The Washington Post (10/12, Ingraham) reports the DEA is withdrawing its proposal to classify kratom as a Schedule I drug, after a “public outcry” called for the agency to reverse its decision. The article explains that the DEA announced in August that it planned to classify kratom as a Schedule I drug, but Chuck Rosenberg, the acting administrator of the DEA, said that since that announcement the “DEA has received numerous comments from members of the public challenging the scheduling action.”
The Huffington Post (10/12, Wing) reports the DEA announced it will now open a public comment period on the matter until December 1 and it has also asked the FDA to review the substance before making a new recommendation on how kratom should be scheduled. The article points out that kratom has been used to relieve pain for thousands of years, and some also claim that it can be used to treat anxiety, depression, and opioid addiction.
The Washington Times (10/12, Noble) reports DEA spokeswoman Melvin Patterson said, “Basically we are postponing the road we are headed down right now.”
Additional coverage is provided by: the AP (10/12, Caldwell), U.S. News & World Report (10/12, Nelson), and the Washington Examiner (10/12, King).
