Investigators continue looking into the deaths of two students at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss.) The two died this week and multiple published reports say packages of the drug kratom was found during the separate death investigations. Authorities said it is not confirmed that the kratom, or any controlled substance contributed to either death. The powdered stimulant is against the law in Alabama, and the subject of reporting by APR news.
The death cases still puts Kratom back in the at a time news, while authorities in Alabama continue efforts to get the powdered substance off shelves of gas stations and convenience stores.
Kratom is illegal in Alabama. The state classifies its active compounds, mitragynine, and 7-hydroxymitragynine, as a Schedule 1 controlled substances. Possession, sale, or distribution of kratom is a felony in Alabama, and state law enforcement continues active crackdowns on retail sales.
The National Institutes of Health said the major active alkaloid found in kratom, mitragynine, has been reported to have "opioid agonist and analgesic activity in vitro and in animal models, consistent with the purported effects of kratom leaf in humans. However, preliminary research has provided some evidence that mitragynine and related compounds
may act as atypical opioid agonists, inducing therapeutic effects such as analgesia, while limiting the negative side effects typical of classical opioids."
The effort against kratom sales and usage in Alabama is the subject of ongoing reporting at APR, including a story by student intern Chris Ahlf. In his coverage, he said…
“Imagine you just walked into a local gas station. It’s been a long day, and you need something to wake you up. One answer are reportedly called “Kava shots.” Their like a Five-Hour Energy drink. Law enforcement says that’s when the habit can kick in. Kava is billed as a legal all-natural calming agent and mood booster. The Alabama Poison Control Center says what the label doesn’t say is that the drink also likely contains kratom.
“Kratom is actually somewhat of an umbrella term that we use to describe a plant species.”
Jessica Pescatore is the Clinical Director at the Center.
“The leaves of the plant have been chewed or dried to use in you know teas, things of that sort. And so, kind of traditional medicinal use of kratom has been around work productivity to relieve pain, to relieve anxiety, things of that sort.”
Kratom was outlawed in Alabama back in 2016. It was labeled as a Schedule I controlled substance and remains so to this day. Even critics admit Kratom isn’t inherently bad. Pescatore says it’s the chemicals associated with Kratom that’s the problem.
“What we're seeing with the commercial products is the composition and what they are actually containing is alkaloids at amounts that you would not find in the natural plant species. There's a lot of room for enhanced depressant effects on both your central nervous system as well as your respiratory system, and those are the two things that we are most concerned about.”
Kratom can act as a stimulant in low doses. That can make a mood boost and added sense of alertness. However, Pescatore says the high dosage of these over-the-counter products can cause it to become addictive.”
The two Ole Miss students, who were found dead, have not been publicly identified. Mayor Robyn Tannehill says both were found dead Monday. The body of one student was discovered on campus, and the other in the city of Oxford. Lafayette County Metro Narcotics tell reporters the deaths are under investigation by local, state, and federal authorities, and are being treated as separate inquiries.
Greek organizations on campus have been reminding members not to take anything that is not prescribed by their doctor.
