Kratom is a plant from southeast Asia that’s found in diet supplements, alcohol and synthetic drugs. You may have seen it for sale at gas stations or vape shops across Massachusetts. Now, a city councilor in Marlboro wants it banned.
Kratom is commonly ground up and put in pill form, or made into a liquid that’s packaged in small bottles like energy drinks. It’s often described as a mood lifter, a pain reliever, an antidote for anxiety and even a remedy for opioid withdrawal. But the addictive properties have made it a controversial substance.
Marlboro city councilor Mark Vital knows this all too well after watching someone close to him develop a serious problem with kratom…