Kratom to Be Tested for Addiction Risk in First-Ever Study

A worker checks a sample of ground kratom leaves.Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg
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Popular for its stimulating and pain-relieving properties, the herb kratom can be as easy to buy as a bag of chips in many parts of the US. That’s also raised questions about whether kratom should be more closely regulated.

A new US Food and Drug Administration-funded clinical trial expected to begin this summer seeks to provide more insight into kratom’s potential for abuse by comparing the leaf’s draw to that of the addictive opioid oxycodone.