlled substance according to the Controlled Substances Act passed by Congress in 1970.
Health risks found in Kratom abusers include hepatotoxicity, psychosis, seizure, weight loss, insomnia, tachycardia, vomiting, poor concentration, hallucinations, and death. The DEA said it is aware of 15 Kratom-related deaths between 2014 and 2016.
Rivera and hundreds of other Kratom users went to Washington D.C. to protest the anticipated ban. She claims that while Kratom is not FDA approved, it is not harmful.
Rivera and members with the American Kratom Association plan to protest in front of Tampa’s DEA office later this week.
The DEA is expected to ban Kratom on Friday, Sept. 30.
