Kratom Ban Is Absurd, Says Palm Beach Lawsuit by Former Cop UPDATED
Back in August, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced that it would soon become illegal to purchase or possess kratom, which is derived from the leaves of a Southeast Asian shrub and often served in drinks and teas at kava bars. As a Schedule I Controlled Substance, it would be in the same category as heroin, ecstasy, and LSD.
The response to the ban has been pretty much unanimous: This is overkill. Fifty-one members of Congress have signed a letter to the DEA asking to get it overturned. They point out there should have been a period for public comment first.
Now Michael Dombrowksi, who owns Tenaga Kava in Palm Beach Gardens, is leading a lawsuit against the DEA. He says until recently, his business relied primarily on kratom tea sales, and he’ll lose all the money he invested when he opened the kava bar in 2015 after retiring from a job in law enforcement. He also claims the economic impact of the ban — both in terms of lost annual revenue and taxes and salaries that would have been paid to his employees — would be at least a million dollars.
Dombrowski declined to comment further on the lawsuit, saying that he didn’t want to speak for the other kava bar owners — James Scianno of Purple Lotus Kava Bar in Boynton Beach and Keith Engelhardt and Thomas Harrison of Te Mana in West Palm Beach — who are listed as plaintiffs.
His reluctance is understandable given that kratom is often plagued with controversy. There are some kava-bar owners who are vehemently opposed to its use, and it’s been the subject of lawsuits from people who claim that it’s addictive or can lead to suicide. But there’s also a considerable body of evidence that suggests it may help people overcome opiate addiction. And, anecdotally, other local kava-bar owners have seen their lounges become a safe space for people who are recovering from alcoholism.
In fact, plenty of people who sell or serve kratom support some regulation — they just don’t think it’s necessary to make it a Schedule I drug. After all, the DEA’s main argument in support of banning kratom seems to be that it contributed to 15 deaths nationwide over the past two years. Keep in mind that during that same time frame, heroin overdoses killed 108 people in Broward County alone. Is it really necessary to crack down on an obscure plant?
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that a ban on kratom was already in effect. In fact, the DEA has only filed a Notice of Intent saying that it plans to ban kratom. Also, Keith Engelhardt and Thomas Harrison are the owners of Te Mana in West Palm Beach, not Kavasutra.
Filed under: General Problems
I think that part of the problem is that there has been some seller packaging bath salts and pretending that is actually Kratom. This has been a big problems in head shop. Since herbal remedies are not regulated you really have no clue what you are getting. Meanwhile it looks like the DEA is just lumping complaints together without knowing for sure if the person actually took kratom or something else or combined with something else. Sort like blaming a death totally on opiates even if they have a very small amount in them instead of putting the blame on the 3.5 alcohol level. We do need products to have truth in label so when people use something they know if additional substance have been added to a product. Currently that is not is not the case.
There may be a updated statement from DEA soon.Many think it will be to open up a public comment time frame.But they have already caused financial trouble to many decent vendors who want to comply with the laws.What DEA had done is shameful and harmful.I am disabled and in chronic pain.I have lost an excellent vendor who sold pure good quality herb.They have already caused stress and harm to millions like myself,who found some quality of life with this harmless herb.
Those 15 deaths have been investigated and found to not be KRATOM related.Each of those had multiple harmful drugs in their systems.The evidence is right out in front of them that kratom by itself is not lethal.Medical experts and researchers have already sent dea the accurate info.
It is my hope that we still live in a democracy,and that the truth can still overcome lies and hysteria.It is my hope that Dea will review all the info that has been presented to them through expert opinion and public testimony as to the safety and effectiveness of this pain relieving herb,and do the right thing.All of this has been so stressful and unnessassary.For decades this herb has been used responsibly and without any complications in the vast majority.Thousands of veterans rely on kratom to ease the misery of PTSD and depression.They have already caused damage to many who have lost reliable and responsible vendors.