Thread by @docsteinmetz

Here's my 5 min talk I just held at the 44th #ECDD:

<< Dear Expert Committee on Drug Dependence,
my name is Fabian Steinmetz. I'm from Germany and I'm an Eurotox-certified toxicologist and professional risk assessor at an international consultancy.

I speak here on behalf of the NGO #ENCOD, the European coalition for just and effective drug policies.
And now I'd like to speak a few words about #kratom (Mitragyna speciosa).

First of all I'd like to remind the committee that banning #hemp, #poppy & #coca was not very successful and even led to more potent derivatives and synthetic imitations. Also these bans fueled violent crime and human rights violations worldwide.

But back to #kratom:
#Kratom tastes horrible and effects, particularly at high doses, are often described as unpleasant.
It's a traditional medicine for #pain and #opioid withdrawal symptoms (and perhaps soon Parkinson's disease).

Only at very low doses it has some stimulant properties.
However, the #opioid properties (which are probably the reason for concern) are rather mild.

The main alkaloid #mitragynine needs to undergo first-pass metabolism to become an opioid (7-hydroxymitragynine) which requires oral use. This inhibits as sudden rush and clearly differentiates kratom’s main alkaloid #mitragynine from #cocaine or #morphine.

Hence, snorting, smoking & injecting, which are rather critical routes of administration, are hardly relevant.
Adverse effects, such as #kratom use disorder or organ toxicity, are rare and usually rather mild.

These risks are comparable to many other plant materials we may consume on a daily base. The concept of Paracelsus applies and I would like to emphasise that #kratom is not significantly more toxic than #tea (Camellia sinensis);

a few grams have mild psychotropic effects, a few grams more may result in unpleasant side effects and heavy longterm use of extracts my even harm your liver. That's true for both plants. So should we next time meet here and talk about banning #tea?

Also the associated deaths need to be seen in the same light:
If you treat #kratom use as a deadly contribution in a #Fentanyl overdose, then you must also consider a cup of #coffee as a deadly contribution in a #Methamphetamine overdose.

Framing #kratom as a deadly and dangerous drug is just wrong. Most users will never ever develop any problems - but this may change by banning the plant...

A ban on a niche product, such as #kratom, will most likely effect people using the plant as medicine and mild stimulant and it will either lead to individual decisions towards more harmful substances or people suffering from criminalisation.

It is understandable to regulate extracts and isolates for therapeutic purposes under local medical laws, however, it is not justifiable to ban the plant and its traditional use forms.

Hence, we at #ENCOD oppose scheduling kratom as a controlled substance.
Thank you for your attention! >>

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