Why is the Enterprise Record running “sponsored content” about Kratom powder, a highly addictive substance sold over the counter at smoke shops and liquor stores? Here’s another question – why hasn’t the city of Chico banned this crap, like cities across the US?

According to this article, ” Kratom users rely on this fast-acting formula to enhance their energy levels and overall well-being…” The article mentions nothing about the dangers of Kratom, selling it as an energy supplement.

Here’s what the National Institute on Drug Abuse will tell you about Kratom powder.

https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/kratom#safe

Adverse effects range from mild to severe. Some people who use kratom have reported mild side effects, such as nausea, constipation, dizziness and drowsiness.^{3, 4} In case reports, clinicians report seeing patients with a wide range of very rare but serious adverse effects associated with kratom exposure—including mental and neurological symptoms (confusion, tremors and seizures), heart and lung problems (high blood pressure and slow breathing), gastrointestinal problems (nausea and vomiting) and liver problems.^{1, 23} Researchers continue to study potential adverse effects in humans, animal models and cells, including possible damage to the cardiovascular system.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is more to the point – they call Kratom a “drug of concern”

https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/kratom

Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Consumption of its leaves produces both stimulant effects (in low doses) and sedative effects (in high doses), and can lead to psychotic symptoms, and psychological and physiological dependence. Kratom leaves contain two major psychoactive ingredients (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine). These leaves are crushed and then smoked, brewed with tea, or placed into gel capsules. Kratom has a long history of use in Southeast Asia.  In the U.S., the abuse of kratom has increased markedly in recent years.

At low doses, increased alertness, physical energy, and talkativeness. At high doses, sedation,,Addictive: causes hallucinations, delusion, and confusion,Nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, and loss of appetite. Long-term use can cause anorexia, weight loss, and insomnia.

And here’s what Web MD has to say

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1513/kratom

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree native to Southeast Asia. The leaves contain a chemical called mitragynine, which works like opioids such as morphine.

Kratom has pain-relieving effects like opioid drugs. It also has many of the same serious safety concerns as other opioids.

People commonly use kratom for withdrawal from heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs, as well as cough, depression, anxiety, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Using kratom can also be unsafe.

Kratom is banned in some states and countries due to serious safety concerns. The US FDA has warned consumers to avoid using products containing kratom.

Despite the above warnings, Kratom continues to be legal. The warnings are true. When our friend used it to get off alcohol and other substances, he vomited his way into very frightening seizures. When we tried to get him to stop using it he acted like an animal and stopped talking to us. We were finally able to get him to a doctor, who told him Kratom was dangerous. She gave him pharmaceuticals that worked – he’s off drugs now, and doing a lot better.

That was a dark time for my husband and I, it’s hard to convince yourself to get involved with friends when they act like they don’t even know you. But this was a friend we wanted to hold on to. So I looked for help. I tried to talk to my city council representative, Kasey Reynolds, about the prevalence of Kratom in the local tobacco and liquor stores, and how it’s used. Many cities across the US and California have banned it. She wouldn’t engage – let’s face it, the city of Chico likes this kind of trade, it’s produces a lot of sales tax revenues.

City council has the power to refuse licenses for alcohol stores and smoke shops. When was the last time you heard of them not approving a new liquor store or smoke shop, despite recent raids by the ABC?

And now Mike Wolcott is running ads for a highly toxic, addictive substance that produces sales tax. What next Mr. Drug Peddler? And he wonders why I won’t subscribe to his little ad rag.

UPDATE: At last night’s council meeting (5/7/24), council approved two new alcohol serving businesses despite the fact that the Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) determined that they were both located “ in an area with an undue concentration of alcoholic beverage licenses.” (Downtown Chico) Police Chief Billy Aldridge “did not oppose a determination of public convenience or necessity. ” What does that even mean – ask your council rep if they understand what they’re voting on, I don’t think they particularly care. Both items had been placed on the consent agenda, neither was held for any type of conversation before council agreed unanimously to allow two more alcohol serving businesses within block of each other in the Downtown grid.

According to California Code,

(a) For purposes of Section 23958, “undue concentration” means the case in which the applicant premises for an original or premises-to-premises transfer of any retail license are located in an area where any of the following conditions exist:(1) The applicant premises are located in a crime reporting district that has a 20 percent greater number of reported crimes, as defined in subdivision (c), than the average number of reported crimes as determined from all crime reporting districts within the jurisdiction of the local law enforcement agency.(2) As to on-sale retail license applications, the ratio of on-sale retail licenses to population in the census tract or census division in which the applicant premises are located exceeds the ratio of on-sale retail licenses to population in the county in which the applicant premises are located.(3) As to off-sale retail license applications, the ratio of off-sale retail licenses to population in the census tract or census division in which the applicant premises are located exceeds the ratio of off-sale retail licenses to population in the county in which the applicant premises are located.

I frankly believe those are all excellent reasons to deny an alcohol business to open in a particular area, but the city of Chico seems to be on a bender lately.