Source: NOLA
Excerpt:
I agree with Dan Lawton that Louisiana’s kratom ban is a blow to consumers who have come to rely on kratom products. However, his concerns about 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) are misplaced. Despite years of use, there have been only two deaths where 7-OH products were present. In both cases, 7-OH was used alongside other substances, contravening instructions. By contrast, other kratom products have been linked in public health reports to more than 200 deaths.
At a news conference on July 29, in which the FDA recommended scheduling 7-OH, no users of the compound were invited to speak, no studies were cited showing unique harm and no direct evidence was offered to justify a ban. These attacks are not about safety. They are about Big Kratom trying to grab 7-OH’s market share.
It’s time for users of 7-OH and kratom products to unify and protect access. As Louisiana’s last legislative session showed, 7-OH and kratom stand or fall together in policy battles. Splitting the fight only helps those who want to outlaw both.
Louisiana’s consumers deserve to be able to choose the products that work best for them. That’s a fight we should all get behind — and one we can win.
JEFF SMITH
national policy director for the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust