Statewide bans of kratom, an herbal compound which can cause opioid-like addiction, now loom as legislators in Connecticut and Massachusetts recently introduced laws to classify it as a “schedule one” controlled substance. It’s common on convenience store shelves, but the drug has, so far, been unregulated.
“Schedule one” controlled substances, according to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, are “drugs with a high abuse risk [that] have NO safe, accepted medical use,” such as heroin, LSD and ecstasy.
The new law in Connecticut re-scheduling kratom was introduced in 2023, reviewed earlier this summer and enacted in October. Massachusetts referred a similar regulation to their public health agency in February, which was approved earlier this week…