Kratom Will Become Schedule I Drug: DEA

The Drug Enforcement Administration announced kratom, a plant-based drug with opioid-like effects, will become a Schedule I drug.

Kratom has long been considered an herbal supplement, USA Today reports. Schedule I drugs are considered to have a high potential for abuse and to have no currently accepted medical treatment use.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned kratom is an emerging public health threat. Kratom can lead to psychosis, seizures and death, the CDC said.

“Law enforcement nationwide has seized more kratom in the first half of 2016 than any previous year and easily accounts for millions of dosages intended for the recreational market,” the DEA said in a news release.