The New York Times reports that three months ago federal health officials planned to ban a potent opioid extracted from kratom; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had said the substance “endangers Americans' lives.” This month the administration

2026-10-28

The New York Times reports that three months ago federal health officials planned to ban a potent opioid extracted from kratom; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had said the substance “endangers Americans' lives.” This month the administration reversed course: Kennedy and DEA officials announced the compound, referred to as MGPI, will be allowed within specified concentration thresholds on the grounds it occurs only in trace amounts in other natural products. Andrew Kolodny, medical director at Brandeis University, said the move was driven by industry lobbying rather than scientific evidence.