Kratom added to DoD list of prohibited substances

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brooke Wise
  • Peterson-Schriever Garrison Public Affairs

A dietary supplement known as kratom has been added to the Operation Supplement Safety list of Department of Defense prohibited substances and should not be purchased or consumed by any member of the armed forces.

Kratom is the common term for a plant that originated in Southeast Asian countries. It is not on the controlled substance list, but is considered a drug of concern. Since Kratom is not a controlled substance, products containing kratom are sold legally within the United States.

In the U.S., kratom is marketed as a dietary supplement, normally in pills or powdered form used to make tea. Its uses range from anxiety relief, pain relief, and boosting energy, to helping with opioid withdrawal.

 “What makes kratom dangerous is a potent opioid-like chemical that is naturally present in the plant,” said Tech. Sgt. Clifford Hayes, 50th Security Forces Squadron intelligence and investigations noncommissioned officer in charge. “Some kratom based products have had higher levels of this chemical. It is because of this opioid-like chemical, users of kratom could become addicted and may turn to other drugs as well.”

Because of the addictive properties kratom may have, prohibiting its use keeps Airman and Guardians from ingesting a product that could lead to drug dependency. It will also prevent service members from venturing into other drugs that are on the controlled substance list.

Kratom use will not produce a positive result on a routine DoD drug test. Regardless, military service members are prohibited from using any product containing kratom, given its safety concerns.

Visit https://www.opss.org/article/kratom-and-drug-testing for more information.