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Extracted from leaves of an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia, kratom is used as a painkiller and an energy booster in various drinks, powders, gummies and capsules. “It’d be healthy, not just for the long line of constituents of Boston, but also helping the state look at overall what folks are saying and taking the proper action to do a statewide ban on synthetic kratom.” The group would also support a ban on synthetic kratom, he said, as long as it’s “properly defined” to capture the production of 7-OH and other chemical compounds. Trouville’s son Tyrell died of mitragynine toxicity in 2024 after, she said, he regularly drank kratom products and considered it safe and natural.

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• News stations reported that drug paraphernalia was found at the scene.
• When kratom first started gaining traction in the U.S. two decades ago, its popularity was largely fueled by people trying to quit opioids.
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• Kratom and 7-OH may be marketed as herbal supplements, but they function like opioids — shaping how clinicians treat addiction.

What is kratom’s legal status in the US? When kratom is used in high doses, it can lead to seizures and other issues. One of the key constituents of kratom is an organic compound called mitragynine. This same process also causes the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, inducing a feeling of pleasure to neutralize the pain. When the body is experiencing pain, it releases hormones called endorphins that stimulate opioid receptors to mildly reduce the transmission of local pain sensations to the brain. How does kratom work in the body?

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A company spokesperson added, "If anyone has concerns about potential overuse, we strongly recommend they do not consume our products." "That's how they're marketed. They're wellness drinks. And we're just seeing that people are developing, very quickly, addictive behaviors and very severe withdrawal very fast." "What we're learning, over the years, is that there does seem to be a kratom use disorder emerging," he said. "I started working on this over 20 years ago," said Christopher McCurdy, an internationally recognized kratom expert and professor of medicinal chemistry at University of Florida Health.

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But she says she sees the substance show up regularly in her practice at the Q Kratom River Valley Medical Wellness clinic in Arkansas, where kratom is banned. Dr. Kristin Martin, an addiction physician and chair of the American Osteopathic Associations Conjoint Committee on Addiction Medicine, said kratom is still an emerging area of research. Trouville, who is now suing the manufacturer of the kratom drinks her son consumed, suspects that’s part of the reason his death certificate reflects mitragynine toxicity as his cause of death.

Personally, she said “I’m a mom and absolutely never want my kids to experiment with kratom and I think it is incredibly problematic.” “If you’re a larger city with almost a million people in it saying it’s a problem … I think a lot of other towns and cities would look at Boston and say, ‘Why are they banning? Despite its relative low lethality, a handful of cities and towns have moved to regulate kratom sales. Several others have passed or are considering limits like age restrictions and bans on the powerful synthetic version. Officials with both the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Police Department said they don’t collect data on kratom-related incidents. In Massachusetts, kratom is sold widely at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops without restrictions.

“I look fit and super healthy, so people would be surprised that this was an issue,” he said. He started taking kratom capsules regularly five years ago and then two years ago turned to a kratom drink called Feel Free. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom to be used for any purpose and warns consumers of “serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder.” Industry insiders and kratom critics say they are closely watching the medical examiner’s findings. The office would not disclose whether it will test for kratom, though it has screened for the plant’s active components in past death investigations.

Age Verification

Extract-based shots and tinctures may produce effects lasting 5-7 hours. Standard Kratom teas and drink mixes typically produce effects lasting 3-5 hours. A Kratom extract is a concentrated preparation where alkaloids have been isolated and intensified making it significantly more potent per milliliter. High-potency shots may contain significantly more concentrated alkaloid content. However, a handful of states and some municipalities have enacted local restrictions or bans. Combining Kratom with alcohol or other substances may increase unwanted effects, learn more about mixing Kratom and alcohol.

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To reduce risk of overdose, anyone who may use 7-OH is advised to never mix with alcohol or other drugs, know the signs of overdose, and carry naloxone. That policy is — and remains — our most health‑protective stance, and we appreciate partnership with ABC, CDTFA, and others in enforcing the law to protect Californians, especially our most vulnerable.” Stay informed with ScienceDaily's free email newsletter, updated daily and weekly. However, reports also increased significantly among people ages 40 to 59, indicating broader use across age groups. (Its effectiveness in reducing opioid cravings has not been thoroughly evaluated.) She is now feeling better and hasn’t had any cravings for it, she said.

He had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, she said, and also had chronic shoulder pain from a surgery. Hartman admitted that she did not know much about what was in kratom when she first tried it. Emmy Hartman, a TikTok influencer who has posted about kratom, fits into that last group. Then there are users with anxiety, depression or some other mood disorder, and finally a group that simply enjoys the stimulant effects.