Rep. Johnson Applauds DEA Decision to Withdraw Kratom Ban

Statement

This week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reversed its decision to ban the use of kratom, a plant that researchers say could help fight the opioid epidemic.

On Sept. 30, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) -- along with colleague Mark Pocan (WI-02) -- penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch objecting to the DEA's hasty decision to classify kratom as a Schedule 1 substance without first going through its normal classification and rulemaking process.

Notice of the DEA withdrawing its intent to ban the drug will appear in the Federal Register today.

"I appreciate Attorney General Lynch listening to our concerns," said Rep. Johnson. "And we appreciate the DEA's desire to protect the American people from potentially harmful substances. In this case though, the DEA overstepped its authority and went straight to ban kratom without proper review and studies and without defending its view to Congress."

Kratom is a plant in the coffee family found primarily in Southeast Asia. Many consumers use kratom to treat pain and wean themselves off more powerful, dangerous opioids. Researchers working with kratom say they are trying to develop a non-addictive painkiller alternative to powerful opioids. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that opioids contributed to the deaths of more than 28,600 Americans in 2014.

The DEA will now open a public comment period until Dec. 1 and is asking the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track "scientific and medical evaluation and scheduling recommendation" for the active chemical compounds in kratom.

Source