What are kratom’s uses and risks and how are states regulating it? - PolitiFact

Traditionally extracted from tree leaves, kratom has become increasingly available for purchase in U.S. gas stations, convenience stores and online. It has both stimulant and opiate-like properties, depending on how much someone takes.  

People report using kratom to manage chronic pain, anxiety or opioid withdrawal. Toxicology and addiction experts say its safety and effectiveness for these purposes isn’t proven.

 Kratom can be addictive and too much can cause an overdose or liver toxicity. Experts are especially concerned about the harms of certain highly concentrated kratom products...

 https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/jul/13/kratom-7-OH-illegal-DEA-regulation/ 

Nearly 43,000 people commented on the DEA reclassifying cannabis. What did they say?

Analysis shows 59% of commenters want the proposed rule change to go further and for marijuana to be decriminalized…

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/27/dea-cannabis-classification

Five takeaways from the DEA’s pain pill database - The Washington Post

For the first time ever, a database maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration that tracks the path of every single pain pill sold in the United States — from manufacturers and distributors to pharmacies in every town and city — is being made public. The data was released as part of the largest civil action in U.S. history and provides an unprecedented look at the surge of legal pain pills that fueled the prescription opioid epidemic, which resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths from 2006 through 2012.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/six-takeaways-from-the-deas-pain-pill-database/2019/07/16/1d82643c-a7e6-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html

‘We feel like our system was hijacked’: DEA agents say a huge opioid case ended in a whimper -- The Washington Post

Investigators wanted a $1 billion fine and criminal charges brought against McKesson. Instead, they got a $150 million fine and no charges.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/mckesson-dea-opioids-fine/2017/12/14/ab50ad0e-db5b-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html

Jeff Sessions Is Peddling False Information About MS-13 -- Mother Jones

In a speech Monday to police chiefs from around the world, Attorney General Jeff Sessions designated the transnational gang MS-13 an official "priority" for the federal government's "Organized Crime Drug Enforcement" task forces, which combine resources from an array of federal agencies, including the DEA, FBI, ATF, IRS, and ICE, among others. ....
http://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2017/10/jeff-sessions-ms-13-justice-department-priority-3/

Who Profits from the Opioid Crisis? Meet the Secretive Sackler Family Making Billions from OxyContin - YouTube

This week, President Donald Trump’s nominee for drug czar, Republican Congressmember Tom Marino, had to withdraw from consideration after a Washington Post/”60 Minutes” investigation found he led a drug industry-backed effort to pass a law that weakened the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s ability to crack down on addictive opioids.....

Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGITecuBEHQ