Kratom concerns persist despite new regulations

New rules governing kratom, an herbal extract commonly sold in vape stores, took effect in Nebraska at the start of the new year.

OMAHA, Neb. — New regulations for kratom are now in effect across Nebraska under the Kratom Consumer Protection Act.

The law requires manufacturers to register with the state before their products can be sold in stores.

To qualify for registration, manufacturers must meet specific labeling requirements, including clearly warning that kratom can be habit-forming.

The act also limits the amount of 7-OH allowed in kratom products. 7-OH is a major psychoactive compound found in the kratom plant, and last month the FDA classified concentrated 7-OH as an opioid.

Nebraska City mother Randi Meade says she hopes the state will eventually move toward a complete ban on the product.

Her son, Hunter, was 18 years old when police informed Randi that he had been found dead while staying overnight at a friend’s house.

“A perfectly healthy 18-year-old doesn’t just go to sleep and not wake up,” Randi said.

She waited two months for Hunter’s toxicology results, which showed no drugs, THC, or alcohol in his system.

“They said the cause of his death was the kratom toxicity, and that’s what we’ve been told by the doctors,” Randi said.

Hunter was not a regular kratom user, and doctors said there was not enough in his system to suggest long-term use.

Because he could not take ibuprofen, a friend had suggested kratom as an alternative for pain relief.

“Hunter thought he was taking something very safe that night,” Randi said.

Since her son’s death, Randi has traveled repeatedly to Lincoln to lobby for a full ban on kratom.

“I just fear somebody else will lose a child, lose a loved one, or go down this hole of addiction because they think this is really safe,” she said.

While Randi acknowledges the new regulations as a step forward, she believes kratom still is not being taken seriously enough.

The Nebraska Department of Revenue maintains a kratom directory listing products approved for sale in the state.

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