Beshear moves to make sale, possession of kratom byproduct illegal in Kentucky
Kratom, a herbal substance that can produce opioid and stimulant-like effects, will be classified as a Schedule I narcotic in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday.
The move will make 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant, illegal to sell, possess or distribute within Kentucky. The substance can currently be sold as a shot, powder or capsule over the counter, often marketed for pain relief or as a mood altering substance. Those can contain addictive levels of kratom, Beshear said.
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom for medical use, and the DEA has listed it as a drug and chemical of concern.
“We have marked three straight years of declines in overdose deaths in Kentucky, and that is progress we’re committed to building on as we work to protect more lives in the fight against addiction,” Beshear said. “Deadly and addictive drugs like 7-OH have no place in our communities, and this step will help us get these drugs off the streets and provide us more tools to keep Kentuckians safe.”
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is in the process of updating regulations to classify forms of 7-OH as a Schedule I substance. Heroin, LSD and fentanyl are also classified as Schedule I drugs.
Kratom, and the 7-OH byproduct, can cause changes in alertness, energy and at high doses, produce a sedative effect, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. There have also been reports of psychosis after using kratom, including hallucinations, delusion and confusion, according to the DEA.
“When kratom is altered to create synthetic opioids, it becomes a threat to the public’s health,” said Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Steven Stack. “It puts people at risk and undermines the strides Kentucky has made in reducing the scourge of addiction.”