Legislation filed today in Nebraska would make kratom a schedule 1 controlled substance, making it illegal for all uses.
Legislative Bill 972, filed by Senator Loren Lippincott, would explicitly prohibit the use, possession and distribution of kratom by placing it at the top of the state’s list of controlled substances. Under current law kratom is legally sold in outlets like smokes shops and gas stations.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. The crushed or powdered leaves are often brewed with tea, or placed into gel capsules. Kratom can produces both stimulant effects and sedative effects, depending on the strain and amount consumed. Many consumers report benefits in combatting pain and anxiety, among other ailments.
Recently the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Nora Volkow gave a briefing to congress on kratom. The briefing by Volkow came a little over three months after companion bills that would regulate kratom nationwide while restricting government agencies from prohibiting it were filed in both the US Senate and House of Representatives.
“So what do we know [about kratom]?”, asked Volkow early in her speech. “We do know that kratom is a plant similar to the coffee plant. It is a traditional medicine used for centuries in South East Asia”.
Beyond this, “unfortunately, we don’t know much”, said Volkow. To fix this, she says agencies have been allocating resources to conduct clinical trials to investigators the potential benefits of kratom’s key compound, including “for the treatment of drug addiction.” Volkow said her agency is “very much open” to the potential upsides of kratom.
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