Local News
Utah Legislature will consider a kratom ban next year
Citing their highly addictive properties and strong withdrawal issues, Utah lawmakers will consider banning a little-regulated substance sold in gas stations and vape shops — kratom. Kratom is a tree native to Southeast Asia with leaves that are often used to self-treat conditions like “pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety and depression, opioid use disorder, and opioid withdrawal,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, in its increasingly popular energy drink form and capsules, it has produced deep impacts among Utahns, lawmakers say. “There’s a product ...