Federal Agency Recommends Restricting Dangerous Drug Found in Kratom

Drugs,

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration formally recommended classifying a compound found in kratom as a controlled substance—a move that could help rein in this dangerous and addictive drug.

Kratom is often marketed as a dietary supplement, but its effects mimic opioids and can lead to addiction, seizures, and even death. The Mayo Clinic has called kratom “unsafe and ineffective,” writing,

Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.

The FDA’s new recommendation targets 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a powerful substance in kratom. If adopted, this change could make it illegal to possess, sell, or distribute 7-OH under federal law.

In a statement, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. said, “Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH. After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat-footed again. 7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine. We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.”

The FDA says it is particularly concerned about 7-OH products that appeal to children and teenagers — including gummies and other candies.

In the past, federal public health officials have advised states to prohibit kratom, and Arkansas has done so. The Arkansas Department of Health has restricted 7-OH as a Schedule I substance.

Last April, lawmakers voted not to pass a bad bill that would have legalized kratom and 7-OH in Arkansas.

During his comments against the bill, Rep. Zack Gramlich (R — Fort Smith) described a seventh-grader who was caught using kratom and trying to sell it to other students at a school in his district a few years ago.

Kratom and 7-OH are dangerous drugs. We deeply appreciate our lawmakers and public health officials who have worked hard to protect people from it.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE

Arkansas A.G. Joins Letter Urging NCAA to Protect Fairness in Women’s Sports

LGBT, ,

Last week, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin joined 26 other state attorneys general in signing a formal letter calling on the NCAA to restore records and honors to female athletes.

The letter led by Mississippi’s attorney general urges the NCAA to reinstate “all championships, titles, wins, awards, records and other recognitions that were wrongfully awarded to male athletes competing in NCAA women’s category events.”

In 2022, transgender swimmer “Lia” Thomas — a biological male who claims to be female — made headlines for shattering women’s swimming records and winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I championship.

The NCAA even went so far as to nominate Thomas for its 2022 Woman of the Year Award.

As a result, in 2024 a group of female athletes filed a lawsuit arguing the NCAA violated their federal rights under Title IX by letting Thomas compete as a woman.

The University of Pennsylvania has announced it plans to revoke Thomas’ medals and apologize to female athletes forced to compete against Thomas. The letter Attorney General Griffin signed urges the NCAA to do the same for all female athletes.

We have written repeatedly about how female swimmers, powerlifters, cyclists, sprinters, volleyball players, and others have seen their sports radically changed by men who claim to be women.

Letting men compete in women’s sports reverses 50 years of advancements for women and effectively erases women’s athletics.

It hampers their ability to compete for athletic scholarships and hurts their professional opportunities as adults. Concerned Women for America reports that more than 1,900 male athletes who claim to be female have taken first place medals away from women and girls.

In some sports, letting men compete against women can even be dangerous.

That’s why in 2021 Arkansas passed Act 461 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R — Smackover) preventing male student athletes from competing against girls in women’s athletics at school. This good law protects fairness in women’s sports in Arkansas.

Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order protecting fairness in women’s sports under Title IX.

Most Americans agree that athletes should compete according to their biological sex — not their gender identity.

We deeply appreciate our elected leaders and policymakers who work hard to stand up for fairness in women’s sports both in Arkansas and across the country.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE