In a statement from April 2022, the FDA warned the public against using kratom, or Mitragyna speciosa, which is the scientific name for the plant, saying that the substance “affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine” and that it appears to have “properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and dependence.” 

In 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration moved to classify kratom as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has no medical uses and has a high potential for abuse, but reversed course after public outcry. This decision needs to be reversed and reclassified as schedule I.