Monday, November 2

Botanicals

5Jul By CatherineNo Comments
Botanicals

Local doctor, CDC warn of potential dangers of kratom

Whether it’s a wonder supplement or a dangerous drug, the controversy continues to swirl around the substance known as kratom. The Centers for Disease Control has linked kratom to more than 150 deaths but kratom supporters swear by it. They say it helps them when nothing else would. People who use kratom say it helps them with stress, anxiety and opioid withdrawal. But doctors, including the head of the emergency department at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, say they don’t know what they’re getting. “The research really hasn’t supported (users’ claims), and I think we have a lot to learn,” said Dr. Ben Fickenscher in a Friday interview. “A lot of people assume that because this is a substance found in a plant, found in nature, that somehow it’s natural and therefore safe.” ...
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2Jul By CatherineNo Comments
Botanicals

Kratom: It’s legal in Michigan and people are using it to get high. Here’s what to know

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.
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