The Trump administration has reversed a plan to ban a potent opioid compound derived from kratom, a Southeast Asian plant used in products sold as energy boosters and pain relievers. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Oct. 9 that officials would allow some levels of the substance, saying the decision followed the science.
Three months earlier, federal health officials had said a ban was needed to address an imminent threat to public safety. The compound is highly addictive, and kratom powders and tinctures are sold at convenience stores and vape shops across the United States.
The reversal followed lobbying by kratom industry figures after companies found the compound in products marketed as natural. David Gabbay, a manager of a major kratom distribution company, pushed against the ban while facing evidence that the substance was present in products linked to several wrongful death lawsuits against him, according to the report.
Gabbay and his wife, Maya, had donated about $2.9 million to Republican candidates and campaign committees by Oct. 12. Mac Haddow, who leads an advocacy group heavily funded by the company Gabbay manages, said he went to the White House to argue against the proposed ban.
Sources: The New York Times Health.