Kratom drink Feel Free gains popularity despite growing concerns about addiction, health impact and death CBS Chicago

“So what they did is they increased the amount of a very potent ingredient in kratom, which is 7-OH.” “Vendors got smarter and they noticed, ‘OK, maybe we can enhance kratom,'” Stanciu said. It quickly gained traction as a way of helping people get off of heroin or other opioids. It gives them energy, helps with pain. Back then, we were still in what Stanciu characterizes as the “first wave” of kratom use here in the U.S. Shelves festooned with kratom powders, capsules, liquids and extracts greet customers at Tifton Tobacco & Vapor in Tifton, Ga.

Botanic Tonics, the company that makes Feel Free, said their product only contains natural whole leaf kratom and limits 7-OH content to 1%. If traditional options are not effective or patients cannot access them due to financial or logistical barriers, kratom may be a potential alternative to illegal opioid products, but it is certainly not risk free. The primary concern about kratom is that it can mimic how synthetic opioids work in the body, potentially causing overdoses, severe withdrawal symptoms and other serious health issues. The herbal supplement is a psychoactive drug derived from the leaves of the kratom plant and it's been reported that people are using the supplement to get high and some states are banning the supplement. As News 12 has reported, Nassau County passed its own bill banning the sale of kratom products in March. Camden Ackerman, of Wading River, shared his story with News 12 on addiction to kratom products.

Feds to Study Kratom as Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

In an explosive article, the NY Times reported that Markwayne Mullin and Robert F. Kennedy Jr were actively promoting kratom to the deterrent of its rival products after being influenced by Jerry. McCurdy said one issue is the various potencies of products that all call themselves kratom. Advocates for kratom say it has been a lifeline for many people who have struggled with chronic pain. One former MLS player who spent nearly a decade in the league said he thought of kratom as a healthy alternative to manage the pain of old injuries from his playing days.

He added that the lack of federal regulation also means there is no reporting requirement for kratom overdose deaths, making its impact difficult to piece together. Oliver Grundmann, a clinical professor in the department of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida, has been studying kratom since 2016. Oklahoma Rep. Daniel Pae, the bill’s sponsor, said that he is open to “federal consistency” on kratom regulation, but that “given the political reality of Congress, I don’t anticipate them taking any action anytime soon.” Townsend said he was inspired to push for the policy after two constituents told him that they had lost their son, in part, due to kratom. More than 15 states prohibit kratom sales to minors or to those under 21. So in lieu of federal oversight, a growing number of states and cities have been cracking down on kratom on their own.

Elite White Vein Maeng Da Kratom Powder

In June 2023, hundreds of people attended a "ChatGPT-powered church service" at St. Paul's Church in Fürth, Germany. Efforts to ban chatbots like ChatGPT in schools focus on preventing cheating, but enforcement faces challenges due to AI detection inaccuracies and widespread accessibility of chatbot technology. The potential benefits include enhancing personalized learning, improving student productivity, assisting with brainstorming, summarization, and supporting language literacy skills. ChatGPT's adoption in education was rapid, but it was initially banned by several institutions.

• So whether you’re looking to recharge, relax, or just feel a little more like yourself, you’ll know what to reach for.
• McCarthy said that in the year since that alert was issued, the agency has not come across any data that would warrant kratom’s approval as a drug.
• “They said it was harder for them to come off of kratom than it was some of their other drugs,” Radford, who voted in favor of the ban, said.
• The potential benefits include enhancing personalized learning, improving student productivity, assisting with brainstorming, summarization, and supporting language literacy skills.
• AKA works to give a voice to millions of Americans by fighting to protect their rights to access safe and natural kratom.
• In July 2025, FDA announced its intent to recommend DEA scheduling for certain 7-OH products and issued warning letters and safety communications.

However, there is less risk of unintentional overdose with kratom compared to traditional opioids. They don’t fully activate the biological pathways that can lead to respiratory failure, which is the primary cause of fatal opioid overdoses, but that doesn’t mean kratom is safe. Because it is not derived from the opium poppy, kratom is not a traditional opioid. In small amounts, kratom acts as a stimulant, and is often marketed as an energy booster or a tool for managing anxiety. “However, to date, we are not aware of any evidence that would meet the agency’s standard for approval of kratom as a drug.” Supplements and unregulated drugs do not have set standards or government-issued monitoring of their safety, and concerns over kratom’s purity and toxicity in the U.S. triggered the 2022 FDA alert.

• They can help find a way to safely treat your pain with less addiction risk.
• Professor Whyte’s K-Plex Kratom Seltzers were made for moments worth being present for the ones where you want to feel sharp, calm, social, and simply good.
• Derived from the kratom tree, the drug has a long history in places like Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.
• The products sold on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
• Professor Whyte’s is committed to delivering quality products that meet your expectations at the best possible prices.

FDA Issues 7 Warning Letters Over Concentrated 7-OH

Real Botanicals remains committed to providing safe, lab-tested, naturally extracted 7-OH products in compliance with state and federal law. States with 2% caps (Arizona, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Utah) effectively ban high-concentration 7-OH products. States with full kratom bans (Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Vermont, Wisconsin) prohibit 7-OH along with all kratom alkaloids. Six states ban kratom outright, several others cap 7-OH concentrations at 2%, and the rest allow sales with varying degrees of regulation. Products derived through natural extraction from kratom plant material occupy safer legal ground in most jurisdictions.

K-Plex Rogue Punch Kratom Extract Shots 300mg

But what actually makes one kratom strain energizing, another relaxing, and a third somewhere in between? So you’ve looked at the strains of kratom, checked out the chart, maybe even picked a favorite. No guesswork, no stress—just good, clean kratom. But what actually makes one kratom strain relaxing and another one energizing? Locals have been chewing the leaves or steeping them into tea for centuries to help with everything from pain relief to boosting energy. FitzGerald said he hopes that if Boston adds its name to the kratom regulation list, it will help prompt state action.

We are clear that we make a powerful product and that it is not intended for everyone. Botanic Tonics uses botanicals rather than synthetic alternatives. "I just want to help people know that they're not alone and to see that there's hope on the other side. Because when I was in it, I truly was like, I have no idea how I'm gonna get out of this," she said. "I think there should be medical oversight if people wanna take it, more education," Wisdom said. Kratom, in some forms, is currently banned in six states.

Lead poisoning is a lesser-known threat that Q Kratom can have irreversible negative health impacts on children. Some users experience delirium or severe anxiety after taking too much. “Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Moss says.