NATURE MAY ONE DAY DO SO… –
Oct. 9, 2021 – Those claims have yet to be fully vetted by scientists. The U.S. government has twice tried to restrict kratom’s use by classifying it as a controlled substance, arguing it has high potential for abuse and no known medical benefit. But public outcry and pushback from Congress thwarted those efforts. Now, kratom advocates suggest Washington is behind the WHO’s interest — an attempt to end run the federal regulatory process by taking the international route to finish what it could not accomplish domestically.
The WHO’s drug dependence committee will conduct a “pre-review” of kratom. The analysis could set the stage for the drug to undergo further scrutiny by global health regulators, potentially putting it on the path to being scheduled as a controlled substance.