The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Thursday that it had withdrawn plans to ban a Southeast Asian plant called kratom, which has developed a following in the United States among people who use its derivatives it to treat pain, opioid addiction and mood disorders.
The federal agency had planned to list kratom's active ingredient in its most restrictive category that includes heroin and marijuana at the end of September. But it will now wait until the end of December so officials can collect more public comments and allow for a scientific evaluation and scheduling recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration.
The DEA had faced a backlash from users, who claimed no other substances worked as well, and from researchers who feared their work into promising treatments would be shut down.
The agency had cited an "an imminent hazard to public safety" in announcing in late August its intent to schedule kratom. Officials said there have been 15 deaths linked to kratom, though most had other substances in their bodies.
Baltimore health officials have said kratom has not appeared to be a problem in the city, though the state health department considered it a threat. There haven't been any active investigations into kratom in the city, according to DEA Special Agent Todd C. Edward, a spokesman for the Baltimore district.
Kelly Devine, founder of Maryland Kratom United, said Thursday that many people provided personal testimonials to lawmakers and the federal agency in an effort to stop the ban.
She said she's been drinking tea made from kratom for two years to treat the chronic pain from fibromyalgia. It has enabled her to get away from "pills, doctor visits, injections and depression" and the quality of her life improved enough that she could again properly care for herself, as well as her elderly mother.
"Why did the DEA claim an imminent threat?" she said. "We have no idea."