More than 8,000 convicted people and suspects will be cleared of legal charges when kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is removed from the narcotics list on Aug 24, Office of Narcotics Control Board secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkol said. Kratom (Migragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen plant with opioid properties and some stimulant-like effects. It had long been used in tradtional medicine but was declared a Class 5 narcotic under the Narcotics Act of 1976. The law was amended in 2021 to remove kratom from the list. The amendment was published in the Royal Gazette on May 26 and the removal of kratom from the narcotics list is effective from Aug 24.

A World Health Organization meeting could determine the future of kratom, a widely available herbal supplement some tout as an alternative to opioid painkillers. Kratom, a plant indigenous to Southeast Asia, produces narcotic-like effects. Advocates say the substance is a promising replacement for opioids that could help wean people addicted to those drugs, which killed nearly 70,000 people in the U.S. in 2020. The WHO's drug dependence committee will conduct a "pre-review" of kratom. Kratom advocates suggest Washington a attempts to end run the federal regulatory process by taking the international route to finish what it could not accomplish domestically. (See also: Kratom: the creation of a threat: A policy commentary on the WHO pre-review of kratom)

It’s a leaf, it’s sold as a dye, and it’s used as a drug: It’s kratom, and it’s all the rage in the Czech Republic. Kratom is among the dozens of psychoactive substances emerging on Europe's recreational drugs scene every year. Some, like kratom, are fairly new to Europe but have been used in other parts of the world for hundreds of years. Others, so-called designer drugs, are concocted by recreational drugmakers to circumvent drug laws — hence their moniker, “legal highs.” They're drugs that fly under the radar, open to abuse but which don't (yet) fall under the purview of international drugs laws. And they create a cat-and-mouse game between policymakers and drug designers.

After being listed as an illegal narcotic for many decades, Thais will finally be allowed to use and own Mitragyna speciosa, also known as kratom, as traditional medicine by August this year. On May 28, an announcement was made in the Royal Gazettewhich effectively removed the plant from the list of narcotics. As new laws take effect 90 days after their publication in the Gazette, kratom use and possession will be effectively decriminalised on Aug 24. Prior to its decriminalisation, kratom was categorised as a Class 5 Narcotic substance under the Narcotics Act, which made consuming, cultivating and possessing any part of the plant illegal.

The decriminalisation of kratom, long used as a herbal remedy but which some health regulators around the world have criticised as potentially unsafe, was welcomed by human rights advocates. Kratom is part of the coffee family, used for centuries in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea for its pain-relieving and mildly stimulating effects. It has become increasingly popular in the United States. The change to Thai law means "the general public will be able to consume and sell kratom legally", government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said, while more than 1,000 prisoners convicted of offences related to the drug will be freed. (See also: Thailand legalizes kratom, popular plant-based painkiller)

La Constitución marca el inicio de un nuevo paradigma para la coca, lo que se concretó con la denuncia de Bolivia a la Convención Única de 1961 y su readhesión en 2013, bajo la reserva sobre el derecho al uso tradicional, ritual, cultural y medicinal de la planta en su estado natural. Esta reserva nos obliga a establecer mecanismos de control sobre el cultivo para prevenir la producción ilícita de estupefacientes extraíbles de la hoja. Así nace en 2017 la Ley General de Coca, para regular la cadena de producción solo en territorio local, lo que dificulta la apertura de mercados internacionales. El artículo 12 de la Ley de Coca cita como prioridad nacional su exportación.

Last month, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) continued its attacks on kratom, a natural plant used by millions of Americans for an improved quality of life and pain reduction. According to the FDA, kratom should be banned for its opioid-like qualities, its potential deadliness, and its link to 23 salmonella poisonings across the country. Let’s break down all of these falsehoods. First, regulation is the better approach than banning. Kratom users won’t go away if it’s made illegal; the plant has been imported for years because of its popularity and safe use in Asia.

