Users hail kratom — which is sold at gas stations, smoke shops and online —as a miracle cure for pain, fatigue, anxiety and even opioid addiction.
But many doctors say kratom (pronounced KRAY-tum or KRAH-tum) is dangerous because it works like an opioid, can make users high and can also be habit-forming. Plus, experts say, there’s no real scientific proof it can cure anything.
The federal government agrees. In May, a federal judge sentenced a Royal Oak man to two years in prison for illegally importing kratom — he claimed it was incense — and selling it as a medical treatment.
And last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings to two kratom distributors who made such claims.
Read more at Detroit Free Press.