Author: Catherine

KRATOM (Mitragyna speciosa) is a botanical product made from the leaves of a plant that is indigenous to Southeast Asia, where it has been used for centuries. As awareness of it has developed around the world, interest in kratom's psychoactive properties have grown. In the U.S., kratom is categorized as a novel psychoactive substance, or NPS, because unlike virtually any other psychoactive compound it can be both a central nervous system stimulant and depressant, depending on the dosage. At low doses of less than 5 grams it is a stimulant; at doses above 5 grams it produces depressant and analgesic effects like an opioid. It is sold as a powder, in capsules, as a liquid concentrate, and it is infused into chocolates. The key psychoactive compound in kratom was isolate...

The next best sources were health care providers ... In consumer news, it was found that by far, respondents preferred to smoke their cannabis — 64 percent reported using weed via smoking ...

Kraken Kratom, a national online kratom retailer based in Oregon, has been recognized by the American Kratom Association as the first company to achieve AKA GMP Qualified Vendor status. An online retailer of kratom and kava products, Kraken prioritizes quality, safety, compliance, and consumer satisfaction and has worked diligently to demonstrate adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As the first company to receive this new qualification from the AKA, Kraken has solidified its reputation as a trusted kratom vendor and a leader in their industry. The AKA GMP Standards Program was created to establish a higher level of manufacturing processes for Kratom Vendors. AKA GMP participants have committed to implementing and follow...

A group that advocates for consumer access to the herbal supplement kratom says the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy erred in approving a proposal to ban the product that has been touted as way to fight the opioid epidemic. The board on Wednesday voted to approve its proposal to classify the Southeast Asian herb as a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, which would place it in the same class as heroin, LSD and other illegal drugs. It now faces review by two other government bodies. The board was not swayed by scientific studies that the association presented refuting U.S. Food and Drug Administration findings, said C.M. Haddow, a public policy fellow at the Virginia-based American Kratom Association. Opposed to bans, the association is lobbying in Ohio and elsewhere for laws that would ma...

WAIMEA, Hawaiʻi - The second medical cannabis dispensary retail center on Hawaʻi Island has passed its final onsite inspection, state health officials say. (BIVN) – Big Island Grown Dispensaries has b...

The family of a Chester County man who died in June from an overdose of kratom has filed a wrongful-death suit against the company that sold its son the unregulated herbal product. Caleb Sturgis, 25, of West Chester, died on June 27 after he drank tea made with kratom, according to the lawsuit against SoCal Herbal Remedies of Big Bear City, Calif., filed Wednesday in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Sturgis was driving to work on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Chester County when his car struck a curb and flipped over. The Chester County coroner ruled his death was from “acute mitragynine intoxication,” the active ingredient in kratom. No other drugs were found in his system, save for the amount of caffeine contained in a cup of coffee. Sturgis had been...

The Food and Drug Administration ordered the mandatory recall Tuesday of kratom products distributed by one company that may be contaminated with salmonella. The FDA said it’s the first time it has used its mandatory recall power for a food product after first trying to get the company to voluntarily take the products back. The agency has been criticized for years by consumer advocates and some members of Congress who say it moves too slowly to recall potentially contaminated foods, NBC News reported. Tuesday’s mandatory recall affects Triangle Pharmanaturals, which bills itself as a consultant and packager of supplement products. Kratom is a plant supplement sold to treat pain, to help people stop using opioids or as a stimulant. The FDA has been warning against its use in genera...

Sunstone Organics of Springfield is recalling two lots of the herbal supplement kratom, which the company sells at five retail outlets in Bend, because of potential salmonella contamination. Kratom is linked to past salmonella illnesses, but Sunstone Organics has not received any reports of adverse events related to the current recall, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration press release issued Friday. The Oregon Health Authority investigated a case of salmonella bacteria in a Lane County resident who reported consuming Sunstone Organics kratom, spokesman Jonathan Modie said. The person’s leftover kratom tested positive. The bacteria was also found in subsequent tests of the company’s product. The recalled products are White Vein Kratom Lot 119 and Maeng Da Kratom Lot 12...

Israel has recently been in the news after the government issued ... with attendant health benefits. Jumping through hoops Even in Israel, conducting research with cannabis entails bureaucratic obstac...

The cannabis industry and public health advocates are facing off again over a proposal to allow Oregonians and visitors to light up in specified public places. A legislative committee on Thursday hear...