đź’Š New Jersey lawmakers push to ban kratom ingredient 7-OH with dire warnings.
đź’Š Studies link kratom to hundreds of deaths, but with a significant catch.
đź’Š Advocates argue banning it could backfire, pushing pain patients to illegal drugs.
There’s a battle brewing in Trenton over whether to ban an unregulated drug sold in gas stations that could lead to a new addiction crisis.
A heated state Senate hearing this month had witnesses pointing fingers, accusing each other of being paid off by special interests.
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“It’s the equivalent of heroin that’s being sold legally in local stores around our communities. It’s evil,” said John Mopper, a recovering addict and behavioral health specialist in Somerset County.
The ban on kratom is moving swiftly through the state legislature. It would classify the active ingredient in kratom, 7-Hydroxymitragynine, as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. That’s the same realm of illegality as heroin and LSD.
What is 7-OH and why health officials are warning New Jersey residents
Trace amounts of 7-OH are found in the kratom leaf. But the Food & Drug Administration says most products contain a more concentrated synthetic version. According to the feds, 7-OH products should be avoided because they haven’t been proven safe or effective…