The FDA says kratom is an opioid, with 44 deaths now associated to the controversial herbal supplement used to treat opioid withdrawal, pain, anxiety and depression, MarketWatch reported.
For several months the regulator has expressed concerns about the product but after analyzing the effect kratom had on the body and then combining this with scientific data and research, the FDA declared that compounds found in kratom are opioids.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb cautioned in a statement that kratom "should not be used to treat medical conditions, nor should it be used as an alternative to prescription opioids."
Furthermore, he noted that there was no evidence to indicate that "kratom is safe or effective for any medical use," adding that claims of kratom being "just a plant" was both "shortsighted and dangerous."
Gottlieb noted that the 44 reported deaths associated with the use of kratom were an increase from 36 deaths reported in November.
"These reports underscore the serious and sometimes deadly risks of using kratom and the potential interactions associated with this drug," he said.
According to Time magazine, the FDA was campaigning to have kratom placed in the same category of illegal drugs as heroin, with a review already submitted to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The American Kratom Association noted that a ban on kratom could result in up to $5 billion in financial losses by 10,000 kratom-related vendors.
"Under fire for failing to make headway in the opioid epidemic, the DEA is now seeking to distract the public and lawmakers by focusing unwarranted negative attention on the natural herb kratom," the association said.
"Kratom is not an opiate," it continued, adding that "many studies have shown kratom to have positive benefits."
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