Kratom: The Next Dangerous Drug Hiding in Plain Sight - Law Officer op-ed by David Berez

BY: Citizens Behind the Badge Advisory Council Member - David Berez

Following the recent deaths of two college students at the University of Mississippi, the herbal supplement kratom and its synthetic counterparts have been thrust into national headlines — and for good reason. For most of my career as a police officer and Drug Recognition Expert, the drugs that concerned us were relatively easy to categorize. Cocaine was a stimulant. Heroin was an opioid. Marijuana was cannabis. The challenge today is that many emerging substances do not fit neatly into those categories.

Kratom is one of them.

Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia. For generations, the plant has been used traditionally for energy, pain relief, and other purposes. In the United States, however, kratom has evolved into a rapidly expanding commercial market of powders, capsules, liquid extracts, gummies, tablets, and concentrated products sold online and in smoke shops, convenience stores, and gas stations. Continue reading on: LawOfficer.com