Back to Show
PBS News Hour
If kratom helps opioid addicts, why might DEA outlaw it?
The national epidemic of opioid abuse has claimed more than 300,000 lives in the U.S. over the last 16 years -- and some researchers claim that kratom, an herbal psychoactive drug that is currently unregulated, could help people struggling with addiction. But federal drug policy-makers may classify kratom as an illegal drug. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Mike Taibbi reports.