LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A plant-based substance sold in gas stations and tobacco shops across Kentucky is sparking debate among addiction specialists about whether it's a helpful alternative or a dangerous gateway to dependency.
Kratom, derived from a plant native to Southeast Asia, is readily available despite lacking FDA approval and operating in a legal gray area at the federal level.
"How bad do you really wanna feel a moment of pleasure for a lifetime of pain?" said Christopher Cox, director of Changed Lives Counseling Center.
Cox said kratom mimics opioids by hitting the same brain receptors and creating similar addictive patterns.
"You can get it in the back door through these gas stations and everything, you know. So it's a free… open, free, kids can get ahold of it. Just like the serenity and the deltas and everything that are causing the kinds of problems right now. And it's been on the market for a long time now. Probably like two to three years," Cox said.
The substance's legal status doesn't determine its safety, according to Cox.
"You know, you got alcohol, it's killing a hundred and some thousand people a year. But it's legal, right? So legal doesn't really matter. But when it's destroying your life, you can't do the things you need to do, you can't take care of your family, you can't take care of yourself, you can't keep your job," Cox said.
Medical professionals have documented serious side effects from kratom use, including nausea, insomnia, seizures and possible psychosis.
"There is, you know, serious issues, mental health, and all those things that you gotta really take a look at before you start doing these substances because you know, the organizations trying to push the substances are downplaying," Cox said.
Cox believes financial motives drive kratom sales rather than genuine concern for public health.
"What I see is a lot of people trying to balance checkbooks instead of balancing lives. And so I think we need to get the right thing right and that's people first, money later," Cox said.
