What’s next for kratom after the DEA blinks on its emergency ban?

Public pressure keeps the herbal supplement unregulated for now, encouraging users and researchers seeking a safer alternative to opioids
The Scientific American (US)
Monday, October 17, 2016

Researchers and users of kratom were stunned by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s abrupt withdrawal of its stated plan to place the Southeast Asian plant under an emergency ban in the United States. One reason for the famously tough federal agency’s unusual move was “a large volume of phone calls from the American public” as well as messages from the scientific community and letters from members of Congress, says DEA spokesperson Russ Baer. Restrictions would have heavily encumbered research efforts. (See also: Regulate quality, dosage and purity of Kratom)