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posted by Fnord666 on Monday February 12 2018, @05:09AM   Printer-friendly
from the scheduled-for-elimination dept.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has released a new statement denouncing the drug kratom. The statement says that the FDA has learned about new deaths that "involved" kratom use, additional adverse effects associated with its use have been found, and that Public Health Assessment via Structural Evaluation (PHASE) "3-D computer technology" has been used to analyze the chemical compounds in kratom:

Using this computational model, scientists at the FDA first analyzed the chemical structures of the 25 most prevalent compounds in kratom. From this analysis, the agency concluded that all of the compounds share the most structural similarities with controlled opioid analgesics, such as morphine derivatives.

The FDA continues to discourage the use of kratom, which it is calling an opioid.

The American Kratom Association provided a rebuttal of the FDA statement:

Nine leading scientists in substance addiction and safety wrote to White House Opioid Crisis Team Leader Kellyanne Conway and Acting DEA Administrator Robert W. Patterson requesting they disregard the FDA's latest disinformation campaign against kratom. The scientists warned that "four surveys indicate that kratom is presently serving as a lifeline away from strong, often dangerous opioids for many of the several million Americans who use kratom. A ban on kratom that would be imposed by CSA Scheduling would put them at risk of relapse to opioid use with the potential consequence of overdose death. Similar unintended consequences are to be expected in some who would be forced to use opioids to manage acute or chronic pain."

[...] David Herman, Chairman of the AKA, called upon FDA Commissioner Gottlieb to pull back the curtain on the "black box voodoo computer model" that was unveiled by the FDA to justify their continued 'War on Kratom,' this time claiming their computer model conclusively shows kratom is an opioid, and therefore had to be banned.

The nine respected scientists pointed out that "kratom provides a far more favorable safety profile for consumers compared to more dangerously addictive and potentially deadly classical opioid medications." They also pointed out that the FDA's solution – to file a new drug application for kratom – made no sense because "the average time and cost of new drug development is more than 10 years and 2.5 billion dollars."

Previously: DEA Welcomes Kratom to the Schedule I List Beginning September 30
The Calm Before the Kratom Ban
FDA Blocks More Imports of Kratom, Warns Against Use as a Treatment for Opioid Withdrawal

Related: Opioid Commission Drops the Ball, Demonizes Cannabis


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  • (Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Monday February 12 2018, @02:15PM (1 child)

    by LoRdTAW (3755) on Monday February 12 2018, @02:15PM (#636681) Journal

    Results: More dead Americans - an easily replaceable resource, considering the number of illegal aliens clamoring for citizenship.

    Americans are spoiled and demand too much pay. Foreigners are desperate and eager to work for less than the Americans. I see this as nothing but good. -PHB

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday February 12 2018, @05:37PM

    by Freeman (732) on Monday February 12 2018, @05:37PM (#636745) Journal

    Considering what most citizens of 1st World countries think of as "poor", you would be right. There is a Huge population of people living in extreme poverty. The issue, is that most of them are a continent away. A majority of African countries have a large population of extremely poor people. I don't see see foreigners being desperate and eager for work as a good thing. It's an unfortunate reality. The poem on the Statue of Liberty is a wonderful ideal to strive towards and perhaps we should have a bit more welcoming policy towards immigrants. The problem I see, is that we've strayed too far away from the ideals that were put into motion in the founding of the United States of America. Though, there were definitely a few things that needed ironing out, such as Slavery and the Right to Vote.

    --
    Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"