In unprecedented move, Drug Enforcement Administration withdraws emergency kratom ban

In an unprecedented move, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has posted a notice in the Federal Register stating that it is withdrawing its plans to ban kratom using emergency scheduling powers. The DEA instead is opening a public comment period ending December 1st. The official notice indicates that comments received by the DEA will be considered - along with formal input from the Food and Drug Administration - before a determination is made about scheduling kratom. The DEA's proposed ban on kratom, a medicinal plant used for millennia in Southeast Asia and currently used by millions in the U.S., was anticipated to go in effect as early as September 30.

Today’s announcement by the DEA comes amidst enormous pressure on the agency from the public and federal lawmakers to halt the proposed kratom ban. In recent weeks, prominent members of Congress, including Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), have sent letters to the DEA criticizing the kratom ban and calling on the agency to provide a public comment period. Today’s announcement is considered unprecedented for a law enforcement agency that has never backed down when using its controversial emergency scheduling powers.

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