WATCH – SOLD IN VENDING MACHINES –
May 12, 2021 – Until the pandemic struck in March 2020, Rohr and her Kalamazoo-based staff rarely encountered Kratom, or it was mistaken for an opiate in a patient entering rehab. She sees it more and more and primarily because it has been readily available.
“It doesn’t show up on our urine drug screens, and the withdrawal that they have from it is just like opiates,” Rohr said. “In Michigan you can go to any tobacco store, gas station and purchase it. It’s something they smoke and it’s a mix between an opiate and a stimulant for some of the effects that they get.”
Some of those effects are increased energy and a sense of invincibility. The perfect antidote to the isolation caused by COVID-19, if only it weren’t so dangerous.
“A lot of people I think have developed new levels of hopelessness.” Community Healing Center addictions counselor Vince Miller said. “We’re kind of all living through a constant low level, and sometimes not low level, trauma. I mean, every day.”
Miller, a former addict, said there was a big increase in drug use in the last 14 months, including new Kratom dependencies. Emotional stress and COVID-caused uncertainty are two obvious reasons why.
