Parts of California and the U.S. are banning kratom. Here's why

O.C. is latest to bar a form of the herbal supplement that has opioid properties.

- BY KAREN GARCIA

KRATOM side effects can include nausea, dry mouth, hallucinations, depression, delusions and trouble breathing. Above, kratom leaves for sale in Bangkok in 2021.

An herbal supplement that's marketed as a cure-all for chronic pain and sold in gas stations and smoke shops is getting banned in communities across Southern California and the nation.

Kratom is derived from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia, and is commonly made into a powder or pill.

Researchers say in the United States, people are using kratom to alleviate anxiety, treat chronic pain or as a remedy for the symptoms associated with quitting opioids, among other uses.

But recently, public health officials have raised alarms about a component of the leaf called hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH, an alkaloid that has the potential for abuse because of its ability to bind to opioid receptors in the body.

7-OH is a naturally occurring substance in the kratom plant, but researchers are seeing a proliferation of concentrated 7-OH products that potentially have enhanced amounts of the chemical, according to a report by the Food and Drug Administration.

The use of kratom in any form has not been approved by the FDA, but the agency is particularly scrutinizing 7-OH. It also is not regulated at the state level in California.