DEA Receives More Than 22,000 Comments on Proposal to Ban Kratom

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has received more than 22,000 comments about its plan to temporarily ban the drug kratom, according to The Washington Post.

The agency in October said it would reverse its decision to temporarily make kratom a Schedule I drug in the wake of protests by advocates, scientists and kratom vendors. Schedule I drugs are considered to have a high potential for abuse and to have no currently accepted medical treatment use.

The DEA said it would open an official comment period, which lasted until December 1, for people to share their experiences using kratom as a medical treatment. The comments were overwhelmingly opposed to banning kratom, the article notes. Advocates for the drug say it relieves severe pain and helps them overcome addictions to prescription painkillers. The DEA said there has been an increase in poison control center calls involving kratom, as well as 15 deaths over three years that may have been linked to the drug.