Christine Jordan Sexton
The war on designer drugs no longer is limited to synthetic substances.
Kratom — an herb derived from the leaf of a tropical tree indigenous to areas of Southeast Asia — has been gaining popularity in kava bars and smoke shops as the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency labeled it as substance of growing concern.
It also has been the radar for Sarasota County — which banned the sale of kratom at convenience stores last year along with synthetic marijuana — and Palm Beach County, where the commission has wrestled for more than a year on whether to ban the herb — which can combat fatigue but in high doses can have sedative narcotic effects — or just require stores to place warning signs.
The state Senate delves into the issue Tuesday when the Criminal Justice Committee takes up SB 764, by Milton Republican Sen. Greg Evers. The bill would add kratom to the list of Schedule I controlled substances, meaning it’s considered to have a high potential of abuse, has no current accepted use for medical treatment in the United States nor meets medical safety standards. The bill would make it a third-degree felony to possess, sell, or possess with the intent to sell.
However, a strike-all amendment awaits the measure. If adopted, the bill would place kratom in the Schedule V, meaning that there is a low potential for abuse and has a currently accepted use for medical treatment in the United States. Additionally, only those under 21 who posses, sell, manufacture, or deliver kratom would face low-end misdemeanor charges.
A similar bill, HB 287, has been filed in the House by Coconut Creek Democrat Rep. Kristin Diane Jacobs.
