By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)
The Iowa House has approved a bill to ban the sale of kratom, a plant-based product that’s being sold in some Iowa gas stations and vape shops.
The leaves from kratom trees, which are native to southeast Asia, are chewed or crushed to make teas or powders and pills. A synthetic version of kratom has recently been developed. Republican Representative Mike Vondran of Davenport said it’s time to classify kratom as an illegal drug.
“There’s a growing public safety crisis with the abuse of kratom, increaseing reports of emergency room visits and fatalities related to kratom are on the rise,” Vondran said, “up 120% year over year in Iowa.”
The bill passed the House on a 69-26 vote and an identical bill is eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate. Representative Ray Sorenson, a Republican from Greenfield, said kratom has been used for centuries by millions of people and, rather than banning it, he said kratom should be regulated and only those 21 and older should be able to buy it. “Government should be careful about policing adult choices,” sorenson said. “I believe the government has a role in protecting public safety, especially when it comes to minors, but when it comes to adults making decisions about legal products, we should be cautious about expanding criminal prohibitions.”
Representative Cindy Golding, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, said banning kratom won’t keep people from using it. “My grandmother was a nurse during the Prohibition,”There were deaths because alcohol was tainted with wood alcohol, with methanol and people died. It was not regulated, it was underground, but it didn’t stopit.”
Vondran said county attorneys and three prominent Iowa medical groups are urging legislators to classify kratom as an illegal drug in hopes of curbing its use. “Kratom poses significant dangers including addition and potentially fatal overdose,” Vondram said. “Users frequently suffer from serious side effects like respiratory depression and liver damage.”
The State Medical Examiner has identified 92 cases in which the primary compound in kratom was the contributing factor in an overdose death.
