Is kratom legal in Oklahoma? What state law says
Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia and is predominantly used to control chronic pain. While all of the forms of the plant are legal in Oklahoma , it has a controversial origin.
The drug was banned in Thailand in 1943, as the drug was slowly forming a monopoly on opium. In America, the drug remains legal, though one of the compounds is believed to be 13 times more potent than morphine.
Here's what to know about the pain-relieving drug and what the legal landscape looks like in Oklahoma.
Is kratom legal in Oklahoma?
According to the recently enacted Oklahoma Kratom Consumer Protection Act , all kratom products, meaning food or dietary supplements containing kratom leaf or kratom leaf extracts free of synthetic kratom elements, are legal in Oklahoma.
This also includes products where the synthetic material makes up less than 1% of the percent weight basis.
What is kratom?
Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia. Depending on the dosage, consumption can cause stimulant effects in low dosages and sedative effects in high doses, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2020.
The DEA also states that research shows it can lead to psychotic symptoms as well as psychological and physiological dependence. This is because the two major ingredients, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have major psychoactive effects.
The compounds interact with the brain's opioid receptors, which can mimic the effects of drugs such as hydrocodone, including sedation, euphoria and a decrease in pain, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The abuse of the drug has risen stateside over the last few years, the DEA states.
What effects does kratom have?
Depending on the dosage, there could be different effects.
In low doses, kratom produces stimulant effects, with users reporting increased alertness, physical energy and talkativeness. Though at high doses, users experience sedative effects.
Kratom's effects on the body also include nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, tachycardia, vomiting, drowsiness, and loss of appetite. Users of kratom have also experienced anorexia, weight loss, insomnia, hepatotoxicity, seizure and hallucinations
Kratom consumption could lead to addiction, according to the DEA. Several reports find psychosis among those who are addicted and could result in hallucinations, delusions and confusion.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Is kratom legal in Oklahoma? State law, where the drug stands
