𝕮𝖑𝖆𝖉𝖎𝖚𝖘 𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖚𝖆𝖗𝖉

Calley Means just called kratom a “straight up opioid” and “gas station heroin” on @joerogan, claiming it’s causing deaths, relapses, and “devastation.” @calleymeans is mixing up two completely different things. Natural kratom leaf (Mitragyna speciosa) is not heroin. Its primary alkaloid, mitragynine, is a partial mu-opioid agonist with a ceiling effect and G-protein bias — it doesn’t act like a full agonist such as morphine or fentanyl. Trace amounts of 7-OH occur naturally in the leaf after harvest (typically well under 0.04% by weight). It has been used for centuries in traditional preparations. What regulators are actually targeting is concentrated/synthetic 7-OH products — chemically boosted or isolated versions sold as gummies, shots, and tablets that are far more potent and opioid-like. In the exact press conference Means references, former FDA Commissioner @MartyMakary and HHS officials were explicit: “We’re not targeting the kratom leaf or ground-up kratom. We are targeting the concentrated, synthetic byproduct that is an opioid.” “They bear no resemblance to botanical kratom that people have consumed for centuries.” Full press conference: youtube.com/watch?v=ChOICFOn… Most reported “kratom-related” deaths involve polydrug use (especially fentanyl and other opioids). Pure leaf has a different risk profile. Facts over fearmongering. If you’re tired of the misinformation, share this so the facts reach more people.