LANSING, Mich. — A bill that would prohibit the growth or sale of kratom in Michigan narrowly passed the state House Wednesday and is now headed to the state Senate floor for a vote.
The legislation passed largely along party lines without any committee hearings on the issue.
Kratom is a substance sometimes referred to as "gas station heroin" for its opioid- and stimulant-like effects. Users of kratom say it can act as a stimulant or a painkiller, and some use it to help quit opioids.
However, those usages have not been supported by the FDA. The agency says kratom carries its own risk of addiction, as well as health risks like high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.
"As long as there is no actual benefit to kratom, I don't see why we shouldn't ban it. And that's why we're banning it rather than legitimizing it through a regulatory structure," said Rep. Matt Hall, Republican and Speaker of the House, in a news conference after the vote.
"If the FDA finds a use for it, then it'll be regulated and legal for that use, but that has not happened," Hall said.
Kratom has been used in East Asia for generations and is mainly consumed in low doses by chewing the leaves of the plant.
In the U.S., the Mayo Clinic says a lack of regulation has allowed sellers to add undisclosed ingredients to their products, meaning dosages and effects can vary wildly.
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