In response to the request of a community drug task force, the St. Johns County Board of Commissioners will consider at their board meeting Tuesday regulating kratom, a plant-based substance considered to be similar to opioids.
Kratom is a botanical product found in Southeast Asia that can mimic the “high” of harder drugs like morphine and heroin because of compounds that interact with the same pleasure-producing receptors in the brain, and thus cause dependence, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Reports show that consumption of the drug — sold as powder, capsules or a liquid “K Shot” — has increased over the last few years, particularly among opioid users looking to switch to a less expensive alternative or to move toward sobriety. It has also been shown to produce psychedelic effects.
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