After hearing from residents about their personal battles with addiction and the benefits of kratom as an alternative to alcohol, Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano stood firm on his stance against the plant, saying children have confessed their addictions to him and that he knows individuals who have lost loved ones from kratom overdoses.
The topic was discussed towards the end of the Ocala City Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday evening.
Kratom is derived from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical tree native to Asia. The plant contains a variety of alkaloids, which are naturally occurring organic compounds with pharmacological effects that are used for various applications…