CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Clinton Township trustees moved forward with a plan to ban the sale of kratom to anyone under 21 years old, requiring retailers to check IDs and implementing a $500 fine for violations.
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The unregulated supplement can mimic the feeling of opiates and can lead to psychotic symptoms and dependence issues, according to the DEA.
The decision comes after many people shared their personal struggles with the addictive substance in response to our reporting, with most raising concerns about addiction.
Andrew Wilczewski says he experienced extreme discomfort during kratom withdrawal, including sweating in his sleep and hot and cold flashes during the day for two weeks. He first shared his addiction story in a Facebook comment responding to our Monday story.
"When I see the word kratom come across the internet now, it creates a pit in my stomach," Wilczewski said.
Wilczewski, who started using kratom at 18 and used it for four years, agrees with the board's decision.
"I would chalk it up to be the equivalent of going to a gas station and purchasing hydrocodone," Wilczewski said.
Judge Carrie Fuca of 41B District Court in Macomb County says the ordinance was a step in the right direction, but she believes kratom should be banned altogether.
"The minute we prohibit them from using other drugs, they turn to kratom," Fuca said.
Fuca says kratom is deceptively marketed as a natural alternative for pain relief, anxiety, and opioid withdrawal. She particularly worries about the synthetic version containing a dangerous alkaloid called 7-OH, which experts say is 14 times stronger than morphine.
"In my perfect world, the synthetic version would be banned. If there's arguably uses for the natural version of it, my understanding is there's no market for it," Fuca said.
She has seen the effects firsthand, saying an opiate recovery participant in one of the court's programs overdosed on kratom, leading to a lengthy stay in the ICU.
"On average, about once a month we catch it, and that's just with the drug court participants, so if I was able to test all my probationers, I can promise you I would see it a lot more," Fuca said.
Mac Haddow, a member of the American Kratom Association, says kratom has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia, where it grows.
"It has become a popular cottage industry by substance abuse clinics, who we believe actually exploit kratom consumers," Haddow said.
Haddow says he uses a small amount of kratom himself every day for arthritis. He says people with addictive personalities are going to struggle with any substance they take, and adds his group advocates for clean kratom, which is sold to only those 21 and over.
"It is the bad actors not processing or testing these materials appropriately that's why we advocate for the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. We hope Michigan becomes the 20th state to implement that regulation. They don't have artificial alkaloids like 7-OH, which is a real problem, and that they are labeled correctly and age restricted," Haddow said.
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