Latest Kratom Consumer and Industry News
This is our landing spot where we’re going to share news about the kratom industry that has the potential to directly impact consumers….
Kratom Research Unit Announcement
The Kratom Research Institute is happy to announce that Dr. Kirsten Smith, Ph. D., has established the Kratom Research Unit, part of the Maryland Opioid Research (MOR) group at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
With so little research done to understand how kratom affects the body, the formation of the Kratom Research Unit is a welcome addition to the world of kratom research. In addition to studying kratom’s effects, the KRU also provides consultation, testimonies, and education on kratom to national and international groups.
Their primary focus is to study the immediate effects of kratom on people in their labs and by conducting in-depth interviews with individuals who use kratom regularly. This approach is a big step in better understanding kratom, its uses, and its benefits since most clinical trials with kratom have used laboratory animals.
The National Institutes of Health provides most of their funding. The Kratom Research Unit is proud to collaborate with the following:
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Florida College of Pharmacy
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program (NIDA IRP)
The KRU’s primary goals are to understand kratom’s chemistry better, study kratom use and dependence/addiction, and investigate kratom as a harm-reduction tool. They are currently performing studies and research and are looking for individuals who use kratom regularly. We highly recommend contacting the KRU to help them further advance with their study of kratom.
The Global Kratom Coalition Applauds FDA Clinical Research on Kratom
After years of outright hostility toward kratom, claims of the herbal supplement being a public health threat, and a reluctance to conduct legitimate clinical trials and other research studies to determine the true risks and benefits of kratom use, the FDA may finally be starting to change its stripes.
The Global Kratom Coalition (GKC) recently announced their endorsement of the new direction and willingness to pursue the scientific facts. Among the key changes is a new role at the FDA. James “Jim” Jones is the first-ever Deputy Commissioner of the Human Foods Program, which is part of a larger push to make the FDA more efficient and flexible in responding to food, drug, and supplement innovations of the future.
This report was originally published on WRAL News but has since been removed. We’re trying to determine why.