Kratom will soon be removed from the narcotics list and cultivated as a new cash crop, after the House passed an amendment to the 1979 Narcotics Act. The House voted 319 to five to pass the amendment and 326 to five to endorse a 90-day transition. As such it is now due to take effect 90 days after it is published in the Royal Gazette. Prior to the House votes, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin told MPs the amendment was aimed at legalising consumption of kratom. Mixing its juices with other narcotic substances, a popular pastime among some youths, will still be illegal, however. Legalising kratom will also change public perception of the plant and people who consume it as a herbal remedy, he said.

The increasingly widespread use of ketum (or kratom) in Malaysia earlier this year prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs to lead a push to schedule it in the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. On April 1, the amendment to the DDA was shelved. Opposition MP Wong Chen wrote a Facebook post detailing reasons for opposition to the amendment, including: usage as traditional medication, lack of socioeconomic considerations, and the need for evidence-based rehabilitation. He also emphasized that the country should be moving towards decriminalization of drugs.

25th December of 2018 was a historical day for cannabis enthusiasts in Thailand. The (interim) Parliament voted, 166-to-0, to pass new amendments to the country’s Narcotics Act. These legislative changes will allow for the cultivation, importation/exportation, distribution, possession and use of cannabis for medical and research purposes in the Kingdom. The move is regarded by many as a big leap forward, especially as the country still retains a criminal penalty (one year of imprisonment) for the simple use of illicit drugs, including cannabis.

Over the past decade, methamphetamine use has grown more popular in Myanmar, Thailand and Southern China. Based on in-depth interviews conducted with individuals who use methamphetamine, this briefing sheds light on the importance of promoting an environment that reinforces, rather than undermines, the ability of people who use methamphetamine to regulate their drug use, preserve their health and adopt safer practices.

Download the briefing (PDF)

An opinion survey found 86% of respondents support the medical use of marijuana and kratom, 39% think authorities can control its use, and 59% want its use to be restricted to certain places. The National Institute of Development Administration and the Public Relations Department polled 2,058 people nationwide to gather their opinions about the medical use of marijuana and kratom. A huge majority  (86.3%) said they supported its use because research confirmed marijuana and kratom could serve medical purposes and provide treatment alternatives. All respondents were aware that the narcotic law permitted the medical use of marijuana and kratom and 98.40% knew that marijuana had medical treatment benefits. (See also: Five cannabis drugs set for debut)

The leaves of kratom, a native of Southeast Asia in the coffee family, are used to relieve pain and improve mood as an opiate substitute and stimulant. The herb is also combined with cough syrup to make a popular beverage in Thailand called "4x100." Because of its psychoactive properties, kratom is illegal in Thailand, Australia, Myanmar (Burma) and Malaysia. Thailand is considering legalizing kratom as a safer alternative for meth addicts, and U.S. researchers are studying its potential to help opiate abusers kick the habit without withdrawal side effects.

Durante siglos, los tailandeses han consumido kratom, una planta originaria del Sudeste Asiático empleada en la medi­cina tradicional. Mascada, en forma de píldoras o preparada como infusión, sus defensores aseguran que, dependiendo de la dosis, puede servir como anal­gésico natural o estimulante, ayuda a superar adicciones y que entraña pocos riesgos para la salud. Con todo, en las últimas décadas ha permanecido incluida en la lista de drogas ­ilícitas elaborada por las autoridades locales, una clasificación que abandonó hace tan solo unos días. Desde ahora, los tailandeses que lo deseen podrán consumir y vender esta planta sin problemas, algo que antes estaba penado con hasta dos años de prisión y multas de unos 5.000 euros para cantidades superiores a los diez kilos.

Kava, or Piper methysticum, is a tropical evergreen shrub in the nightshade family, native to the South Pacific islands, including Vanuatu, Fiji, Hawaii and others. Its roots are mashed or ground up and consumed orally, typically as a bitter-tasting beverage. It has long been used for medicinal, religious, political, cultural and social purposes throughout Polynesia, including as an aphrodisiac. In Western societies it has been used to treat anxiety, tension and restlessness, as well as to successfully counteract alcohol use disorder. A preliminary study conducted in 2001 found that the active ingredients in kava, known as kavapyrones, bind to many sites in the brain that are associated with addiction and craving. It’s also catching on as a social substance in the US, where kava bars are spreading.